South Branch Middle Fork Feather River

Wild factor • 8
Trout rating • 8
Fish caught • 0
Fishing season • All year for the section within Butte County
Directions • From Oroville, drive east on Highway 162          16 miles
Continue past first turnoff to Bald Rock Road (it's a loop)        6.5 miles
Right on Bald Rock Road                                                                   0.4 miles
Left on 22N62                                                                                        7.7 miles
Arrive at the bridge over the Middle Fork of the Feather River. The South Branch enters downstream on the far side of the bridge. Continue across bridge several miles to trail access to Seven Falls and upstream portions of the river.

Video Milsap Bar Road

Little North Fork Feather River

Wild factor • 8
Trout rating • 6
Fish caught • 0
Fishing season • All year for the sections within Butte County; this is roughly seven river-miles adjacent to Milsap Bar. 
Directions • From Oroville go east on Highway 162               16 miles
Continue past first turnoff to Bald Rock Road (it's a loop) 6.5 miles
Right on Bald Rock Road                                                            .4 miles
Left on 22N62                                                                            7.7 miles
Arrive at Milsap Bar and the bridge over the Middle Fork of the Feather River. The Little North Fork enters just upstream from the bridge. 

The Little North Fork has few trails, maintained or otherwise, for 10 miles above the Middle Fork of the Feather. The pictured waterfall (unnamed) lies 1 mile upstream. Fishing for little rainbows and browns heats up in the summer and fall. 

Fall River

Wild factor • 8

Trout rating • 5

Fish caught • 1

Fishing season • All year for the part in Butte County (about seven miles)

Directions • From Oroville drive east on Highway 162     4   miles

Pass Miners Ranch Rd on the right                                           1.3 miles

Right on Forbestown Road                                                          6.1 miles

Left on Lumpkin Road                                                                   3.5 miles

Cross South Fork Feather arm of Lake Oroville                      7.2 miles

Left on 21N35Y                                                                                1.6 miles

Arrive at trailhead and bathrooms

The 4.5-mile trail leads to Feather Falls, a 650-foot waterfall on the Fall River about a half mile upstream from the Middle Fork of the Feather River. This short stretch is best accessed by boat via Lake Oroville and a little scrambling up the Middle Fork. I climbed down a gully by the waterfall overlook which was - forgive the adverbs - very hard and extremely stupid, or that's what came to mind while I was doing it anyway. I left the canyon in a gully across from the overlook. While significantly lower angle than the first, it topped out in a forest of manzanita that entangled me for two hours in the dark. At one point, on my hands and knees between bushes, I lost track of the waterfall and the sound that guided me. When I heard it again, it had swung directions. I stuck to my rabbit trail and the sound soon reemerged in front of me. Scrambling through a mesh of gullies and spurs, I found this was an acoustic trick of where I was and gave up on the waterfall. A few stars between tree tops helped me find my way back to the river, about three-quarters of a mile above the falls. A short trail led from there to the overlook.