Born in Washington state and raised in Chico, John Peters virtually grew up within the expanses of Upper Bidwell Park. The natural terrain of his youth would prove to be his inspiration later in life as he transitioned from the realms of music and art into the world of photography. For the last three years, Peters has set himself to the task of capturing the park’s varied and unique landscapes in his Upper Bidewell Park Project.

The Upper Bidwell project was started by accident,
Peters says. “I wanted to take some pictures of the park – it’s a real neat place, it meant a lot to me.” Following a period of tragedy and loss within his family, Peters began venturing further into the park’s tranquil recesses. During these walks he brought along his camera. The rest, as they say, is history.
“I was brand new to photography,” recalls Peters. “I wasn’t expecting to do a photographic project on the park. I had quite a bit of loss within my family and extended family within a couple years, and I’d never experienced so much, and I think that Lindo Channel where I grew up along Manzanita and the park provided a place with a lot of familiarity. I was going up there to make peace with a lot of big changes in my life and the people around me. That’s how it started.”
A lifelong purveyor of the arts, John Peters has worked as a recording engineer and songwriter. His enduring love of music and art led nicely into developing photography as a hobby. Though at the time just a novice, the public’s reactions to Peters’ initial photographs of Upper Bidwell prompted him to invest more time into this fledgling venture.
“It’s a historic part of Chico, and everybody that comes and lives here, usually it’s one of their fondest memories,” says Peters. “I just decided to capture it as best I could. And the more I did it, and the more response I got to it, I just really dedicated myself to [the Upper Bidwell Project]. The last three years, I’ve done about 15,000 shots.”
Many of John Peters’ Upper Bidwell photographs can be viewed online at www.bidwellparkarts.com. Prints are also available and can be purchased through his web site. A quick trip to his site will reveal the diverse landscapes that many of Bidwell’s staunchest supporters may not even be aware of.
“I just started realizing that most people have no idea really what’s up there,” says Peters. “They have a real one-dimensional idea, maybe they just went up there in the summer.”
As he began chronicling his long walks in Upper Bidwell, Peters became enamored with the unusual geographical area; not only during its peak seasonal use, but year-round. “I knew the park, I knew where to go where it might be
interesting.” For instance, Peters brings up the “canyon within a canyon” that forms from Devil’s Kitchen to Bear Hole. “The park’s a great place to take a walk and get perspective on what’s going on, or just get a little quiet.”

By Maurice Spencer Teilmann