Durham is one of the rest stops on the Chico Velo Wildflower Century as riders are coming back from the lunch stop at Spring Valley School.There are few cars on these roads, so this is a pleasant ride when you want some peace & quiet. A small market is located at the corner of The Midway and Durham Dayton Hwy (actually, nearly the entire town is located at this corner).
You can ride this from either direction quite nicely, but lets pretend we are starting on the bike path. Get on the Midway heading south for one block to Hegan Lane. (traffic signal). Make a left at the signal and it will drop you right onto the start of the Midway Bike Path.
Ride down the path for a couple of miles and make a left on Chico Oro Hwy. (As an option you could continue on the bike path and make a left on Jones Ave for a shortcut to Durham). Cruise down Chico Oro Hwy to Lott Rd. where you make a right. Ride on Lott to its end at Durham Dayton Rd and make another right. Head through Durham and continue straight where Durham Dayton veers right (or you could stay on Durham Dayton for a shortcut to Fimple Rd).
I think Burdick and Troxel Rd have to be the quietest roads in Butte County. Enjoy the silence as you cruise through row after row of almond trees. Troxel turns into Duncan for one short block and you end up on Aguas Frias Rd. A right turn and a mile takes you up to the Dayton Four Corners intersection and another ride back to Fimple..
A left on Fimple through yet more quiet orchards til you come to Hegan Lane. A right on Hegan will take you back to the very start of this ride where the Midway Bike Path began, but is narrow with some fast moving cars, but ridable.
But lets go left here, crossing over Dayton Rd at the stop sign and riding on yet another quiet orchard road, weaving your way through Elk and Lone Pine Aves, back to River Road/Fifth St. A right on River Rd/Fifth St. takes you all the way through downtown Chico and ends right at the One Mile Recreation Area, where most Chico Velo rides begin.
