Touring * Street *

From State Highway 99, exit to the east on the Mineral King Highway, State Highway 198. Exit at Ben Maddox Way and loop around so that you're heading north. Continue for 1.5 miles and turn right at well-marked St. John's Parkway. Take the first left, Gowdy, and follow it around a slight curve that leads to a dead-end with a big yellow END sign posted on the wooden fence. Through the gated opening you'll see an asphalt path leading up to the riverbank. Park at the curb.

On a blue-sky spring afternoon, this trail is the jewel of the entire Central Valley. Skating toward the east, you'll be smitten by the breathtaking view of the snowcapped Sierra, whose foothills begin rising just half an hour's drive away. The relatively new asphalt of the St. John's River multiuse pathway is in perfect condition and is a generous 10 feet wide; the only hills along its two-mile length are the access paths from the street. If plans to lengthen the trail another mile come through, there will be an extension from the east end, starting with an underpass for McAuluff Street, and landscaping will beautify the wide riverbank between the levee and the water's edge. At this writing, the stretch of trail west of this trip's starting point consisted of a mere quarter-mile of pavement from the Gowdy Street access--hardly worth skating when there's such a grand view in the other direction. Still, there's also talk of extending the trail farther west, so it's worth a look-see. Skating toward the east, a low dam near Gowdy Street generates the music of falling water. If you can tear your eyes from the glorious mountain view, you'll see the river and a few creekside trees and shrubs to your left--sometimes near, sometimes a bit farther away from the raised levee bank. On the right, the street named St. John's Parkway flows almost as wide and calm as its namesake, connecting the homes of the Visalia's newer northeast neighborhoods. Traffic noise is not a problem, as this isn't a major artery for the town. Passing above the north end of Lover's Lane, you'll see a small dedicated parking lot for the trail, with a rather steep access ramp. Just beyond are the oddly named Wutchumna Ditch and the sports fields of the new Golden West High School. The St. John's River Parkway trail terminates at the eastern edge of the high school on McAuluff Street.