Neighborhood guide · Fresno

The Bluffs homes on the river rim

The Bluffs is a built-out stretch of northwest Fresno homes along W. Bluff Avenue, on the south rim of the San Joaquin River bluffs west of Highway 41. The big change is below the rim, where a 2.4-mile extension of the Lewis S. Eaton Trail is planned to open the river bottom to the public.

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Street plan of The Bluffs with the area this guide covers outlined in gold
The Bluffs, drawn from OpenStreetMap and Census street data. The gold line marks the area this guide covers.
At a glance
Where
South rim of the river bluffs, west of Highway 41
City or county
City of Fresno, Fresno County
ZIP codes
93711 for most homes; 93722 at the western end
Extent
W. Bluff Ave from about 200 W. to 4960 W., plus side streets such as N. Riverview Dr.
HOA
Varies by enclave. Check each listing.
School district
Split between Clovis Unified (east end) and Fresno Unified (Van Ness area). Confirm attendance boundaries with the district.
Today

The Bluffs today

"The Bluffs" is an informal name for the homes along the bluff edge, not an official city neighborhood. W. Bluff Avenue is the spine, with streets such as N. Riverview Drive and W. Audubon Drive off it. The area is built out, mostly with homes from 1970 to 1999, and its gated enclaves include Bluff Crest, Bluff View and a condominium community at 320 W. Bluff.

The biggest story is river access. The land below the bluff, called River West, holds grassland, ponds, riparian woodland and old gravel-mining pits. After the San Joaquin River Conservancy's environmental review, the City of Fresno approved its part of a 2.4-mile Eaton Trail extension through it on Feb. 27, 2025, from the Highway 41 dead end near Perrin Avenue to Spano Park at Palm and Nees. The plan calls for a 12-foot paved path beside an 8-foot natural-surface path for horses.

In May 2026 the City sought a $5.1 million state grant for the project, estimated at about $23.3 million. Phase 1 covers the trail, a Perrin Avenue trailhead lot and stairs at Palm Avenue; phase 2 adds trailhead parking at the end of N. Palm Avenue and on Riverview Drive. Construction is targeted for spring 2027 if the grant is funded, so buyers near Riverview Drive or Palm and Nees should read the trailhead plans.

Just east of Highway 41, the 22-acre Wildwood Native Park opened in January 2025.

Homes built
Mostly 1970 to 1999
Gated enclaves
Bluff Crest, Bluff View, condos at 320 W. Bluff
Trail extension
2.4 miles, approved in 2025
Fire map
Parts in a moderate zone, adopted by the City in 2026
Around the neighborhood

Where people go nearby

  • Woodward Park

    7775 N. Friant Rd., across Highway 41

    About 300 acres with the Shinzen Friendship Garden, which opened a refreshed entrance in May 2025. It has hosted the CIF State Cross Country Championships since 1987. See our Woodward Park guide.

  • River Park

    Blackstone Ave, about 1.1 miles from 300 W. Bluff

    More than 75 stores, a 19-screen Regal with IMAX and a Nike store that opened in March 2024. Its farmers market runs Tuesdays, 5 to 9 p.m.

  • Lewis S. Eaton Trail

    Starts at Friant Rd and Audubon Dr

    The parkway's backbone trail runs about 4 miles from Woodward Park's northwest corner toward the River Center.

  • Riverside Municipal Golf Course

    West of the W. Bluff Ave homes

    A City-owned, privately operated 18-hole course with a driving range, open dawn to dusk. The 1-mile Riverside Trail starts in its parking lot and drops steeply to a sandy river beach.

  • Wildwood Native Park and Jensen River Ranch

    On the river east of Highway 41

    Wildwood has a river launch, fishing and picnic areas. At Jensen River Ranch, the 1.5-mile MacMichael Trail is partly ADA-accessible.

  • Spano Park

    Palm Ave and Nees Ave

    A small City park on the bluff with lawn, picnic tables and Sierra views, and the future west trailhead of the trail extension.

Homes

What the homes are like

Lots

Lot sizes range widely. Some custom homes on W. Bluff sit on larger lots, such as one of about 0.41 acre, and some homes overlook the river. Lots in the gated enclaves run smaller; one 1988 Bluff Crest home sits on about 9,400 square feet.

Age and style

Mostly single-family homes built from 1970 to 1999, with some newer construction, plus condominiums and apartments. The area is built out.

Gated enclaves

Bluff Crest, near 300 W. Bluff, has fewer than 20 homes. Bluff View, at Van Ness and Bluff, has 36 homes with a pool, clubhouse and tennis courts. A gated condominium community sits at 320 W. Bluff.

HOA and taxes

HOA dues and any Mello-Roos or CFD assessments vary by tract. Check each listing.

Fire hazard zone

CAL FIRE's April 2025 maps placed parts of the San Joaquin River Bluffs neighborhood in a new moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the City of Fresno adopted that map on Aug. 13, 2026. The City has no high or very high zones. Sellers in the zone must disclose it to buyers, though moderate zones are largely exempt from the state's Chapter 7A building rules.

Bluff-edge lots

Lots along the edge fall under the City's Bluff Protection Overlay District and the San Joaquin River and Bluff Protection Initiative. Check setback rules with the City before planning an addition near the edge.

Location

Getting around, and schools

Freeways

Highway 41 runs along the east edge and continues north past Valley Children's Hospital toward Oakhurst and Yosemite.

Distances

In a straight line from 7700 N. Palm Ave.: about 1 mile to Pinedale, 5.9 miles to central Clovis, 7 miles to Fresno Yosemite International Airport and 7.7 miles to downtown Fresno. Driving distances are longer.

Shopping

River Park on Blackstone is about 1.1 miles from the east end, and the Woodward Farmers Market runs Sundays at 9447 N. Fort Washington Rd. In May 2026 the City Council approved a new Costco at Herndon Avenue and Riverside Drive to replace the Shaw Avenue store.

Schools

The district depends on the address. At the east end, Bluff Crest listings show Clovis Unified: Pinedale Elementary, Kastner Intermediate and Clovis West High. In the Van Ness area, W. Bluff listings show Fresno Unified: Forkner Elementary, Tenaya Middle and Bullard High. See our Clovis Unified and Fresno Unified guides. Boundaries change, so confirm any address with the district.

Map of The Bluffs, California, outlining the area this guide covers The Bluffs Bluff Ave Herndon Ave Nees Ave SR 41 San Joaquin River 1Spano Park
  1. 1Spano Park
Gold outline: the area this guide covers. It's our approximation, so confirm any address. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors; local streets from the U.S. Census Bureau. Open in Google Maps
History

A river road, a wartime camp and a long debate over access

Pinedale, the community just below and south of the bluffs, got its first post office in 1923. From May 7 to July 23, 1942, the Pinedale Assembly Center, north of Herndon Avenue and a mile west of Blackstone, held 4,823 Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066. The Army used the camp until 1947.

In the 1960s, Woodward Park's trustees chose this same bluff line for the park east of Highway 41. Most homes on the bluffs went up between 1970 and 1999, including the gated Bluff Crest and Bluff View enclaves in 1988 and 1989.

In about 2004 the state paid about $10 million for roughly 600 acres of river bottom between Highway 41 and Palm Avenue for a westward trail. Fresno's 2014 general plan supported a trail into River West, and an entrance through the neighborhood drew objections from bluff homeowners. After the Conservancy's environmental report in 2017 and more votes on access points, the City of Fresno approved its part of the extension in February 2025.

Memorial fountain at the site of the Pinedale Assembly Center
The memorial at the site of the 1942 Pinedale Assembly Center.
  1. 1923Pinedale, below the bluffs, gets its first post office.
  2. 1942The Pinedale Assembly Center operates from May 7 to July 23, and Friant Dam is completed upstream.
  3. 1988Homes go up in the gated Bluff Crest enclave.
  4. 1989Bluff View's 36 gated homes are built.
  5. 2014Fresno's general plan supports a trail into River West.
  6. 2017The Conservancy certifies its trail environmental report in November.
  7. 2019Access points at Spano Park and Riverview Drive go back to the Conservancy board.
  8. 2025On Feb. 27 the City of Fresno approves its part of the 2.4-mile trail extension.
  9. 2026The City adopts the new fire hazard map on Aug. 13.
The trail plan

River West, by the numbers

2.4miles of Eaton Trail extension approved in 2025
358acres of River West land below the bluff
$23.3Mestimated cost of the trail project, in 2 phases
3planned trailhead areas: Perrin Ave, Riverview Dr and N. Palm Ave
Worth knowing

Stories from the bluffs

  • The bluffs could have been lakefront

    A proposed Fig Garden Dam and Reservoir would have flooded the river bottom below. It was never built.

  • A street that stops short

    Decades ago the City planned a street from the bluffs down to the river bottom. Today it is a dead end.

  • The long way to River West

    Without a midpoint entrance, reaching River West from Fresno has meant an 11-mile round trip through Madera County.

  • A river that ran dry

    After Friant Dam was finished in 1942, diversions left about 60 miles of the river below it dry except in wet years.

FAQ

The Bluffs questions

Where exactly is The Bluffs in Fresno?

Along W. Bluff Avenue on the south rim of the San Joaquin River bluffs, west of Highway 41, mostly in ZIP 93711. It is in northwest Fresno, not northeast Fresno.

Which school district serves The Bluffs?

It depends on the address: Clovis Unified at the east end and Fresno Unified in the Van Ness area. Confirm with the district before you buy.

Is The Bluffs in a fire hazard zone?

Parts of it are in a moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone under CAL FIRE's 2025 maps, which the City adopted on Aug. 13, 2026. Sellers must disclose the zone to buyers.

Are there gated communities in The Bluffs?

Yes. Bluff Crest and Bluff View are gated enclaves, and there is a gated condominium community at 320 W. Bluff Avenue.

Can you get down to the river from The Bluffs?

At the west end, the 1-mile Riverside Trail runs from the Riverside Golf Course parking lot down to a sandy river beach. A 2.4-mile Eaton Trail extension from Perrin Avenue to Spano Park was approved in 2025, with construction targeted for spring 2027 if a state grant is funded.

Can I build an addition near the bluff edge?

Lots along the edge fall under the City's Bluff Protection Overlay District and the San Joaquin River and Bluff Protection Initiative. Check setback rules with the City before you plan.

Buying or selling here

Thinking about The Bluffs?

Baylen and Chris can help you sort out the district line, the gated enclaves and the fire-zone disclosure for any home here, or price yours for sale.

See homes for sale in The BluffsSee sold homes in The BluffsWhat's my home worth?Call or text 559-213-7734

Trafton Home Team, brokered by Real (DRE #02022092). Baylen Trafton, DRE #02026482.

Sources and photo credits