PA R K S A N D P I C N I C S
parks
Kevin Mallory
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Let the kids get rid of some energy at one of the local parks.
ball fields at Gansner Park, located north of town off Hwy. 70 behind the airport. Or, they’ll find a playground, a swimming pool, skateboard park, bocce ball courts and a group barbecue pavilion at Pioneer Park, on Fairgrounds Road off Hwy. 70 east of downtown. Dame Shirley Plaza, just west of the Plumas County Courthouse on Main Street, has shaded picnic tables and a grassy play area within view of Quincy’s historic downtown. Lowell Bader Park in Meadow Valley is a nice stop on the way to Bucks Lake, about five miles west of Quincy. The rustic park offers a playground, picnic and barbecue area and basketball and tennis courts. The Graeagle Mill Pond off Hwy. 89 has picnic tables, along with paddleboat rentals and swimming, while the Graeagle Picnic Grounds, located in the housing area across from the gas station, has ball fields and a bandstand. Portola’s City Park is located a half mile south of Hwy. 70, across the Gulling Street Bridge. It features a swimming pool, playground, bandstand, skate park and tennis and volleyball courts. Also in Portola, the accessible Riverside Picnic Area is located at the end of the Riverwalk paved trail off Rocky Point Road. Great spots for picnics or rest stops can also be found along the west and east shores of Lake Almanor, at Hamilton Branch, and at forest service day use areas at major lakes including Butt Valley, Bucks, Little Grass Valley, Antelope, Round Valley, Davis and Frenchman. You’ll also find sites in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area, Plumas-Eureka State Park, along the Feather River and in the Feather River Canyon. A $5-7 day use fee is charged at Bucks, Antelope, Davis and Frenchman; all other sites are free of charge. For more information on Plumas County parks, playgrounds, picnic areas and pools, contact area chambers of commerce or forest service offices listed on Page 10.
While traveling in Plumas County, you’re welcome to stretch your legs, toss a ball, or pull over for a picnic at one of several community parks and Forest Service day use areas. Most parks have restrooms and playground facilities; some offer public swimming pools and skateboarding ramps. Chester Park, on Hwy. 36 along the Feather River, offers picnic tables, a playground, ball fields, basketball court and restrooms. An ice skating rink is adjacent to the park during winter. Greenville Community Park, off Hot Springs Road south of town, has a playground, restrooms, and ballfields. The town of Taylorsville has a swimming pool, and picnic spots at the campground. In Quincy, travelers can enjoy playgrounds, picnic tables and
Kevin Mallory
ge o c a ch i n g Vast amounts of public forest land makes Plumas County a prime destination to search for caches using hand-held Global Positioning System devices. This modern form of treasure-hunting, using coordinates posted online, continues to grow as a popular family sport, with over 2 million caches worldwide. Over 3,050 geocache sites are now listed on the geocachers’ official website (www.geocaching.com) within a 50-mile radius of Quincy, the Plumas County seat. The caches, containing usually a trinket or small toy and a logbook, have been typically placed in beautiful natural settings or near interesting historic landmarks. Once the cache and reward is discovered, visitors are asked to sign their name and leave something else in the cache for the next person. While finding the cache is the goal, getting to them is the real fun and challenge. Geocachers exploring Plumas County can choose hunts that vary in difficulty, based on elevation, terrain or season. Some coordinates will take you to the tops of mountains or to the edge of waterfalls. There’s a series of railroad-themed caches and another series that links local churches. If you’re new to the sport, check out the above website for information and helpful tips on finding local caches. You’ll discover hundreds of interesting places overlooked by the casual visitor while getting great exercise and enjoying mountain scenery and fresh air. And with the quantity of caches offered throughout the area, you’ll have fun searching for days. This unique ladder tree is just one among the thousands of interesting geocaches hidden around the Plumas County area.
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