Shaver & Huntington Lakes
A cabin weekend in the Sierra above Fresno. Summer means lake days and a waterfall hike, and winter means sledding.
4–4.5 hrs drive · 3 days · Best for toddlers to teens · Jun–Sep & Dec–Feb
Day 1: Up Hwy 168
- 8:00 Leave the Bay Area for Fresno
- 11:30 Lunch in Clovis or Fresno
- 1:30 Drive up Hwy 168 to Shaver Lake
- 3:00 Check in to your cabin and play at the lake
Day 2: Huntington Lake
- 8:30 Drive about 40 min past Shaver to Huntington Lake (about 7,000 ft)
- 9:00 Hike the roughly 4 mi out-and-back Rancheria Falls Trail
- 1:00 Lunch on the water at Huntington Lake Resort or Lakeshore Resort
- 3:00 Rent a boat or paddle in the calm areas
Day 3: Lake morning and home
- 8:00 Early paddle while the water is calm
- 11:00 Pack up and drive down to Fresno
- 12:30 Lunch stop
- 4:00 Home
Good to know
- Huntington Lake has boat rentals at Huntington Lake Resort and China Peak Landing, and a marina at Lakeshore Resort. The public boat ramp is open June through October.
- Mornings are the calmest time to paddle. The thermal breezes that make Huntington great for sailing pick up later in the day.
- In winter, sno-parks like Tamarack, Coyote, Huntington Lake and Balsam Meadows open Nov 1 to May 30. Every parked car needs a SNO-PARK permit.
- China Peak, near Huntington Lake, has skiing and new beginner areas. Carry chains and check Caltrans road info at 800-427-7623 before you go up.
Sources: Islands: Huntington Lake · Shaver Lake Chamber: Sno-Parks · ABC30: China Peak opens Thanksgiving 2025 · Singletracks: China Peak bike park ends 2026