Fresno River Recreation Area

About Fresno River Recreation Area

Located in the Historic Grub Gulch Mining District and site of a portion of the historic Sugarpine-Madera Flume, this site features access to the Fresno River. Activities include water play, nature study and gold panning (with permission of the Central Valley Prospectors Club which holds the active mining claim on the site). The site is accessed off of County Road 600 in Madera County, just north of the town of Oakhurst. There is a dirt parking area and no other facilities, so please practice Leave No Trace and Tread Lightly principles to recreate responsibly on your public lands. BLM uses this site for interpretive programs call 559-855-3492 for information.

How to Get There

Proceed north from Oakhurst on Highway 49 to the Raymond Rd. (also referred to as Grub Gulch Rd.). Drive 2.5 miles west from Hwy 49 to the dirt parking area at the junction of the Fresno River and Crook's Creek, by the historical marker for Sugar Pine Flume. Follow the trail to the river.

Plan Your Visit to Fresno River Recreation Area

Heading to Fresno River Recreation Area? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)