Head any direction
from Woodward Bluffs, and you will see what makes our location so desirable. From the San Joaquin River on our North border, to Woodward Park and Trails on our East border, to River Park shopping a short drive South or Valley Children's Hospital to the West, we are the center of some of Fresno's finest treasures.
Woodward Park
Ralph Woodward, a long-time Fresno resident, bequeathed the major portion of his estate in 1968 to provide a regional park and bird sanctuary in Northeast Fresno. The initial 235 acres, combined with additional acres acquired later by the City, brings the park to an amazing 300 acres. Now packed with amenities, Woodward Park is the only Regional Park of its size in the Central Valley.
Stroll beside cherry trees and alongside calm pools in the Shinzen Friendship Garden (check the schedule for interesting docent-led tours). Follow paths for pretty views of the San Joaquin River and surrounding Central Valley. If you’re lucky, daredevil mountain bikers will be testing their skills and speed in the park’s time-trial course.
San Joaquin River Front
Whether you like to fish for trout, bass, catfish or panfish, you'll find a great place to cast your line on the San Joaquin River. Another way to relax and escape the summer heat is a kayak adventure. These begin with exhilarating riffles that turn into calm downriver stretches. Or explore the river near Sycamore Island by paddling in and around some of the connected ponds along the river channel. The River Parkway Trust's nature walk program will take you to places not usually open to the public. Along the way you'll hear birds sing, the sounds of the river, and you many even spot a few deer!
Riverpark Shopping
Located one offramp from Woodward Bluffs, River Park is North Fresno’s ultimate lifestyle destination for food, entertainment and shopping. All combined creating a spectacular outdoor ambiance for all ages
With 30 restaurants such as Dai Bai Dang, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, and PF Changs, 24 Fashion shops, 15 Retail stores including Best Buy, Target, and PetSmart, 10 Departments Stores, and a 21 screen movie theater, Imax theater, and three amusement centers, everything you need to purchase or desire to have fun is here at Riverpark.
Jensen River Ranch
Below the Woodward Park bluffs lies Jensen River Ranch, a 167-acre property owned by the San Joaquin River Conservancy. The River Parkway Trust is currently working on a restoration project on the site that includes habitat restoration, a trail network, and picnic sites near the river. For now, the property is accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians from the Lewis S. Eaton Trail and through Woodward Park. River access is currently available via an interim loop trail, which runs between the two pastures, along the riverbank, and then back toward the bluffs. While you're on the loop trail, be sure to look for Mexican Elderberry bushes, host to the Threatened Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle.
Valley Children's Hospital
Valley Children’s Healthcare – one of the largest pediatric healthcare networks in the nation – provides Central California’s only high-quality, comprehensive care exclusively for children, from before birth to young adulthood.
Our family-centered, pediatric services extend from a leading pediatric cancer and blood diseases center on the West Coast, and our pediatric heart center known for its expertise and pioneering treatments, to our Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the highest level referral center between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
In affiliation with Stanford University School of Medicine, Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency and fellowship programs provide first-class training for the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric surgical and medical specialists.