There is a Great Place to Swim in Upper Bidwell Park in Chico, California. The Lava from Mount Lassen Flowed down there and Crystallized into Black Rocks.

I swam thru the Lava Tubes... They are Now Closed because a Student Drowned... But in 1973, they were safe... Lava Rocks cool and harden Outside first and the inside Lava keeps on flowing... creating a Lave Tube... and there is one underwater in Chico. 

There is a Giant WPA Pool at the Legendary One Mile Recreation Area on Chico Creek. It's Open All Night... Most Parks, like Oak Meadow, are Closed at Night. What were they thinking? I remember Butte Creek was a Blast to go Tubing on. A Wild Ride in the Spring with Snow Melt. There is a Big Tubing Event on the Sacramento River as well, but I never went. 

Just for Your Information... There is a Great Swimming Hole on the Big Sur River just Upstream of The Pfeiffer Campground... and a Hot Spring twelve (12) miles in at Sykes Camp. I have very few regrets in life but, Once someone invited me to go to the Esalon Hot Springs because it was free of charge after Midnight... and I declined... OOPS! You can see it in the Movie "Celebration at Big Sur" with Joni Mitchell, CSN and Joan Baez... That's an Epic movie as Joni Plays the Piano and sings her brand new song "Woodstock." When I left Los Gatos in 1973 I went to Chico State and then returned in the Late 1990s... 

Bear Hole in Chico, California - Upper Bidwell Park

My Favorite Place to Swim is Upper Bidwell Park near Chico, California. The Lava from Mount Lassen flowed down there and crystallized into large black rocks.

In the Summer the Rocks absorb sunshine and become too hot to sit on unless you splash some water on them from the Creek. The Place called Bear Hole (Diversion Dam) is the Best of the Easily Driven to Spots. However It Does take some crawling over the rocks to get in. Last time I was there, at AGE 62 it was more than I could do so I went swimming at Alligator Hole Instead. That one has a gentle beach to wade into the water. I saw a Duck and a string of Ducklings there. That Gave Me an Emotional Feeling of Being One With the Universe... Sunny Day, Trees, Lava Rocks, Ducks and ME... All One... 

Bear Hole, Chico Creek California

Another EPIC Swimming Place is the One Mile Recreation area. During the Depression of the 1930s the WPA built a Giant pool there out of concrete. They Built a Dam Across the Chico Creek and the pool is Very Very Long and Wide... One thing that is wonderful is the Park is open 24 hours a day. Swimming at Night is Special. 

One Mile Swimming Pool Chico Creek California

Butte Creek is wonderful for Tubing. It's a Wild Ride in the Spring with Snow Melt. 

I lived in Chico in 1973 and 1974 and then again for about 5 years in the late 1990s early 2000s... 

Link to Everything I've Written about Chico: https://gvan42.blogspot.com/search?q=Chico

Camp Fire Map 11/14/2018 and 11/19/2018 So far the Fire has not gone into the Bruce Road area of Chico or Upper Bidwell Park.

 The Fire is on the Paradise side of Highway #32. It Has Expanded near Lake Oroville and Up Highway #70 Towards the Town of Cresta... The Perimeter of the Fire near Bruce Road has not Changed in Two Days. Nor has the Edge Near Upper Park. I assume the Firefighters Have stopped it in those locations because a lot of people were in danger there.... Thank You. 

 Camp Fire 11/14/2018

Camp Fire 11/19/2018

SOURCE: Click Here for Updates ----> https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=39.74374516454513%2C-121.60018286738284&hl=en&z=11&source=embed&ie=UTF8&mid=1HacmM5E2ueL-FT2c6QMVzoAmE5M19GAf&output=embed