Pincushion Peak and Sky Harbour Road

Sky Harbour Road is an approximate six-mile highway in the Sierra Nevada Mountains foothills of northern Fresno County. Sky Harbour Road begins at Millerton Road at Table Mountain Rancheria. From Millerton Road, Sky Harbour Road follows the eastern shore of Millerton Lake to the South Finegold Picnic Area. The San Joaquin River Trail and Pincushion Peak Trail are both accessible from the South Finegold Picnic Area.

Part 1; the history of Sky Harbour Road

The South Finegold Picnic Area is part of the Millerton Lake State Recreation Area. The Millerton Lake State Recreation Area was formed as part of the completion of Friant Dam during 1944 along the San Joaquin River. Millerton Lake flooded over the original Fresno County seat of Millerton but opened up numerous recreational opportunities.

The Finegold Jeep Trail first appears on the 1965 United States Geological Survey Map of Millerton Lake and 1964 United States Geological Survey Map of Friant. The Finegold Jeep Trail originated at Table Mountain Rancheria at Millerton Road and connected the trailheads for the San Joaquin River Trail and Pincushion Peak Trail.

The Finegold Jeep Trail appears on the 1980 United States Geological Survey Maps of Millerton Lake and 1982 United States Geological Survey Map of Fresno as a paved road. It is unclear when the name Sky Harbour Road was designated but it likely was concurrent with the Finegold Jeep Trail being paved.

Part 2; a drive on Sky Harbour Road and hike up Pincushion Peak

Sky Harbour Road northbound begins from Millerton Road at Table Mountain Rancheria near the entrance to Table Mountain Casino.

Northbound Sky Harbour Road begins with a climb through an excavated cut which emerges onto a bluff near the Table Mountain Rancheria tribal office.

Northbound Sky Harbour Road skirts the edge of the Millerton Lake State Recreation Area and passes by the southern trailhead of the Pincushion Peak Trail.

Sky Harbour Road passes through a series of lakeside homes and ends at the gate for the South Finegold Picnic Area.

Pincushion Peak is listed as 1.2 miles from the San Joaquin River Trailhead.

The San Joaquin River Trail gradually climbs to the unmarked north trailhead for the Pincushion Peak Trailhead. The right branch on the last photo below is the north trailhead towards Pincushion Peak.

From the San Joaquin River Trail, the trail up to Pincushion Peak is heavily inclined and gains approximately 500 feet in elevation in less than a half mile.

From Pincushion Peak there are unobstructed vistas of the San Joaquin River Gorge and Millerton Lake.

Comments

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80. This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range. The first documented wagon crossi...

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California. Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada. The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926. Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938. A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947. Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association. Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe. Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the September 1950 California Highways & Public Works during its Centennial Edition. The or...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River. Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207. Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939. Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune . Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903. The postal name was sourced...