Paradise doesn't sound like a typical comeback story, but that's exactly what this town of roughly 10,000 in Northern California's Butte County has become. In 2018 the Camp Fire — the most destructive wildfire in California history and one of the deadliest in the US — destroyed 95% of the town, killed 85 people and displaced around 26,000 residents. Hundreds of millions of dollars later, Paradise has been largely rebuilt, and a genuinely interesting arts scene has grown out of the recovery.

For travellers, that means a small Gold Country town at the base of the Sierra Nevada that pairs outdoor scenery with public art worth seeking out — and a visit that directly supports the town's renewal.

Start with the views. Bille Park sits above Butte Creek Canyon, with walking trails under redwoods, picnic spots with grills, a playground and gazebos — an easy in-town outing for families. The Butte Creek Watershed Lookout frames what one visitor called the "Little Grand Canyon of the Sierra Nevada"; sunset is the time to go, and autumn turns the canyon crimson, gold and rust. For a longer outing, Highway 70 runs about 78 miles from Oroville to Quincy through wildflower meadows, waterfalls and river valleys along the West Fork of the Feather River.

Water lovers have options too. Paradise Lake, 10 miles north of town, welcomes kayaks, paddleboards and small fishing boats with electric motors from two ramps — note that swimming is banned since it's a drinking-water source, and the lake closes on Wednesdays. Bigger still, Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir with 167 miles of shoreline, is 31 miles away and offers the rare chance to camp right on the water at its floating campgrounds — the only spot in the state where you can.

Back in town, the art tells the story of the fire and the fight back. Murals cover buildings along the Skyway, the main road through Paradise, mixing vibrant colour with somber reminders of what was lost. At the Butte Resiliency Center, artist Jess Mercer's Ridge Key Phoenix sculpture was built from more than 18,000 keys that once opened the homes, businesses and cars destroyed in the fire. Nic's restaurant on the Skyway rotates art exhibits, and the Paradise Art Center runs classes, workshops, exhibitions and auctions year-round.

For a town this size, the performing arts line-up is surprisingly deep: Theatre on the Ridge stages seven productions a year in its intimate 101-seat venue, and there's a Performing Arts Center, a symphony orchestra, a community chorus and the Northern California Ballet. Nearby Chico, a lively college town with its own downtown art scene, makes an easy add-on.

Why go? Paradise rewards travellers who like their trips meaningful as well as scenic — hiking and canyon lookouts by day, murals and small-theatre productions by evening, all in a place where your spending genuinely matters to the local recovery. And despite feeling remote, it's a straightforward 90-mile drive from Sacramento International Airport.