Western California State Route 168 is entirely located in Fresno County and is linked historically to the Tollhouse Road corridor. Tollhouse Road is one of the oldest highways in the Sierra Nevada range of Fresno County. The corridor presently begins in at Clovis Avenue in downtown Clovis and extends northeast to Huntington Lake.
In 1866 the Woods Brothers established mining claims on Pine Ridge. In 1867 Fresno County would grant the brothers a toll franchise to construct a roadway to the desirable logging areas atop Pine Ridge and near Dinkey Creek. The Woods would establish a tollhouse at the start of their franchise road and lumber mill. The lumber mill attracted settlers which led to the establishment of the mountain town of Tollhouse.
Fresno County would purchase the Tollhouse Road in 1878 and make it a public highway. The county would remove the tolls and incorporate the corridor into the existing county road network. Prior to the establishment of Clovis in 1890 the Tollhouse Road extended all the way west into Fresno. In 1923 the corridor between Tollhouse and Pine Ridge would largely be realigned onto switchbacks. The older alignment often appears as Burrough Mountain Road on modern maps.
The development of Kaiser Pass Road began in 1920 when construction broke ground from the eastern terminus of Tollhouse Road. Kaiser Pass Road was subject to numerous California Highway Commission studies during the 1920s decade which would have incorporated as part of the Piute Pass Highway. The highway over Piute Pass was intended to link Huntington Lake to Lake Sabrina via elevations cresting 11,000 feet above sea level.
The Tollhouse Road would become part of the State Highway System in 1933 following an extension of Legislative Route Number 76 west of the Bishop area. The corridor was largely added to the State Highway inventory to help facilitate travel to the Big Creek Project. Ultimately the Piute Pass corridor nor Kaiser Pass Road were never added as part of the State Highway. The entirety of Legislative Route Number 76 would be assigned as California State Route 168 during August 1934.
In 1956 California State Route 168 and Tollhouse Road were realigned over Tamarack Ridge to Huntington Lake. During the 1960s much of Tollhouse Road was slated to be replaced via a planned freeway realignment of California State Route 168. The freeway corridor was planned to begin in Fresno and extend up Pine Ridge up to the vicinity of Shaver Lake. Within the Sierra Nevada this new freeway would open between Lodge Road and Auberry Road by the early 1970s. This new freeway bypassed the community of Tollhouse and the largest incline on the Tollhouse Road.
California State Route 168 was subsequently realigned off a portion of Tollhouse Road via Morgan Canyon Road, Auberry Road and Lodge Road. This alignment was intended to be temporary and took it through the community of Prather. Ultimately the planned freeway extension west to Clovis was never constructed.
Western California State Route 168, Tollhouse Road and Kaiser Pass Road can be seen below as they were displayed on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno County.
Part 1; the history of Tollhouse Road, western California State Route 168 and the planned Piute Pass Highway
Tollhouse Road (alternatively known as the Toll House Grade) is one of the oldest highways in the Sierra Nevada range of Fresno County. The corridor presently begins in at Clovis Avenue in downtown Clovis and extends northeast to Huntington Lake. A discontinuous segment exits in the city of Fresno near southwest intersection of Ashlan Avenua and Millbrook Avenue.
In 1866 the Woods Brothers established mining claims on Pine Ridge. In 1867 Fresno County would grant the brothers a toll franchise to construct a roadway to the desirable logging areas atop Pine Ridge and near Dinkey Creek. The Woods would establish a tollhouse at the start of their franchise road and lumber mill. The lumber mill attracted settlers which led to the establishment of the mountain town of Tollhouse.
Fresno County would purchase the Tollhouse Road in 1878 and make it a public highway. The county would remove the tolls and incorporate the corridor into the existing county road network. Prior to the establishment of Clovis in 1890 the Tollhouse Road extended all the way west into Fresno.
The 1882 Bancroft's map of California displays early Tollhouse Road beginning in Fresno and extending eastward to Dinkey Creek. The Big Dry Creek Post Office, Academy and Tollhouse are shown to be major waypoints along the corridor.
A sketch of Tollhouse drawn by C.A. Yancey was displayed in the 1891 Thompson Atlas of Fresno County. The sketch depicts numerous horsedrawn wagons and carts actively using the Tollhouse Road. C.A. Yancey was a property owner who lived in the community.
The original alignment of Tollhouse Road above the Tollhouse community appears on the 1891 Thompson Atlas in Township 10 South, Range 24 East. Above Tollhouse the Tollhouse Road corridor intersected what is now Peterson Road near Pine Ridge. Peterson Road was the primary access to many of the early lumber claims in the Pine Ridge area.
The 1891 Thomas Atlas in Township 11 South, Range 23 East displays Tollhouse Road passing by Humphrey's Station and by the Sentinel Store.
The 1891 Thompson Atlas in Township 11 South, Range 22 East displays Tollhouse Road passing through Academy and westward towards the Clovis town plot. Academy was the site of the first secondary school in Fresno County and was founded in 1872. Academy was located near the intersection of what was once the Stockton-Los Angeles Road southeast of Millerton.
By 1893 a new logging pond was constructed at Stevenson Creek north of Ockenden. The Shaver town site and sawmill were constructed next to the pond which was also linked with an extension of the Tollhouse Road. The sawmill at Shaver had a 45-mile-long flume which connected to Clovis.
The Shaver logging flume can be seen above Tollhouse Road in an 1890s era photo (Eastern Fresno County Historical Society).
An advertisement for the evening Pine Ridge Stage can be seen below as it was featured in the July 13, 1899, Fresno Morning Republican (Eastern Fresno County Historical Society). The stage departed Fresno at 7 PM and was non-stop to Shaver on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Return service from Shaver departed from on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Horses can be seen hauling a wagon on Tollhouse Road above Tollhouse along the ascent to Pine Ridge (year unknown, Eastern Fresno County Historical Society).
The Shaver logging pond and sawmill can be seen as they were in 1900 (Mono Hot Springs and Gene Rose photo).
Tollhouse Road can be seen terminating at the Shaver sawmill and town site on the 1904 United States Geological Survey map.
In 1902 John S. Eastwood approached William G. Kerckhoff with plans for the development of the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project. Kerckhoff was affiliated with Henry E. Huntington the founder of the Pacific Light & Power Company (PL&P). Eastwood would conduct reconnaissance additional surveys for PL&P through 1905. The surveys of Eastwood called a single large reservoir and two powerhouses along Big Creek above the Pine Ridge region.
Construction of the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project began in February 1910. A company town site known as Big Creek was selected above the Shaver sawmill which required an extension of Tollhouse Road. The PL&P had initial financing issues as they only sold $2,500,000 of their $10,000,000 in issued bonds.
Pictured is the 1912 Pasear Auto Tour of California making the climb west of Bishop through the eastern Sierra Nevada range to Lake Sabrina. At the time this photo was taken Lake Sabrina was relatively new as the reservoir had only been completed in 1907. The road to Lake Sabrina would become part of Legislative Route Number 76 in 1931.
Construction on the dams at the site of Huntington Lake would commence in 1912. This construction led to another extension of Tollhouse Road from the Big Creek town site to the site of Huntington Lake. Tollhouse road was insufficient for hauling large amounts of construction material which was to be supplemented by the San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad (SJ&E).
Construction of the of the SJ&E broke ground on February 5, 1912. The line was completed during July 1912. The line quickly gained an infamous reputation as one of the curviest in the world. The SJ&E featured 255 grades of 5.2%, 1,078 curves and 43 bridges. The haggard nature of the line led to it being nicknamed "Slow, Jerky and Expensive."
An automotive stage service along the Tollhouse Road was advertised in the July 24, 1912, Fresno Morning Republican (Eastern Fresno County Historical Society). The automotive service left Fresno all days except Sunday at 4 AM and stopped in Clovis for breakfast. From Clovis the automotive stage continued in the Sierra Nevada foothills where it arrived in Tollhouse at 9 AM. The rest of the journey above Tollhouse up Pine Ridge to Shaver was made by a horsedrawn stage which departed at 10 AM. Changes to the service were prompted to compete with the San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad.
The concept for Trans-Sierra Highway over Piute Pass originated with the Roosevelt Midland Trail Auto Trail Association. The Roosevelt Midland Trail had been commissioned in 1913 as an Auto Trail which would link Washington D.C. west to Los Angeles and San Francisco. The mainline of the Midland Trail entered California via Westgard Pass and split into branches upon entering Owens Valley.
The original intention by the Roosevelt Midland Trail Association was to have the mainline cross the Sierra Nevada via Piute Pass and Tollhouse Road into San Joaquin Valley. The planners intended for the diverging spurs to branch away to San Francisco and Los Angeles west of the crest of the Sierra Nevada. Ultimately three spurs of the Auto Trail ran through San Francisco via Tioga Pass, Echo Summit and Tehachapi Pass. A single spur would run south from Owens Valley along the so-called "El Camino Sierra" towards Los Angeles.
The 1914 Weber map of Fresno County displays the extension of Tollhouse Road to the site of Huntington Lake. The SJ&E and is shown to terminate at the three main dams of Huntington Lake which were completed in 1913. In 1917 the PL&P would into Southern California Edison. Huntington Lake was later supplemented by a fourth dam which was complete by 1919.
In 1919 the concept of the Piute Pass Highway was brought to a higher profile by highway construction promoter Wisner Gillette Scott. A 1919 article in the Western Highway Builder magazine featured Scott's vision for the Piute Pass Highway. The Piute Pass corridor was intended to mainly serve to create something akin to highways located in the European Alps and to top the Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite National Park which crested at 9,941 feet above sea level. The article claimed only 13 miles of new road construction would be needed and the Piute Pass Highway would have a terminal elevation of 11,409 feet above sea level.
In September 1919, California Congressman John Raker would introduce a bill authorizing the examination by the War Department for the improvement, construction and maintenance of a national system of military highways in the western United States. The bill included a provision through which the proposed military roads could be used for civilian recreation. The bill specifically included language to include a road from Fresno by way of Huntington Lake to Bishop via Piute Pass.
In 1917 Southern California Edison surveyed the location of Kaiser Pass Road from Huntington Lake to the site of Florence Lake Dam. Construction of Kaiser Pass Road began from the end of Tollhouse Road at Huntington Lake in 1920. On September 8, 1920, the first car to crest Kaiser Pass. Ultimately Kaiser Pass Road would be completed to the site of Florence Lake Dam in 1922.
In 1922 Fresno Chamber of Commerce Members would partake in a trip over Tollhouse Road and Kaiser Pass Road as a show of support for the proposed Piute Pass Highway. The Chamber of Commerce would actively lobby for construction of the Piute Pass corridor which was supported by the California Highway Commission. In January 1923, the state of California introduced a bill which included $15,000 in funding for the survey of the Piute Pass Highway.
In 1923 the corridor between Tollhouse and Pine Ridge would largely be realigned onto switchbacks. The older alignment often appears as Old Tollhouse Road and Burrough Mountain Road on modern maps.
The Roosevelt Midland Trail (46) appears on the 1924 Rand McNally Auto Trail map of California as descending into Owens Valley via Westgard Pass. Spurs of the Auto Trail can be seen branching north and south from the Big Pine area.
The same map displays Tollhouse Road but not Kaiser Pass Road.
In 1924 the so-called High Sierra Piute Pass Association would promote the Piute Pass Highway in the Oakland Tribune. A survey of the Piute Pass corridor was made during summer the same year by representatives from the California Highway Commission and Automobile Club of Southern California. The initial survey estimated the Piute Pass Highway would cost approximately $1,000,000 to construct. The November 1924 California Highways & Public Works announced the completion of the Piute Pass Highway survey.
The original Cressman's Store can be seen on Tollhouse Road in Pine Ridge during 1920s (Eastern Fresno County Historical Society). This store would be opened by Ammon N. Cressman in 1904.
Tollhouse Road and the planned Piute Pass Highway were recommended for inclusion into State Highway System by the Highway Advisory Committee. The Tollhouse Road/Piute Pass Highway corridor appears as Corridor 154 in the 1925 Report of a Study of the State Highway System of California. The Lake Sabrina Road appears as Corridor 202. The combination of Corridors 154 and 202 is listed to have a planned distance of 156 miles.
In April 1925 the State Legislature approved a second bill which allocated $25,000 to survey the cost of the proposed Piute Pass Highway. This survey would be conducted the following summer by the California Highway Commission, the Fresno County Chamber of Commerce and an envoy of other interested parties. In 1927 Assembly Bill 539 was introduced to formally adopt a location for the Piute Pass Highway corridor. The bill ultimately did not leave with a full recommendation of the State Assembly.
In 1917 Southern California Edison would purchase the Shaver sawmill and logging pond. The community of Shaver was relocated to the southwest to make way for the Shaver Lake reservoir. Shaver Lake Dam was completed along Stevenson Creek in 1927 and flooded over the original Shaver town site. The construction of Shaver Lake required Tollhouse Road be relocated to the west on higher grades.
This advertisement from the Kingsburg Hudson dealership on Draper Street boasted about the second generation Super Six (Model Years 1928-1933) having climbed Tollhouse Road with four passengers in high gear (Eastern Fresno County Historical Society).
A similar add regarding the 1928 Essex Super Six having climbed Tollhouse Road appeared in the August 28, 1928, Fresno Morning Republican (Eastern Fresno County Historical Society).
In 1929 Assembly Bill 126 was introduced to again formally have the Division of Highways locate an alignment for the Piute Pass Highway. The bill failed in the assembly as the planned corridor lost much of the momentum it had at the assembly due to the ongoing Great Depression.
The Tollhouse Road would become part of the State Highway System in 1933 following an extension of Legislative Route Number 76 west of the Bishop area. The corridor was largely added to the State Highway inventory to help facilitate travel to the Big Creek Project. Another bill was introduced in 1933 to include the Piute Pass Highway into Legislative Route Number 76, but it again failed in the State Assembly.
The 1933 definition of Legislative Route Number 76 was as follows:
1. Legislative Route Number 23 near Bishop to the Nevada State Line near Montgomery Pass.
2. Legislative Route Number 23 to Lake Sabrina.
3. Legislative Route Number 125 at Shaw Avenue to Huntington Lake.
The SJ&E would shutter in 1933 which left Legislative Route Number 76 as the primary means of accessing Huntington Lake. Part of the railroad grade was repurposed as SJ&E Road, Jose Basin Road and Old Railroad Grade Road.
The June 1934 California Highways & Public Works announced a contract had been awarded to oil surface Tollhouse Road from Academy to the eastern end of Huntington Lake.
In the August 1934 California Highways and Public Works the initial run of Sign State Routes was announced. The entirety of Legislative Route Number 76 was assigned as California State Route 168. The map insert featured in the volume displayed the projected Piute Pass Highway between Huntington Lake and Lake Sabrina.
Western California State Route 168, Tollhouse Road and Kaiser Pass Road can be seen below as they were displayed on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno County. Western California State Route 168 originated at California State Route 41 (Legislative Route Number 125) in Fresno and followed Shaw Avenue east to downtown Clovis. California State Route 168 initially passed through downtown Clovis via Shaw Avenue, Clovis Avenue and 3rd Street. From 3rd Street the highway softly transitioned onto Tollhouse Road.
This photo from 1936 is along Kaiser Pass Road at Kaiser Pass (Doug Fraley photo). The California State Automobile Association sign indicates Kaiser Pass as being located at 9,305 feet above sea level.
The 1937 Gousha map of California displays the projected path of the Piute Pass Highway between Huntington Lake and Lake Sabrina. The planned connection is shown to originate at the western segment of California State Route 168 at Huntington Lake. From Huntington Lake the planned highway routing followed Kaiser Pass Road to Florence Lake. From Florence Lake the planned Piute Pass Highway routing can be seen projected to the eastern segment of California State Route 168 at Lake Sabrina.
On March 4, 1940, Congress would approve rebranding and expanding General Grant National Park as Kings Canyon National Park. Kings Canyon National Park would annex large amounts of Sierra, Sequoia and Inyo National Forests which granted them further protection. The expanded National Park outright blocked Forest Service plans to construct an extension of California State Route 180 (Kings Canyon Road) east of Cedar Grove to Kearsarge Pass. Much of the northern Kings Canyon National Park boundary lapped the surveyed corridor of the Piute Pass Highway.
The "Gateway To The Sierras" sign would be added to California State Route 168 along Clovis Avenue during 1940. The sign is a porcelain design which was fabricated by the Fresno Neon Sign Company. The wooden elements of the sign were replaced with metal in 1946.
In 1956 California State Route 168 and Tollhouse Road were realigned onto a new routing which bypassed Big Creek and much of Huntington Lake. The state highway corridor still terminated at Kaiser Pass Road upon crossing Rancheria Creek. The original corridor of California State Route 168 was renamed as Huntington Lake Road.
The then new alignment of California State Route 168 and Tollhouse Road appears on the 1956 Division of Highways map.
The September/October 1958 California Highways & Public Works provided insight regarding construction of the then new alignment of California State Route 168 and Tollhouse Road between Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake. The 17-mile segment of new highway was completed by the United States Bureau of Public Roads in 1956 and turned over to Division of Highways in 1957. The primary propose for the realignment was to ease access to recreational areas at China Peak and Huntington Lake. The China Peak Mountain Resort would open in 1958.
The cover the September/October 1959 California Highways & Public Works featured the western segment of California State Route 168 near Huntington Lake.
The 1966 Division of Highways map displays much of western California State Route 168 having an adopted realignment corridor. The planned realignment of California State Route 168 is shown to originate at the planned California State Route 180 freeway in Fresno and tie into existing Tollhouse Road at Shaver Lake.
In 1974 a new four-lane expressway portion of California State Route 168 opened between Lodge Road near Prather and the top of Pine Ridge. The state highway was subsequently realigned off a portion of Tollhouse Road via Morgan Canyon Road, Auberry Road and Lodge Road. This alignment was intended to be temporary and took it through the community of Prather. Ultimately the planned freeway extension west to Clovis was never constructed. Caltrans District 6 still posts the Prather alignment of California state Route 168 with "T" Postmile paddles.
The realignment of California State Route 168 through Prather can be seen on the 1975 Caltrans map.
California State Route 168 in Clovis would be moved onto the Sierra Freeway between 1999 and 2001. The freeway saw the original surface alignment of the highway on Shaw Avenue, Clovis Avenue and 3rd Street relinquished to Fresno and Clovis. The State Highway corridor still utilizes Tollhouse Road from the northeast Clovis city limit to Morgan Canyon in addition to the segment east of Auberry Road to Huntington Lake.
The current alignment of western California State Route 168 appears on the 2005 Caltrans map. The never constructed expressway portion between Clovis and Prather still appears as having an adopted alignment.
The Creek Fire of 2020 of would devastate much of the Pine Ridge area. The fire began on September 4th at approximately 6:45 PM between Shaver Lake, Big Creek and Huntington Lake. The fire would grow to approximately 5,000 acres by the following afternoon and would be driven by high winds which churned it into a firestorm. The fire would cross California State Route 168 on September 7th and began to burn on both sides of Pine Ridge.
The Creek Fire would ultimately grow to a size of 379,895 acres before it was declared fully contained on December 24, 2020. The fire destroyed Cressman's General Store and half of the homes in Big Creek. In total 856 structures were destroyed and the approximate damages were estimated to be $500,000,000.
The 2024 SHOPP, adopted on March 31, 2024, defined Shaver Lake Viaduct as a realignment along the shoreline of Shaver Lake between California State Route 168 Postmiles FRE 49.1-49.5. The project was adopted due to the repeated occurrence of slope failures due to the presence of groundwater and saturated soils. Construction of the viaduct began during April 2026 and is expected to be completed by summer 2030. The project is projected to cost the state $7,784, 900 and Federal government $27,805,000.
Part 2; a drive on western California State Route 168
The western segment of California State Route 168 begins in Fresno at California State Route 180 Exit 60. This photo depicts the transition from westbound California State Route 180 (Sequoia-Kings Canyon Freeway) onto eastbound California State Route 168 (Sierra Freeway).
Eastbound California State Route 168 departs the city limits of Clovis approaching Shepard Avenue at Postmile R11.837. The highway narrows to two-lanes east of Shepard Avenue and picks up the bisected Tollhouse Road corridor.
California State Route 168 intersects Academy Avenue at Postmile FRE 15.45 and passes through the town site of Academy. A variable message sign overhead indicates the conditions ahead in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Functionally Academy is a ghost town as there is little left from the community aside from a historical plaque and a quarry.
California State Route 168 intersects Sample Road at Postmile FRE 18.548.
California State Route 168 branches away from Tollhouse Road onto Morgan Canyon Road at Postmile T22.697.
California State Route 168 intersects Millerton Road at Postmile FRE T24.700.
California State Route 168 follows Morgan Canyon Road into Prather and intersects Auberry Road at a roundabout. The state highway corridor branches eastward through the roundabout onto Auberry Road. This photo is from when the Prather roundabout was new in early 2017.
Eastbound California State Route 168 enters the Auberry area. At Postmile FRE T31.127 California State Route 168 continues ahead onto Lodge Road whereas Auberry Road branches to the left.
California State Route 168 eastbound branches left from Lodge Road and begins the ascent to Pine Ridge at Postmile FRE T32.861. The highway expands to a four-lane expressway which begins at approximately 1,700 feet above sea level and reaches approximately 4,800 feet above sea level upon reaching Pine Ridge. An advisory sign indicates if Kaiser Pass Road is open for the season. The highway intersects and merges back in with Tollhouse Road at Postmile FRE R36.18.
California State Route 168 narrows to two-lanes approaching Cressman's General Store near Postmile FRE 39.40.
Cressman's General Store can be seen below as it was from westbound California State Route 168 in October 2019 before the 2020 Creek Fire. The store as of June 2026 is still in the process of being rebuilt.
California State Route 168 passes through the community of Shaver Lake and approaches the reservoir of the same name.
Continuing eastward California State Route 168 approaches Shaver Lake before descending down a large slope over Stevenson Creek in the face of Shaver Lake Dam. The highway strays west of the reservoir and emerges at Postmile FRE 49.00 at a Southern California Edison structure. The building indicates the Shaver Lake Reservoir to be located at 5,370 feet above sea level.
California State Route 168 intersects Huntington Lake Road at Postmile FRE 49.663. California State Route 168 continues ahead on Tollhouse Road towards Huntington Lake via Tamarack Ridge. As noted in Part 1, Huntington Lake Road was the original alignment of California State Route 168 and Tollhouse Road.
Modern California State Route 168 crests Tamarack Ridge at 7,582 feet above sea level. The highway descends towards Huntington Lake and intersects the entrance to China Peak Mountain Resort upon crossing Big Creek. California State Route 168 crosses Rancheria Creek where it terminates at the intersection of Kaiser Pass Road and Huntington Lake Road (Postmile FRE 65.858.
Part 3; a drive on Kaiser Pass Road
The first 5 eastbound miles of Kaiser Pass Road are two lanes. Near the end of the two-lane segment traffic can enjoy a vista of Huntington Lake.
Kaiser Pass Road begins a single lane ascent to the namesake pass. The elevation of Kaiser Pass has been corrected in modern times to 9,184 feet above sea level. Kaiser Pass Road at the pass intersects a road which permits access to White Bark Vista and the Dusy-Ershim Off Highway Vehicle Trail.
Kaiser Pass Road crests the rim of the Kaiser Ridge and descends via a single-lane grade to the eastern portal of the Ward Tunnel. Kaiser Pass Road intersects Edison Lake Road a short distance east of the Ward Tunnel portal. The Ward Tunnel diverts water from the South Fork San Joaquin River at Jackass Meadows through a 13-mile course under Kaiser Ridge to Huntington Lake. The first water delivery through the tunnel was made on April 13, 1925.
Part 4; a drive on Huntington Lake Road
The Huntington Lake portal of the Ward Tunnel can be found near the western terminus of Kaiser Pass Road a short distance from California State Route 168 and Huntington Lake Road.
Huntington Lake Road forms a 16.8-mile loop of modern California State Route 168. The roadway begins as two-lanes through the communities of Lakeshore and Cedar Crest but narrows to a single lane at Manzanita Dam.
Huntington Lake Road expands back to two lanes at the Big Creek community and continues to a terminus at California State Route 168 near Shaver Lake.
The Huntington Lake portal of the Ward Tunnel can be found near the western terminus of Kaiser Pass Road a short distance from California State Route 168 and Huntington Lake Road.
Huntington Lake Road forms a 16.8-mile loop of modern California State Route 168. The roadway begins as two-lanes through the communities of Lakeshore and Cedar Crest but narrows to a single lane at Manzanita Dam.
West of Manzanita Dam the course of Huntington Lake Road begins a descent towards the San Joaquin River Canyon following the course Sheep Thief Creek. The grades on the descent average around 10% and peak around 13.5%.
Huntington Lake Road expands back to two lanes at the Big Creek community and continues to a terminus at California State Route 168 near Shaver Lake.
Part 5; a drive on Tollhouse Road south of Pine Ridge
From Pine Ridge California State Route 168 westbound branches from Tollhouse Road onto the four-lane expressway towards Prather. Traffic can follow a 16.1-mile segment of Tollhouse Road from Pine Ridge through the Tollhouse community back to California State Route 168.
Between Pine Ridge and Tollhouse, the descent on Tollhouse Road averages approximately 7%. The downhill grade briefly exceeds 10% through the switchbacks. Upon reaching Tollhouse traffic was once greeted with a button-copy style sign from the era when California State Route 168 passed through the community. The sign has been recent replaced by Fresno County with a conventional vinyl sign.
From Tollhouse the looming scale of Pine Ridge becomes obvious. A historical plaque can be found which details the history of the community and Tollhouse Road.
Version History
- This blog was first published on July 28, 2017.
- This blog was first updated on June 6, 2026.
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