Neighborhood guide · Fresno

Woodward Park north Fresno on the river bluffs

The Woodward Park area is a built-out part of north Fresno around the City's roughly 300-acre regional park on the San Joaquin River bluffs. The park stays busy most of the year, from holiday picnics and big September concerts to the state cross-country championships in late November.

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A lake in Woodward Park framed by an oak tree
One of the lakes in Woodward Park.
At a glance
Where
North Fresno, around the park between Highway 41 and Friant Rd near Shepherd Ave
City or county
City of Fresno, Fresno County
ZIP codes
93720, plus parts of 93730 to the north
Size
The park covers about 300 acres; the neighborhood has no official boundary
HOA
Varies by subdivision. Check each listing.
School district
Clovis Unified. Confirm attendance boundaries with the district.
Today

Woodward Park today

Most homes around the park are resales, from ranch-style houses to newer "New Traditional" designs, with gated communities and some townhomes and condos. The closest new-home construction we found is north of Copper Avenue in Copper River Ranch.

The park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. by the City's schedule; the San Joaquin River Conservancy lists a 7 p.m. close in winter. Entry is $5 per vehicle, $3 with a passenger 65 or older, and $7 on 7 holiday weekends between spring and Labor Day; an annual pass is $50.

The river side keeps changing. In 2024 the City filed plans for wider paths, ramps and new play-area surfacing. In January 2025 the Conservancy opened Wildwood Native Park, 22 acres east of Highway 41, and Sycamore Island, 600 acres across the river. In May 2026 the City sought a $5.1 million grant to extend the Eaton Trail about 2.4 miles west, under Highway 41 to Spano Park at Palm and Nees.

Across the river, Valley Children's proposed The Hill in 2024, a 220-acre development with housing, retail, hotels and offices.

Park entrance
7775 N. Friant Rd.
Park opened
1968
Vehicle entry
$5; annual pass $50
Big weekends
Holiday weekends, mid-September, Thanksgiving weekend
Most visited

Woodward Park, 300 acres on the bluffs

The park runs along the bluffs between Highway 41 and Friant Road. Inside are a lake and 3 ponds, a fenced dog park, 3 playgrounds, 7 picnic areas with 6 reservable shelters, the Redwood Glen, a bird-viewing area, the Rotary Amphitheatre, a BMX course and the 18-hole Woodward Legacy Disc Golf Course.

The Shinzen Friendship Garden is a 5-acre Japanese stroll garden with a koi pond, waterfalls, 7 bridges, a tea house and the Clark Bonsai Collection of more than 100 trees. Admission is $5 for adults. The garden holds spring and fall festivals and a floating lantern ceremony in August, and the free Fresno Koi Show sets up beside it in late September.

Big concerts fill the park in spring and late summer. Boots in the Park first came to Fresno in 2016, had organizers expecting more than 15,000 people in 2024, grew to 2 days in 2025, when police warned of heavy traffic around the park, and played April 18 in 2026. Party in the Park was held Sept. 20, 2026. Cross-country is the longest tradition: the park has hosted the CIF State Cross Country Championships since 1987, along with the Clovis Cross Country Invitational each October, and it is Fresno State's home course.

Shinzen
114 W. Audubon Dr.
Shinzen hours
Wednesday to Sunday, 10 to 5
Concerts
April and September
Koi show
Late September, free
State meet
Saturday after Thanksgiving (2025: Nov. 29)
Around the neighborhood

Where people go nearby

  • River Park

    Blackstone Ave and Nees Ave, about 0.9 mile southwest

    An outdoor shopping center with more than 75 stores and a 19-screen Regal. Its Tuesday evening farmers market has run since 1999 and was set to welcome its 7 millionth customer in 2025.

  • Lewis S. Eaton Trail

    Starts at Friant Rd and Audubon Dr

    Paved trail running about 4 miles north along Friant Road to the River Center, the spine of the 22-mile San Joaquin River Parkway.

  • Jensen River Ranch

    Next to the park

    150 acres of restored floodplain with the 1.5-mile Tom MacMichael Sr. Trail.

  • Wildwood Native Park

    East of Highway 41 on the river

    22 acres with a river launch and fishing, opened in January 2025.

  • Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies

    11605 Old Friant Rd, about 4 trail miles north

    The River Center at the north end of the Eaton Trail. Its grounds are open daily, 8 to 5.

  • Woodward Park Regional Library

    944 E. Perrin Ave.

    A 22,200-square-foot branch that opened in 2004, with a large mural titled The San Joaquin River: Gravity and Light.

Homes

What the homes are like

Homes and lots

Mostly single-family homes, including gated communities with country-club amenities, plus some townhomes and condos. Lot sizes vary; check each listing.

Age and style

Listings show build years from 1978 to 2024. Growth here followed the park's 1968 opening and the City's push north in the 1970s; Clovis West High opened in 1976.

Subdivisions

Woodward Lakes and North Pointe, Millpond, Country Club at the Fort and The Fairways. The private Fort Washington Golf & Country Club, founded in 1923, is nearby; see our club guide.

Builders

The area is built out. The nearest active new-home building we found is Trumark Homes' Ariette and Madison collections in Copper River Ranch.

HOA and taxes

HOA dues and any Mello-Roos or CFD assessments are not documented for the area as a whole. Check each listing.

Fire hazard zone

CAL FIRE's April 2025 maps placed some areas near the river in a new moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone, including Jensen River Ranch at Woodward Park, and the City of Fresno adopted that map on Aug. 13, 2026. Sellers in the zone must disclose it to buyers. Check any address on CAL FIRE's map.

Event traffic

The September concerts and the late-November state meet bring heavy traffic to the roads around the park.

Location

Getting around, and schools

Freeways

Highway 41 runs along the park's west side, with exit 135 at Friant Road and Blackstone. North of the river it continues through Madera County, Coarsegold and Oakhurst to Yosemite's South Entrance.

Distances

In a straight line from Clovis West High, on the area's east side: about 4.2 miles to central Clovis, 6.3 miles to Fresno Yosemite International Airport and 8.5 miles to downtown Fresno. Driving distances are longer.

Shopping

River Park, the large outdoor center at Blackstone and Nees, is about 0.9 mile southwest of the park. For more of the city, see our Fresno guide.

Schools

Clovis Unified serves the area. Schools in ZIP 93720 near the park include Fort Washington, Valley Oak, Liberty and Copper Hills elementary schools, Kastner Intermediate (7676 N. First St.) and Clovis West High (1070 E. Teague Ave.). See our Clovis Unified guide. Boundaries change, so confirm any address with the district.

Map of Woodward Park, California, outlining the area this guide covers Woodward Park Herndon Ave Friant Rd SR 41 Blackstone Ave 1Woodward Park 2River Park
  1. 1Woodward Park
  2. 2River Park
Gold outline: ZIP code 93720, the area most people mean by Woodward Park. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors; local streets from the U.S. Census Bureau. Open in Google Maps
History

A will, a bluff and a city that grew north

The park began with a will. When Ralph W. Woodward died in 1961, he left part of his estate to buy land for a public park and bird refuge. Trustees first looked at land on Belmont Avenue east of Fresno, but trustee Lewis S. Eaton pushed for the river bluffs at Friant Road and Shepherd, on the old route upriver to Millerton, the first county seat.

In 1964 the trustees bought 185 acres, and the City added 50 more. When the City accepted the land in 1965, it sat a little under 3 miles north of the city limits. The park opened in 1968, and under Mayor Ted C. Wills, from 1969 to 1977, the City made northward growth a priority.

Paul Saito designed the Japanese garden, honoring Fresno's 1965 sister-city tie with Kochi, Japan; it was dedicated in 1981. A citizen land trust formed in 1988 led to the state's San Joaquin River Conservancy in 1992. By 2008 the Highway 41 freeway reached the river, and bypassed pieces of Friant Road became the Eaton Trail and Old Friant Road.

  1. 1961Ralph W. Woodward dies; his will funds a park and bird refuge.
  2. 1964Trustees buy 185 acres on the bluffs, and the City adds 50.
  3. 1965The City accepts the land, and Fresno and Kochi become sister cities.
  4. 1968The park opens and hosts its first NCAA regional cross-country meet.
  5. 1981The Shinzen garden is dedicated on May 18.
  6. 1987The CIF State Cross Country Championships begin at the park.
  7. 1992The San Joaquin River Conservancy is created, and the first mile of the Eaton Trail opens.
  8. 2004Woodward Park Library opens.
  9. 2025Wildwood Native Park and Sycamore Island open on Jan. 10.
The park

Woodward Park, by the numbers

300acres of parkland
10,000+people the state meet historically draws (City staff, 2023)
1,100hotel room nights tied to the state meet
15,000+expected at Boots in the Park, 2024
57acres of disc golf
Worth knowing

Stories from the park

  • It almost overlooked a lake

    The bluff site would have looked out over a reservoir if the proposed Fig Garden Dam had been built.

  • Peacocks changed the tea house roof

    The Shinzen tea house was pre-cut from red cedar in Japan and reassembled in Fresno in 10 days. Its 18-inch thatched roof was later replaced with shingles because peacocks were nesting in it.

  • A 3-ton lantern from Roeding Park

    A 3-ton granite lantern given to Fresno in 1939 once stood in Roeding Park. It went missing for years after World War II and was placed at Shinzen in 2001.

  • A library by a Wright apprentice

    Arthur Dyson, a former apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, helped design the Woodward Park Library.

FAQ

Woodward Park questions

How big is Woodward Park, and when did it open?

About 300 acres. It opened in 1968 on the bluffs between Highway 41 and Friant Road.

Does it cost money to get into Woodward Park?

For vehicles, yes: $5, or $3 with a passenger 65 or older, and $7 on 7 holiday weekends. The Shinzen garden charges its own $5 adult admission.

Who was Woodward Park named for?

Ralph W. Woodward, whose will, after his death in 1961, funded land for a public park and bird refuge.

When is the state cross-country meet at Woodward Park?

The CIF State Cross Country Championships are usually held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The 2025 meet was Nov. 29, with $12 admission.

Which school district serves the Woodward Park area?

Clovis Unified, with schools near the park including Kastner Intermediate and Clovis West High. Confirm attendance boundaries with the district.

Can I walk or bike from Woodward Park to the river?

Yes. The paved Lewis S. Eaton Trail starts at Friant Road and Audubon Drive and runs about 4 miles north to the River Center.

Buying or selling here

Thinking about Woodward Park?

Baylen and Chris can walk you through the subdivisions around the park, from gated communities to townhomes, or price your home here for sale.

See homes for sale in Woodward ParkSee sold homes in Woodward ParkWhat's my home worth?Call or text 559-213-7734

Trafton Home Team, brokered by Real (DRE #02022092). Baylen Trafton, DRE #02026482.

Sources and photo credits