These maps show where you can enjoy public access to San Joaquin River in Fresno

There are 22 miles of water between Friant Dam and Highway 99 that offer the Fresno-Madera area the chance to become a booming stop for local and visiting recreation-seekers.

One day, according to a master plan, green spaces that straddle the water and form the 22-mile San Joaquin River Parkway will be connected with trails and offer visitors more ways to safely, legally and comfortably get to the water.

The San Joaquin River Conservancy, formed in the early 1990s to create the parkway, has acquired some of the properties it needs to make that possible. But today, many of the conservancy-owned lands are tagged with “Closed” signs and closed to the public.

Bobby Macaulay, a Madera County supervisor and president of the conservancy’s board, said it’s a liability issue: As a state agency, the conservancy must satisfy specific criteria to legally and responsibly open a property, and not all of the closed properties have the necessary and funded opening plans in place.

Still, there are a number of spaces today that provide true public access to people seeking opportunities for outdoors fun, exercise, education and more along the river. These spaces — some of them already connected by trails and offering popular fishing, biking and hiking spots — signal what could be for the 22-mile stretch of water that many consider to be the Fresno-Madera region’s hidden gem.

“The project area has an immense amount of potential to be something iconic for the Central Valley — a must-stop on your way to Yosemite National Park kind of thing,” Macaulay said.

The Fresno Bee spoke to Sharon Weaver, executive director of the nonprofit San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, as well as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to find out which properties along the river are open to the public and offer access to the water.

Here is a list of the places we found on the Fresno and Madera sides of the river.

1. Friant Cove

This park is located just below Friant Dam on the Fresno County side of the river. Owned by the conservancy and operated by California State Parks, Friant Cove is free to access and includes a parking lot, bathroom, a walkway to the water, picnic tables and a non-motorized boat launch. The park is open daily and fishing is allowed.

▪ Address: 17839 Millerton Rd, Friant, CA 93626.

▪ Hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from November through February, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in March, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from April through September, and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in October.

▪ Entrance fee: None.

2. FINS, San Joaquin Hatchery

The Friant Interactive Nature Site, known as FINS, is a “super cool place for kids,” said Krysten Kellum, a spokesperson for the Central Region of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Open daily, this 59-acre CDFW property is also free to access and includes the San Joaquin Hatchery, which produces trout and salmon.

“We have school tours there, and there’s a whole amphitheater where our interpretive staff teaches school groups about fish,” Kellum said.

FINS also connects to Lost Lake Park, which offers direct river access, via trail. A fence that blocks the Friant community off from Lost Lake Park was raised due to construction, Kellum said, but that fence is expected to come down soon.

▪ Location: Parker Street and Friant Road in Friant.

▪ Hours: The grounds and restrooms are open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the parking lot and trails are open from sunrise to sunset.

▪ Entrance fee: None

3. Lost Lake Park

This park has “really great access to the river,” said Weaver, of the Parkway Trust. Lost Lake Park is a Fresno County park and offers picnic shelters, athletics fields and courts, trails and open space, and opportunities for fishing, kayaking and canoeing.

There are 37 camp sites for tent, auto and RV camping, each with picnic areas and restroom access. See the park’s web page for camping reservations and rates.

“It’s a great place to hang out at the river,” Weaver said.

▪ Location: 16385 N Friant Rd, Friant, CA 93626.

▪ Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from April through September, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October through March.

▪ Entrance fee: $5 per vehicle.

4. Ledger Island

Reaching Ledger Island “does require a hike,” Weaver said, unless you can travel to the 190-acre space on the Madera County side of the river by canoe or kayak. There is a bridge between Ledger Island and the Ball Ranch property on the Fresno County side, but it has been closed for years because of safety issues.

Ledger Island, owned by the conservancy and operated by the Parkway Trust, offers more than a mile of river frontage and ponds for fishing.

To get there, use the publicly-accessible Kissing Gate trail head in Madera County’s Tesoro Viejo community.

▪ Location: Accessible through Tesoro Viejo

▪ Hours: 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from January through March, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in April, 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from May through August, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in September, and 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from October through December.

▪ Entrance fee: None.

5. Sumner Peck Ranch

The 76-acre Sumner Peck Ranch is located across the river from Ledger Island, on the Fresno County side. It’s owned and operated by the Parkway Trust, and features farmland, a wildlife area and a half-mile of river frontage. There are also “u-pick” fruit picking events for citrus and blueberries, depending on the season, at Sumner Peck Ranch.

Also located on the property is Solitary Wine Cellars, which hosts entertainment events. Both the wine cellars and Sumner Peck Ranch property are open daily. See the Parkway Trust’s website for information on special event rentals at Sumner Peck Ranch.

▪ Location: 14439 N. Friant Road, Friant, CA 93626.

▪ Hours: Noon to 5 p.m., though Weaver said the ranch sometimes opens earlier for various activities.

▪ Entrance fee: None.

6. Ball Ranch

ln a sense, this was the birthplace of the San Joaquin River Parkway. The concept for the parkway came about in the 1980s, when the founders of what is now the Parkway Trust organized to stop development plans in Ball Ranch.

Now, the 358-acre property is owned by the conservancy and operated by the Parkway Trust. Located next to Sumner Peck Ranch and across the river from Ledger Island, this property is open daily and is free to access.

There is parking available inside the property, which also includes a shed where fishing lures can be purchased. There are also restrooms, fishing ponds and trails for hiking, bicycling or horse-riding.

▪ Location: Friant Road, just north of the CEMEX concrete plant

▪ Hours: 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from October through March, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in April, 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from May through August, and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in September.

▪ Entrance fee: None.

7. Jensen River Ranch

Weaver said this property is often mistaken for being part of the city of Fresno’s Woodward Park. The city operates Jensen River Ranch, but it is actually a San Joaquin River Parkway property owned by the conservancy.

the 150-acre Jensen River Ranch connects Woodward Park-goers to the San Joaquin River via a short trail system that includes picnic areas, restrooms and direct access to the water.

▪ Location: Immediately north of Woodward Park

▪ Hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

▪ Entrance Fee: $5 per vehicle to park at Woodward Park.

8. Wildwood Native Park

In March, Wildwood Native Park became the latest parkway property to reopen and allow access to the river. Owned by the conservancy, the 22-acre park is located on the Madera County side of the river, just across the water from Jensen River Ranch.

The tree-filled park features picnic areas, short trails, restrooms and space for hand-launching non-motorized kayaks and canoes into the San Joaquin River.

▪ Location: Wildwood, Madera, CA 93636, accessible from Children’s Boulevard east of Highway 41.

▪ Hours: 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from January through March, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in April, 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from May through August, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in September, 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from October through December.

▪ Entrance fee: None.

9. Sycamore Island

This property is massive, and so is the level of access to the water it offers. Fishermen frequent the 600-acre space on the Madera County side of the river because of its multiple ponds and vast river frontage offering trout, bass and catfish.

At Sycamore Island, there are multiple boat launches, picnic areas and bathrooms. Fishing supplies are available at the Sycamore Island Bait Shop. Roads and trails accessible to vehicles, bicyclists, hikers and horse-riders connect the different parts of the property.

Weaver said its the last great San Joaquin River access point, if you are looking at the properties from east to west.

▪ Location: 39664 Ave 7 1/2, Madera, CA 93636

▪ Hours: 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from January through March, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in April, 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from May through August, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in September, 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from October through Nov. 11, closed Nov. 12 through Jan. 1.

▪ Entrance fee: $9 parking fee per vehicle, $5 per trailer, $85 annual pass.

10. Eaton Trail at River Bottom Park

Further west, closer to Highway 99, the riverside segment of the Lewis E. Eaton Trail can be accessed via the Riverside Golf Course, which is owned by the city of Fresno. Parking is available at the golf course to those who want to use the trail to access a sandy beach on the San Joaquin River immediately north of the golf course.

Traveling the trail upstream leads to the River Bottom Park Conservancy Preserve, which is also operated by the city of Fresno and offers access to sandy banks on the river.

▪ Location: 7492 N Bryan Ave, Fresno, CA 93722

▪ Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

▪ Entrance fee: Parking is free at the golf course.

This story was originally published July 4, 2025 at 8:30 AM.

Erik Galicia

The Fresno Bee

Erik is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, where he helped launch an effort to better meet the news needs of Spanish-speaking immigrants. Before that, he served as editor-in-chief of his community college student newspaper, Riverside City College Viewpoints, where he covered the impacts of the Salton Sea’s decline on its adjacent farm worker communities in the Southern California desert. Erik’s work is supported through the California Local News Fellowship program.