Urban Hiking – The Fresnan

Things I Might Do In Fresno This Weekend

February 28, 2026February 28, 2026 The Fresnan Leave a comment

I am going to try out a new segment for the site/nesletter, and cross my fingers that I stick with it so you can check back here on The Fresnan or Fresno!Fresno! on Fridays or Saturday mornings for this (someone hold me to it, please).

These are literal things I might do this weekend. Like, if I have enough money, or time, or energy, I would do one or all of these things. Hopefully, it helps you figure out something for yourself.

Hike around the San Joaquin River. Wildflowers are coming out. Things won’t be greener. The weather will only get hotter. There is snow to look at on the Sierra. Choice. Checking an almond orchard before the blossoms are gone can be a related activity.
Record swap in River Park at Barrelhouse – Saturday from 12 to 5.
Play pinball at Summer Fox (Santa Fe) – they have a Star Wars pinball I really want to try.
Eat a Me & Ed’s pizza (it’s been, like, three long weeks since I’ve had some).
Buy a discounted puffy jacket at Eddie Bauer’s in Fig Garden, since they are all closing.
Have a colab beer at Out Of The Barrel, all day on Saturday (they’re having a ‘colab fest’).
Rogue Festival. It is an important, annual cultural event for Fresno. Check out the schedule.

Rogue Fest goes through to next weekend, so I might push that back. Hell, I might push all of it back, it’s how I operate.

Even if I do one of these things, I’ll be happy.

-Mike

Someone Placed a Marker For the Shortest Trail In Fresno County and I Love It!

February 15, 2026February 15, 2026 The Fresnan Leave a comment

I tend to walk along Van Ness in Old Fig. I like staying in the dirt as much as possible. It gives me a sense that I am on an actual trail in the Sierra (probably weird like that). I think someone else feels that same way, as there is a trail marker on the spot that feels most like a real trail along all of Van Ness:

This is on the 3500 block of Van Ness (yes, Christmas Tree Lane).

See you out on the trails!

Shithead Walks Across Palm at Night

September 2, 2025September 20, 2025 The Fresnan

Nobody come near me, I’m doing things like walking home at night. Not very Fresno but I do it anyway.

This is what I call “Palm Hill” – the section of Palm between Clinton and Shields. There are not many areas of town that have any kind of hill, but this one does.

I have read that this area and other areas of town like it have these “hilly” parts because of an ancient river bed. I will take their word for it.

-Mikey

Buy Me a Taco!

Fresno Urban Hiking

August 18, 2025August 23, 2025 The Fresnan

You may be asking, “What is Urban Hiking?” Well, I think it can be several things.

It can be long walks (never mind the tempo) in town, whether from your home or taking a vehicle to a certain spot and walking from there.

It can be walking a long distance in town. Long enough, you might want to bring a backpack with water and stuff. Most likely taking a specific route and/or having a destination.

It can be doing an urban hike beer crawl.

You don’t need woods, elevation gain, or maintained trails to call something a hike.

If there is an extra layer to your walking around time, that’s when you can call it a hike. And if you’re doing it in town, it’s an urban hike. There is a post on jasonexplorer.com that explains it more.

Really, I want to call my walking “urban hiking” so it sounds friggin’ cooler, OKAY?!?

Now that that is settled, I am getting into hiking in the Sierra and Urban Hiking. I started small in my [old] neighborhood last year. First to Basin Park:

Then stepped up a little and went to Out Of The Barrel:

I am now slowly building my own list of Fresno urban hikes that I will be trickling out here on The Fresnan, so keep eyes on the trail for more. Some that exist and others I curate.

For more Urban Fresno hiking, check out a recent one I did on the Northern SJR Bluffs.

Hiking Fresno: Riverview Trail – Bluffs Loop

December 10, 2024January 26, 2025 The Fresnan

We tend to forget that one of California’s biggest rivers is running alongside our NW border in Fresno.

I have been exploring the trails (such as they are) below the bluffs and it’s pretty cool. They need a lot of work but you can access the SJ River in Fresno easy enough, if you really want it.

I went on a Fresno urban hike recently and took some video. This is part of the San Joaquin River Trail starting at the Riverview Trailhead:

I snuck me in a reward beer at the end at Eureka Burger. It’s worth going to for sure, you can go down to the SJ River or just wander around on the (I think previously private) property. Just a few walkers and people fishing is all you’ll find. This was my route:

https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8694ea68-55b0-4304-ad11-2d4d91d98d9d_1179x1966 Hiking Fresno: Riverview Trail - Bluffs Loop

(I forgot to stop the All Trails app when I drove around to Eureka Burger.)

It’s pretty funny with the elevation gains as you can clearly see when I went up and down the bluffs.

I plan to do a lot more urban hikes around Fresno once the Holidays are done, so keep an eye out.

-Mike