Glenn County: Nature, Water and Motorsports

Glenn County brings together a range of travel interests: the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is a destination for nature viewing, the reservoirs offer activities on and around the water, and Thunderhill Raceway Park is dedicated to motorsports. You can also learn about the history and culture of the area’s communities. When planning, consider which of these interests you want to shape your trip; that can also help you choose a hotel that suits your plans.

Wildlife viewing and outdoor activities

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge extends across Glenn County and Colusa County. Covering 10,819 acres, it includes wetlands, grasslands and other habitats. Activities there include wildlife viewing, photography, hiking and hunting. This offers different ways to experience the landscape: you can focus your visit on observations and photographs or make an outdoor activity your priority.

Black Butte Lake also offers several ways to get outdoors. At full pool, the lake covers 4,460 acres, is seven miles long and has 40 miles of shoreline. More than 20 miles of hiking, mountain biking and nature trails lead to viewpoints and offer opportunities for wildlife viewing. The mix of trail types, views and wildlife viewing offers something for a range of interests. The lake’s conditions refer to full pool, so the acreage figure does not describe every water level.

Water recreation and camping

Stony Gorge Reservoir is in western Glenn County, about 20 miles west of Willows. The Bureau of Reclamation manages the recreation facilities there and offers opportunities for outdoor activities year-round. Its 18 miles of shoreline make boating, camping, hiking, picnicking, fishing, swimming and disc golf possible. You can focus your visit on time by the water or plan an activity on land.

At Black Butte Lake, the Buckhorn and Orland Buttes campgrounds offer amenities including drinking water, picnic tables, fire pits and boat ramps. They also have dump stations for RVs and restrooms with showers. Since amenities and availability can change, check the current recreation information before your trip. This helps you plan your camping stay around the facilities listed there.

Motorsports and special interests

Thunderhill Raceway Park has three distinct road-course configurations and two skid pads. The full circuit is five miles long. Activities include racing, high-performance driving, drifting, karting, motorcycle training and autocross. The different formats give motorsports enthusiasts several ways to explore the park’s program.

The Honeybee Discovery Center offers something different. It has bookable, staff-led group tours of the current exhibition. BEE-NATOMY 101 provides insights into honey bee anatomy and includes interactive elements. Since the exhibition’s availability can change, it is a good idea to check before planning a visit. For groups, booking a tour is another point to consider when planning.

Local history and seasonal events

In Willows, the Willows Museum is housed in the Andrew Carnegie Public Library building, which was built in 1911. On the Glenn County Fairgrounds, the Heritage Trail features a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, a gas station, a soda stand, a print shop and a railroad depot. The Orland Newville and Pacific Railroad is modeled on narrow-gauge railroads with three-foot track gauges from around the turn of the century. Together, these places and exhibits offer different ways to explore local history.

Willows’ transportation history also offers a point of reference in time: after its completion in 1979, Interstate 5 made the city a stopover between Sacramento and Redding. The Orland Market of the Glenn County Certified Farmers’ Market takes place on Thursdays from May through August in Library Park at the intersection of 4th and Mill Street. Check the specific market dates before your trip. Golfers can visit Glenn Golf and Country Club, a nine-hole course that can be played as an 18-hole course using different tee boxes.

Discover more destinations: Willows, Glenn, Placer, Modoc, Riverside, Shasta, Mendocino, Inyo.

See the overview of destinations across the state: California.