Prather to Shaver Lake

This file describes Hwy 168 from Prather to Shaver Lake.
Central Valley	>	Fresno to Prather	>	Prather To Shaver Lake	>	Shaver to Huntington
		Madera to Prather				Kaiser Pass
						Dinkey Creek
Waypoints between Prather and Shaver Lake are plotted in several images to clarify the text below.

• Between Shaver and Huntington Lakes, you can go to Sno-Park trailheads such as Tamarack Ridge, Coyote, and Red Mtn.
• From Kaiser Pass, you can go to White Bark, Lake Edison, Bear Creek, and Florence Lake.
• From Dinkey Creek, you can go to Wishon and Courtright.

Click here for GPS waypoints in Waypoint+ format (NAD83, decimal degrees) with descriptive comments, in a popup window. Follow the PRATHER-SHAVER route waypoints, as described below.

Hwy 168 from Prather is the only reasonable approach to Shaver Lake on the way to the major west side reservoirs.

Here is an overview of the entire route from Prather to Shaver Lake:

This description starts in the town of Prather (waypoint PRATHR). It is assumed that you are leaving Prather going east on Hwy 168. NOTE: Cell phones will work to Shaver Lake, but not far beyond!

Here is a detailed view of the road near Prather:

Leave Prather going east and southeast toward waypoint 168XX1. Do not make the mistake of turning onto Auberry Road at waypoint 168AUB, in either direction, since this is NOT the right part of Auberry! People have gotten badly lost here... stay on 168 toward waypoint 168XX2 and remember to return to Prather before leaving Hwy 168 on your return trip. 2.7 miles from the intersection of Hwy 168 and Auberry Rd in Prather (waypoint PRATHR), Hwy 168 turns left at the Lodge Road stop sign (waypoint 168LOD) and meanders through waypoints 168XX3 and 168XX4. (Stay on Hwy 168, a right turn at a T intersection on the way home.)

Here is a detailed view of the road near Shaver Lake:

Hwy 168 then goes another 14.6 miles to the town of Shaver Lake by way of Pine Ridge (waypoint PINRID) and and Ockenden (waypoint OCKDEN). There may be gas at Pine Ridge before Shaver, but THERE IS NO RELIABLE GAS IN SHAVER LAKE OR BEYOND.

The Wishon/Courtright turnoff (with Florence/Edison straight ahead) is at waypoint SHAVER, but the town of Shaver is spread out along the highway for some distance so this waypoint may not seem like 'the town' to you. The Union 76 station in Shaver Lake may or may not actually have gas to sell, and may or may not be open late.

Now that you are in Shaver, you can head to Wishon, Courtright, Florence, Bear Creek, or Edison by following these links to trailhead directions. Especially in winter, there are several trailheads between Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake which are maintained as sno-parks requiring permits. In each case there will be some driving to do between Shaver Lake and the the trailhead-specific roads, probably over Kaiser Pass or Dinkey Creek

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