Brave January Swimmers Dive into Sycamore Pool in Chico

It happens every year. Just when you think activity has settled down from the bustle of the holidays, the shopping, the cocktail parties, local thrill-seekers come out in their bathing suits in January. Chicoans look forward to it on the first day of the year – the Polar Bear Plunge. It’s not a new idea; folks have been crowding around beaches and rivers all over the globe to swim in chilly waters for the fun of it. For the brief moment of fun, that is.

So why should the good people of Chico be any different? These locals, who are used to the long warm summers and extended sun through autumn, make the most of their frosty season with a cold slap in the face as they dive into Sycamore Pool’s deep end. The pool is actually part of Big Chico Creek, which is dammed at One Mile Recreation Area to form a long rectangular pool.

Kids and adults gather around the pool to prepare for a sudden dive and quick swim to the other side. In January, temperatures can dip to the 30s and 40s in the north valley. Mixed with the usual rain of winter, Chico can deliver some pretty harsh afternoons if one isn’t wearing a hat and scarf.

But the Polar Bears who take this new year plunge aren’t wearing more than a pair of swim trunks or a two-peice suit. Some people say they do it for the pure family fun, while others participate as a raw remedy for the hangover they earned from the night before. Whatever the reason, Chico locals return to this tradition every year.

One Mile Recreation Area is located in Lower Bidwell Park, which can be accessed from two main streets. Coming from Chico’s downtown area and going northeast on Vallombrosa Avenue, visitors can take a right at Arbutus Avenue. From there, they will find parking on the left on South Park Drive. If accessing the Park from the other side of the Creek, visitors can enter at the intersection of E. 4th and Cypress streets (both of which are one ways heading toward the park’s entrance). Passing through the gate will lead visitors to the parking area on the left.