Great Road Trips Start at Riverstone

May 16, 2021

For many families in the Valley, summer vacation this year is likely to be a leisurely trip by car to a destination near or far. If you’re fortunate enough to live at the Madera County masterplan of Riverstone just north of Fresno, road tripping is especially easy. With a prime location just off Highway 41, the community is a central gateway to all kinds of family fun and recreation in the great outdoors.

Situated just off Highway 41 north of Fresno, Riverstone is a convenient gateway to the legendary natural playgrounds of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Located in The Lodge community clubhouse at Riverstone, the Gear Barn is an outfitter’s cabin featuring a variety of recreational gear available for homeowners’ on- and off-site adventures.

If you’re considering a quick day trip not too far from home, just seven miles from Riverstone is Woodward Park—a 300-acre regional park and bird sanctuary packed with amenities that make it the largest playground of its kind in the Central Valley. Here, you can spot numerous bird species, enjoy the authentic Japanese Garden, bring your four-legged friend to the dog park, or trace five miles of multipurpose trails—all part of the San Joaquin River Parkway’s greater Lewis S. Eaton Trail.

Millerton Lake, a mere 15 minutes from Riverstone, is a State Recreation Area boasting more than 40 miles of magical shoreline, where you can go fishing, boating, soak up plenty of rays or cool off with a plunge. Hiking in the surrounding foothills offers a glimpse of local critters, such as cottontails, mule deer, badgers and even bald eagles.

Only a one-hour’s drive from Riverstone is Bass Lake, a bucolic mountain lake destination named “One of the West’s Best Lakes” by Sunset Magazine. The lake, with its classic beauty, provided the backdrop for The Great Outdoors, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. Visitors can swim, boat, fish and frolic at the emerald-green lake ringed in tall sugar and ponderosa pines, where summer water temps reach nearly 80 degrees—a boon for water skiers.

Also an easy one-hour’s drive from Riverstone is Shaver Lake. Nestled in a picturesque mixed conifer forest, the deep-blue lake offers a diverse range of recreational fun—from camping and rock climbing to water skiing and sailing. It’s a popular spot for anglers as well, with year-round fishing access as weather permits, a number of exciting fishing derbies that take place on the waters, and three marinas that rent all kinds of watercraft, from kayaks and wave runners to pontoon boats.

Of course, also close at hand for road-tripping Riverstone residents are the epic Sierra Nevada wonderlands—Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. These legendary mountain landscapes that inspired the likes of Ansel Adams and John Muir present a nature-lover’s paradise where the scenery is truly spectacular. Some of the landmarks you’ll discover include Yosemite Falls (the highest waterfall in North America) and Mount Whitney (the highest peak in the contiguous US).

“I’m hopeful that many of our resident families will have the opportunity to get out and enjoy the natural wonders of our nearby mountain playgrounds,” said Riverstone’s Tim Jones. “We’re so fortunate to have one of the best backyards in the nation…and Riverstone is a great base camp from which to explore it all.”

Yosemite is 48 miles away from the community, promising adventures of a lifetime and incredible hikes along the scenic John Muir Trail. King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are a bit further away, but the jaw-dropping vistas and oldest trees on earth make them well worth the drive.

Helping Riverstone residents make the most of their adventures is the idea behind the Gear Barn. Located in The Lodge community clubhouse, this rustic outfitters cabin offers a residents-only rental program with all the information needed for a wide variety of on- and off-site pursuits. 

Fun diversions of the urban variety will soon be found right next-door to Riverstone—at the mixed-use lifestyle retail destination known as Riverwalk, which is anticipated to open this fall. Planned for more than one million square feet of commercial, Class-A office and retail space on two parcels located at Avenue 12 and Highway 41, the open-air Riverwalk is envisioned to offer a one-of-a-kind, live-work-shop-dine-play dynamic unique to the North Fresno area.

Some of Riverwalk’s first retail tenants have already been announced, including Dutch Bros. Coffee and local favorites, Papi’s Mex Grill and Judy’s Donuts. More retail tenants will be announced soon.

For retail leasing opportunities, contact Michael Arfsten or Nick Frechou at (559) 256-1700. For commercial office leasing opportunities, contact Ashley Missel or Phil Souza at (559) 447-6218.

Situated in the heart of the region’s path of growth, Riverstone—when complete—will total approximately 6,578 single-family, attached and multi-family homes. Amenities at Riverstone include walkable neighborhoods, parks and open space, a dog park, a sustainable water supply and The Lodge community clubhouse with resort-style swimming pools, a trainer-designed fitness center, demonstration kitchen, Gear Barn, outdoor gathering spaces with firepits, and ongoing monthly activities such as self-defense classes, book clubs, arts and crafts, specialty meal cooking classes and more. Future amenities are anticipated to include hiking and biking trails, a community farm and the on-site Stone Creek Elementary school belonging to the award-winning Golden Valley Unified School District.

For more information about the new-home community of Riverstone and its collections of new homes from Bonadelle Neighborhoods, Crown Homes, Lennar, Wathen Castanos Homes, Wilson Homes and Woodside Homes, homebuyers are encouraged to tour the builders’ Model Homes or visit the community’s website at www.RiverstoneCA.com and add their name to the Interest List.