Oroville (California)

Oroville is a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California. With a population in the greater urban area of 40,000, it is the seat of Butte County. A relaxed place, it boasts a massive dam that has created the man made Lake Oroville. There are excellent outdoor activities including boating, hiking, biking, and fishing.

Understand
For a California town located no small distance from the state's major population centers, Oroville has a rather extensive history. It was the first major town in the area and grew enormously in the mid-19th century due to the Gold Rush. Unfortunately the timeless wisdom that holds "what comes easy won't last and what lasts won't come easy" certainly held true in Oroville, as it has the lengthy ignominy of being the seat of one of California's poorest counties (Butte). Constantly overshadowed by neighboring Chico with its vibrant California State University campus, Oroville has spent most of its post-Gold Rush existence quietly serving administrative purposes with some unfortunate race tensions in the middle of the 20th century.

Since the construction of the massive dam which in turn created Lake Oroville, outdoor tourism has become one of the main draws of the town and more people have moved there as it becomes a "bedroom community" of towns such as Chico and even Sacramento. Visitors to Oroville will more than likely be spending their time hiking or on the lake as the town proper, while having a nice, old historical area, isn't heavy on cultural attractions.

By bus
There are three main bus methods to get to Oroville:
 * Amtrak - While better known for their trains, Amtrak does run a connecting bus service from their Sacramento hub. In Sacramento you can transfer to trains that will take you nearly anywhere in the country.  The number of buses varies a great deal based upon the season and it's best to consult their website to make plans specific to when you want to travel.  The stop is not near the center of town though as it is just off the main highway at a gas station, so visitors would need to plan an additional ride accordingly.  If the timing works, the hourly B-Line 24 Route can connect visitors to the rest of town.
 * Casino Buses - With the opening of two large Indian gambling casinos in the town several years ago, bus routes were created to link up gamblers in the San Francisco Bay Area with these casinos. The schedules are not ideal, but the cost of the ride is considerably cheaper than any other option given it is offset by the fact that they believe those riding it will be gambling upon arrival.  To use this, inquire directly with the Gold Country or Feather Falls Casinos.
 * Greyhound - The stalwart American bus service. There are at least two regular bus connections with Oroville a day that are exceedingly slow, although they stop closer to the main part of town.  The hourly B-Line 25 Route is available to connect people to other areas of town.

By car
You will most likely need a car once arriving in Oroville, so it is better to arrive with your own first. Oroville straddles Highway 70 and has four exits off this main thoroughfare.

By train
During Gold Rush times, there were several trains a day down to Sacramento and San Francisco. Today, there is no direct service. The Amtrak Coast Starlight stops in neighboring Chico, but has quite horrible arrival times and frequency to get to Oroville, not mention being a half-hour drive from town.

Get around
The public transportation in Oroville is not amazing, but strides have been made to have a more reliable system. The B-Line covers not only the core of the town, but also has hourly connections to neighboring towns.

Bicycling can be a wonderful way to see the area, especially in the Fall or Spring when the temperatures are more moderate and the natural scenery pleasing.

Taxis are scarce and not to be seen running around. You actually have to call a taxi to come to your specific location if you want one and they are not cheap.

While the immediate downtown area is a pleasant walk, to go anywhere else will require your own car. If you don't have one upon arrival, there are several rental offices in town such as Enterprise and Hertz.

Buy
There are no items specific to Oroville that warrant special attention of purchase. Here are a few places where more basic items can be found.



Drink
Oroville is not lacking in drinking options, which is probably a tribute to its bawdy Gold Rush past. The issue is more that the vast majority of bars fall under the "dive" classification.

There are also several small wineries of varying levels of quality in the foothill area of Oroville. While not an area known for wines, the hot summers make growing wines quite possible, although winemakers in the area are overall still learning how to work the terroir and which varietals grow best.

Stay safe
Oroville is an overall safe town. Because most people drive, there are few if any petty crimes such as pickpocketing or mugging. There is an underbelly of methamphetamine producers and users in the town, which tend to be focused in the area known at "South Side", roughly bounded by Lincoln, Wyandotte, and Ithaca. Although this is an over-simplified definition, there is little reason for a visitor to go to this area, so it should be a non-issue.

The area just east of Hwy 70 and between Oro Dam Blvd and Ophir road has been heavily contaminated by the chemical waste leftover from wood processing back when Oroville was a more prominent lumber town. It's advisable to not spend any time in this area, although again, it offers next to nothing as far as attractions unless a trip is needed to the local garbage dump for some reason.

While the area is low in humidity, the summers get incredibly hot, usually staying at a minimum of 37 °C/95 °F from June through August and sometimes peaking to 48 °C/120 °F. This makes for great fun at the lake or on the river, but when not on the water, make sure to stay very hydrated and wear sunscreen.

On the other end of the seasons, the winters are quite cold. While snow is extremely rare, it will often get below freezing which creates the hazard of "black ice" when driving. Also to note is the period in late January or February when a longterm fog settles in for a week or two that is quite cold, but more importantly makes for very hazardous driving due to decreased visibility. Make sure to take care and reduce speed as during this time there are often large pileups on the freeways of multiple cars.

Go next

 * Chico - Twenty minutes west of Oroville, Chico is the main town of the area with good shopping and a state college.
 * Gold Country - Where the formation of California really took place.
 * Mount Lassen - Excellent outdoor hiking and breathtaking scenery in the volcanic park about a 45-minute drive from Oroville.
 * Sacramento - About an hour south of Oroville and the capital of California.