Skip to main content

Smalley Road and the San Joaquin River footbridge

By

Smalley Road is an approximately five-mile mountain highway located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County.  Smalley Road connects Powerhouse Road north of Auberry to the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation area.  Smalley Road was completed in 1920 as a means to access the site of Kerckhoff Powerhouse #1.  Pictured as the blog cover is the San Joaquin River Gorge footbridge which is accessible from Smalley Road via the Ya-Gub-Weh-Tuh Trail.




Part 1; the history of Smalley Road

Smalley Road was completed in 1920 as part of the construction of Kerckhoff Dam and Kerckhoff Powerhouse #1. The Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project was constructed by Pacific Gas & Electricity (PG&E) on an otherwise Southern California Edison dominated San Joaquin River watershed. The dam and reservoir were named after William George Kerckhoff a figure in the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project.

Smalley Road can be seen connecting Powerhouse Road to Kerckhoff Powerhouse #1 on the 1942 United States Geological Survey map of Millerton Lake.


In modern times the Bureau of Land Management created the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Area near Kerckhoff Powerhouse #1.  The recreation area serves an extension of the San Joaquin River Trail from Millerton Lake and provides hiking access to Madera County side via a footbridge.  


Part 2; a drive on Smalley Road

As Powerhouse Road approaches Smalley Road, a large sign denoting the presence of the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation area can be observed.  



Smalley Road descends west from Powerhouse Road into the San Joaquin River Gorge.  Signage notes that a usage fee is required ahead.  










Fresno County maintenance of Smalley Road terminates at the boundary of the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Area.  





Smalley Road continues west to the Ya-Gub-Weh-Tuh Trail where the San Joaquin River footbridge can be accessed.  Traffic can also access the San Joaquin River Trail which leads to Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, Pincushion Peak and Sky Harbor Road.  












Part 3; a hike on the Ya-Gub-Weh-Tuh Trail to the San Joaquin River footbridge

From Smalley Road the Ya-Gub-Weh-Tuh Trail descends into the San Joaquin River Gorge.  The trail crosses the San Joaquin River footbridge into Madera County within sight of Kerckhoff Powerhouse #1.  It isn't clear when the footbridge was constructed.  



















From the Madera County side of the footbridge the six-mile Pa'san Ridge Trail loop begins.  Kerckhoff Powerhouse #1 is easily observed from the eastern leg of the trail loop.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

By
The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

By
This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

By
Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...
Post a Comment
Read more