Bidwell's Bar Ghost Town

Butte County, California39.5567, -121.4414

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Lake Oroville State Recreation Area · Open to visitors

Nearest town
2.3 miKelly Ridge, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec8 of 12
Elevation
900 ft275 m
Illustration of a forest landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Bidwell's Bar. No free-licensed photo yet.

Bidwell's Bar is a ghost town in Butte County, California. It lies at about 900 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miParadiseMagaliaGridleyDurhamBidwell's Bar
  • National Forest
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Bidwell's Bar. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Kelly Ridge, CA, about 2.3 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Chico, CA, 24 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Oregon City5.3 mi northwest
  2. Bloomer5.4 mi northwest
  3. Brush9.8 mi north
  4. Hamilton13 mi southwest
  5. Chandon20 mi southwest
  6. Timbuctoo24 mi south
  7. Monroeville30 mi west
  8. Gibsonville31 mi northeast

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

State land: Lake Oroville State Recreation Area

PAD-US places this spot on Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, land managed by the state park agency. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°5840Jan6242Feb6846Mar7448Apr8254May9159Jun9763Jul9661Aug9057Sep7951Oct6645Nov5840DecJan: 5.8 inFeb: 5.6 inMar: 4.7 inApr: 2.2 inMay: 1.4 inJun: 0.6 inJul: 0.0 inAug: 0.1 inSep: 0.4 inOct: 1.3 inNov: 2.9 inDec: 5.5 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run October to May, judging by NOAA normals from Oroville. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Oroville station (USC00046521), 6.5 miles away. About 30.5 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationButte County, California
Coordinates39.55667, -121.44139
Elevation900 ft (275 m)
Also known asBidwell's Bar, California, Bidwell's Bar, CA
SourcesWikidata Q4904286 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Bidwell's Bar ghost town?

In Butte County, California, at 39.5567, -121.4414. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Kelly Ridge, CA, about 2.3 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Chico, CA, 24 miles away.

Can you visit Bidwell's Bar?

Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, land managed by the state park agency. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

When is the best time to visit Bidwell's Bar?

Mild months here run October to May, judging by NOAA normals from Oroville. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Bidwell's Bar?

Yes. Oregon City (5.3 mi), Bloomer (5.4 mi), Brush (9.8 mi), Hamilton (13 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Reno · Ghost towns near Sacramento