Sumner Hill a gated bluff above the river

Sumner Hill today

Where people go nearby

• Tesoro Viejo Town Center

  4150 Town Center Blvd, about 1.3 miles by road

  The closest errands: a certified farmers market on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. year-round, AXIS Coffee Bar + Eatery, and the Camarena Health Wellness Center.

• San Joaquin River

  Below the bluff

  Sumner Hill members reach the river through the Killkelly Road gate. Next door, Tesoro Viejo's 15-plus miles of trails include the Kissing Gate Trailhead to the river; ask about access rules for non-residents.

• Millerton Lake and Friant Dam

  Upriver; Friant Dam is visible from the bluff

  The lake has more than 40 miles of shoreline, with North Shore camping on the Madera side and day use at $10 to $12 per vehicle.

• Valley Children's Hospital

  9300 Valley Children's Pl, south on SR 41

  The 358-bed children's hospital is a major regional destination.

• River Park and Woodward Park

  North Fresno, about 6.5 to 9 miles south

  The nearest big shopping center and river park in Fresno. See our Woodward Park guide.

What the homes are like

Lots

49 lots, generally about 1.5 to 6 acres; listed examples include 2.27 and 2.46 acres.

Age and style

Custom estate homes built from the late 1980s on, with listed examples from 1989 and 2016. There is no production builder; sales are resales and the occasional custom build.

Gate and HOA

The gate and perimeter fence were a condition of the county's approval. The roads are private: the county gave up its interest in them in the 1990s, and a 2012 appeals ruling found that lot owners own most of Killarney Drive and parts of Killkelly Road. The homeowners association maintains the gate and fence; dues vary, so check each listing. No Mello-Roos is documented.

Water

Our sources disagree on how homes get water, so confirm the water source and any shared-well agreement for each property.

Getting around, and schools

Route

From SR 41, take Road 204 to Killarney Drive, the paved, gated entry road.

Distances

Estimated drives without traffic: downtown Fresno about 19 miles (31 minutes), Fresno Yosemite International about 20 miles (34 minutes), Old Town Clovis about 18 miles (31 minutes) and Yosemite's south entrance about 49 miles (1 hour 15 minutes or more).

Schools

MLS data lists Chawanakee Unified, with Hillside Elementary (TK–8) at 800 Treasure Hills Dr in Tesoro Viejo and Minarets High School at 45077 Road 200 in O'Neals. Some third-party sites list a different elementary school. Boundaries change, so confirm any address with the district.

Sumner Hill Road 204 1Killarney Dr gate Tesoro Viejo San Joaquin River

1. 1Killarney Dr gate

A ranch bluff, a gate and a river case

1. 1983Madera County approves the subdivision with a required gate and perimeter fence.
2. 1985The amended final map is recorded, and the community opens in October.
3. 1989All lots are sold by late in the year.
4. 2004The rest of Peck Ranch is sold for what becomes Tesoro Viejo.
5. 2006The HOA and lot owners sue the developer over river access.
6. 2008A trial court decision on July 21 confirms the private gated status and exclusive river access.
7. 2009A jury awards the homeowners $3.2 million in punitive damages.
8. 2012The Court of Appeal largely upholds the homeowners' rights in May.

Stories from the bluff

• A case in the law books

  The river-access fight is cited in legal writing. In it, the appeals court noted that California has protected public access to navigable waters since 1879.

• The view

  From the bluff you can see Friant Dam, Lost Lake, the San Joaquin River and the Sierra foothills. Deer, geese, raccoons, skunks and coyotes are reported in the area.

• Not Sumner Peck Ranch

  The Sumner Peck Ranch across the river in Friant is a separate 76-acre farm and winery. The San Joaquin River Parkway Trust bought it in December 2020 and renamed it Running River Ranch in 2026.