Tesoro Viejo a planned town on the San Joaquin

Tesoro Viejo today

The Town Center, on Thursday nights

Where people go nearby

• Trails and the river

  Kissing Gate Trailhead and the trail network

  More than 15 miles of trails wind through about 400 acres of open space, and the Kissing Gate Trailhead leads to the San Joaquin River.

• Oak Knoll Park

  Oak Knoll Rd and Crown Bluffs Dr

  A play area, lawns and walkways, opened in 2023. The community map also shows Rosie's Place Dog Park and the Martin Morgan Amphitheater.

• The Ranch House

  Residents only

  The HOA clubhouse has a lap pool, spas, cabanas, a splash zone, fire pits and a barbecue pavilion.

• Valley Children's Hospital

  9300 Valley Children's Pl, Madera, a few miles south on SR 41

  A major regional destination, with 358 pediatric beds on a 50-acre campus.

• Millerton Lake State Recreation Area

  Upriver via SR 41 and SR 145

  More than 40 miles of shoreline, with North Shore campgrounds on the Madera side. Day use runs $10 to $12 per vehicle.

• River Park and Woodward Park

  North Fresno, about 9 miles south

  North Fresno's River Park shopping center and Woodward Park along the river. See our Woodward Park guide.

What the homes are like

Builders now

McCaffrey Homes sells The Boulevard (2-story, 1,227–1,651 sq ft), Poppy (1,285–2,142), Savanna (1,926–2,791) and Ivy (2,769–4,032). Lennar sells Wilde (2-story, 1,865–2,180). De Young Properties sells Sereno (1,400–2,626), whose model center opened in January 2025, and Verano (1,515–2,616).

Age and style

Single-story and 2-story production homes built from 2018 on. Earlier builders included K. Hovnanian (Vista Bella, 2019), KB Home (Bristol, 2022) and Lennar's Choral Series (2024), so resales come from several builders. Terrace Estates offers view homesites.

Lots

Typical lot sizes aren't documented in the sources we found. Check each listing.

HOA and taxes

The Tesoro Viejo Maintenance Corporation's dues cover common areas, parks, clubhouses, pools and staff; amounts vary. The developer's FAQ doesn't address Mello-Roos or community facilities district taxes, so check the tax bill on each listing. No gated sections are documented.

Water

Surface water from the Madera Irrigation District is treated on site by the Tesoro Viejo Master Mutual Water Company, which Cal Water operates. Recycled water has irrigated public open space since September 2021.

County, not city

Tesoro Viejo is unincorporated Madera County, not the City of Madera, even with a Madera mailing address.

Getting around, and schools

Freeways

SR 41 runs along the west edge, with access at Road 204 and Avenue 15. Widening to 4 lanes from Avenue 10 to Avenue 15 runs through May 2028.

Distances

Estimated drives without traffic: downtown Fresno about 18 miles (26 minutes), Fresno Yosemite International about 18.5 miles (30 minutes), Old Town Clovis about 16 miles (26 minutes) and Yosemite's south entrance about 47 miles (1 hour 10 minutes or more).

Shopping

The Town Center for everyday stops, the Yosemite Travel Center market at Avenue 15, and River Park in north Fresno. To the south, RiverStone has a Raley's O-N-E Market lined up for its Riverwalk center.

Schools

Tesoro Viejo is in Chawanakee Unified. Hillside Elementary (TK–8), at 800 Treasure Hills Dr in Hillside Village, opened on August 20, 2018, and is designed for 600 students. Grades 9–12 attend Minarets High School, 45077 Road 200, O'Neals, and the master plan reserves land for a future high school. Boundaries change, so confirm any address with the district.

Tesoro Viejo SR 41 Road 204 Sumner Hill San Joaquin River

From Peck Ranch to a planned town

1. 1945The federal Madera Canal, which crosses the site, is finished.
2. 1995Madera County adopts the Rio Mesa Area Plan in March.
3. 2004Escrow closes on the purchase of Peck Ranch in November.
4. 2008The on-site tree nursery is planted.
5. 2012The county approves the final revised environmental report on November 5.
6. 2016APA California's Central Section honors the plan for innovation in green community planning.
7. 2017Groundbreaking on October 5.
8. 2018Hillside Elementary opens on August 20; public grand opening on October 20.
9. 2021About 500 homes are built by September.
10. 2023NAHB names it Master Planned Community of the Year (Gold); the wellness center and Oak Knoll Park open.
11. 2026SR 41 widening breaks ground on May 1.

Tesoro Viejo, by the numbers

Stories from the community

• Trees planted 10 years early

  The developers started a nursery on site in 2008, a decade before construction. Many streets are now lined with mature California sycamores.

• Its own water plant

  Tesoro Viejo treats its own surface water, irrigates public open space with reclaimed water, and designed its storm drains to recharge groundwater.

• A canal runs through it

  The federal Madera Canal, finished in 1945 and running 35.9 miles from Millerton Lake to the Chowchilla River, crosses the plan area on about 72 acres of right-of-way. In 2016 the county approved putting the on-site section of an unlined irrigation canal, Lateral 6.2, underground.

• "Lucky Number 7"

  The developer paid for the Town Center's Madera County Fire Station No. 7, nicknamed "Lucky Number 7," and its Sheriff's substation.

• A gated neighbor

  Sumner Hill, a separate gated tract from the 1980s, sits on the bluff between Tesoro Viejo and the river. See our Sumner Hill guide.