Reedley
Reedley is in the San Joaquin Valley of California 25 miles southeast of Fresno. Reedley is a centerpiece of the Blossom Trail, a 62-mile informal system of roads through which, in the spring, tourists travel on a self-guided tour through a large swath of Fresno County to admire the white, red, and pink fruit blossoms from almond, plum, apricot, peach, nectarine, apple, and citrus blossoms. Reedley hosts annual Blossom Trail bike rides, 10k runs, car shows, and art festivals.
Understand
Reedley is an agricultural town with a population of about 26,000. A small town by California standards, Reedley was historically known for its production of wheat during the California Gold Rush and later began to develop into a largely fruit-based orchard centric economy. Equidistant to Fresno and Visalia, many residents commute to work outside of the city, making Reedley functionally into a suburb of both large cities, though most residents have careers that are attached to agriculture in some way. The town's early history was dominated by American migrants who came to the Central Valley from the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl looking for work on California farms. The town's more modern history is similar, as the population boomed with migrant farm workers from Mexico and South America. Today, 76% of the population identifies as either Latino or Hispanic.
The culture of Reedley draws from its large variety of migrants through its history. In October, G Street, the city's main street and central downtown district, is closed for the Reedley Fiesta, a town fair and parade. In December, G Street is again closed for the Electric Farm Equipment Parade, an event where local farmers and businesses adorn tractors, harvesters, and the local fire engine in Christmas lights and garland. Other various local events are hosted around by Reedley College, the local community college, or by the Chamber of Commerce.
Get in
By car
From the north (Fresno), California State Route 99 South to Manning Ave exit, then travel an additional 15 minutes east. Travellers wishing to avoid SR-99 are advised to take California State Route 180 East towards Kings Canyon National Park and turn right onto either Reed Avenue or Frankwood Avenue south and drive for an additional 10 minutes south.
From the south (Visalia), California State Route 99 North to Merritt Drive exit for Traver, turn left on Road 44, adjust left on Avenue 384 then immediately right onto Road 48, then drive an additional 12 minutes north until you turn left onto Reed Ave and into Reedley. Travellers wishing to avoid SR-99 are advised to take California State Route 63 North, take a left on Avenue 384, then right onto Road 56. The road becomes South Frankwood Ave as you approach Reedley.
By bus
Public transit in Reedley is very limited. Dinuba Area Regional Transit (DART) operates the Dinuba Connection bus route in partnership with the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA) and this route has three bus stops within Reedley. All routes offered by DART begin and end at the Dinuba Transit Center. Visitors from outside the Reedley-Dinuba area can access Dinuba from the Visalia Transit Center by taking the North County route which leaves M-F 6:15AM-6:15PM and Sa Su 10:25AM-4:47PM. Visitors leaving Reedley via DART should plan to leave the Dinuba Transit Center for Visalia M-F 6:15AM-6:15PM and Sa Su 9:20AM-3:52PM. Connections into and outside of Visalia are available through Amtrack & Greyhound busses.
The City of Dinuba publishes a guide to DART ☏ +1-877-404-6473 which can be found here. General fare (Apr 2024) $1.50, senior/student fare $1.25, children (age 5 & younger) free, disabled fare $0.50.
The stations within Reedley are as follows:
- 🌍 Adventist Medical Center (Cypress Ave & Acacia Ave), 372 W Cypress Ave (between N Hollywood Dr and N Acacia Ave, closest to parking lot at the hospital's front entrance). School year schedule: M-F 7:20AM-8:20PM; ummer schedule: M-F 7:20AM-2:20PM.
- 🌍 Reedley College, 995 N Reed Ave (on the southwest corner of the faculty parking lot, between the Administration Building and the Student Services Building), ☏ +1 877 404-6473. School year schedule: M-F 7:30AM-8:30PM; summer schedule: M-F 7:30AM-2:30PM.
- 🌍 Palm Village, 701 W Herbert Ave, ☏ +1 877 404-6473. School year schedule: M-F 7:35AM-8:35PM; summer schedule: M-F 7:35AM-2:35PM.
Get around
By car
Reedley is a very car-friendly city with plenty of on-street parking. The central downtown district on G Street also has public parking available by the Rails-To-Trails Parkway and by F Street. Reedley does not make use of parking meters, and with the exception of Reedley College, which charges for entrance and exit from its parking lots, most destinations in Reedley are freely accessible with an automobile.
By foot or by bicycle
Reedley's car-friendliness comes at the cost of its pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. As a typical American city in this sense, it should be expected that several sidewalks end abruptly, crosswalks are not convenient, and bike lanes are almost never protected. That being said, Reedley has a Rails-To-Trails parkway that runs northwest-southeast across the city, and once you have access to it, you can traverse to and from destinations along G Street. Regular caution should be followed when crossing roads, as locals may not pay attention or give the right of way to travellers. Reedley's Rails-To-Trails parkway begins at the Kings River Gazebo and terminates at Buttonwillow Ave in the south of town. While it is possible to ride bicycles and walk through orchards, do so with caution as you are a guest of the farm owner, and they may ask you to leave if you cause trouble. Past the Kings River Gazebo lies a hidden path called the Kings River Trail which runs alongside the Reedley College Experimental Farm. Many Reedleyites use this area to jog or hike. Travellers may use this area as well, and it grants serene views and access to the Kings River, but they should simply be mindful not to interfere with or damage the property of Reedley College or the private landowners further north.
See
- Blossom Trail. Take Manning Ave west out of town, take a left on S Lacjac Ave, take a right on E Rose Ave, take a right on S Mendocino Ave, take a left on E Adams Ave, take a right on McCall Ave, take a left on E Central Ave, take a right on S Clovis Ave, take a right on E Jensen Ave, take a right on S Fowler Ave, take a left on E North Ave, take a left on S Del Rey Ave, take a right on E Jensen Ave, take a left on Academy Ave, take a right on Belmont Ave, take a right on N Oliver Ave, take a left on California State Route 180, take a right on S Piedra Rd, take a left on E Lone Oak Ave, take a right on S Reed Ave, take a left on Kings Canyon Rd, take a right on S Frankwood Ave, take a left on E Jefferson Ave, take a right on S Alta Ave, take a final right back onto Manning Ave.
- 🌍 Mount Campbell (R Mountain) (the mountain is private property: climb at your own risk). A solitary mountain with two painted hillside letters, an "R" for Reedley and an "S" for nearby Sanger. Both cities' high schools have had a rivalry for decades. The best view to photograph Mount Campbell is from Reedley Airport.
- 🌍 The Reedley Museum & Water Towers, 1752 10th St, ☏ +1 559 638-1913. Tu Sa 9:30AM-noon. The original City Hall of Reedley was converted into a museum in 1979 and houses a collection of indigenous Yokuts artifacts, Reedley historical memorabilia, and antique farming implements. The Reedley Water Towers sit outside the Museum. Adults $1, children $0.50.
- 🌍 Kings River Overlook Gazebo, 1235 Manning Ave (take the Rails-To-Trails parkway northwest). A lone gazebo above the Kings River offering views of the private Finnish campground across the river, the railroad bridge, and the Kings River Trail.
- 🌍 Reedley College Sculpture Wall, 995 N Reed Ave (on the wall of the Reedley College Art Center). The ceramics students at Reedley College have a semi-permanent and ever-changing display of ceramic tiles and other ceramic artpieces maintained and updated by the art faculty. At times the wall may lack artwork, and they do not annouce this externally, so travellers be aware. Free.
Do
Reedley Beach on the Kings River offers many varieties of water sports.
Eat
- 🌍 Mainstreet Cafe, 1052 G St, ☏ +1 559 638-4082. American cuisine and pastry/bakery.
- 🌍 Valentino's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, 1043 G St, ☏ +1 559 638-3706. Italian cuisine.
- 🌍 China Garden Express, 773 N Reed Ave, ☏ +1 559 638-9888. Chinese cuisine.
- 🌍 Sansei Japanese Restaurant, 1135 E Manning Ave, ☏ +1 559 643-9001, sansei.management@gmail.com. Japanese cuisine.
- 🌍 Costa Dorada, 1061 Manning Ave, ☏ +1 559 63 83004. El Salvadorean cuisine.
- 🌍 Ortega's Taqueria, 1401 I St (on I street, at the corner of I & 14th, parking available on 14th Street), ☏ +1 559 743-7046. Su-Th 9AM-10PM, F Sa 9AM-11PM. Authentic family-owned Mexican restaurant open early in the morning and late into the night.
- 🌍 Juanito's Mexican, 819 Manning Ave (accessible from Reed Ave or Manning Ave), ☏ +1 559 637-1025. M-F 10AM-8PM, Sa 9AM-8PM, Su 9AM-3PM. Family-owned Mexican restaurant with indoor & outdoor seating.
- 🌍 Reedley Sandwich Shop (The Sandwich Shop), 1154 G St, ☏ +1 559 643-0025. M 10AM-2PM, Tu-F 10AM-6PM, Sa 11AM-3PM, Su closed. Sandwich shop on the southern end of G Street.
- 🌍 Doughnuts To Go, 1145 11th St (on a designated triangle plot surrounded by E North Ave, 11th St, and B St, all of which have access to the parking lot), ☏ +1 559 638-3282. Daily 5AM-7PM. Freshly baked doughnuts served daily, inexpensive and fast. Open early in the morning. Doughnuts: $1 single, $9 dozen; coffee & smoothies: $3-5.
Drink
- 🌍 The Wakehouse (Kelly's Beach), 850 Kings River Rd (on the west side of the Kings River, turn south onto Kings River Road), ☏ +1 559 637-9000, wakehousereedley@gmail.com. M Tu 11AM-8PM, W Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight, Su 10AM-8PM; kitchen open W-Th till 9PM, F Sa till 10PM, Su till 8PM. Riverside bar & grill on the outskirts of town, featuring easy access to the Kings River.
- 🌍 The Honey Pearl Cafe, 593 I St (in the I Street shopping center, enter from Manning Ave or I St.), ☏ +1 559 643-9943, honeypearlcafe@gmail.com. Boba tea cafe also serving mochi donuts and Korean-style corn dogs. Boba tea $6-8; Korean corn dogs $6-7; mochi donuts $3.45 per donut, $35 per dozen.
- 🌍 The Tradewinds Pub, 1041 G St, ☏ +1 559 743-7745. W Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-1AM, Su 10AM-8PM, M Tu closed. Tropical aventure themed gastropub offering signature cocktails, flights of beer & whiskey, and a wide variety of entrees.
Sleep
- 🌍 Hotel Burgess, 1726 11th Street, ☏ +1 559 637-1793, reservations@hotelburgess.com. The oldest hotel in Reedley, these European-style accomodations fit into a building with quintessential Old West architecture directly on G Street. Roughly $100/night.
- 🌍 The Edgewater Inn, 1977 Manning Ave, ☏ +1 559 637-7777, fax: +1 559 637-2228. A 2-star motel on the outskirts of town, this location features a swimming pool, and sits directly across the street from the Wakehouse, and by extension, the Kings River. Roughly $80/night.
- 🌍 Reedley Country B & B (Reedley Country Bed & Breakfast), 43137 Rd 52 (outside of town, on Reed Ave past the Reedley Cemetery), ☏ +1 559 638-2585. A small countryside bed & breakfast a bit further outside of Reedley south of Reedley Beach.
- 🌍 Reedley Inn, 802 Manning Ave (approach on Manning Ave westbound, turning left eastbound is not possible), ☏ +1 559 637-0430. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: 10:30PM. A small motel located in the northern part of Reedley, with easy access to Reedley College. Roughly $100/night.
- 🌍 Hotel Paisano, 1368 Manning Ave (behind J's Market & Gas), ☏ +1 559 638-3067. A cheap motel located in East Reedley, with easy access to a gas station directly outside.
- 🌍 Hauli Huvila (Finnish River Club), 8802 Kings River Rd (while driving out of town on Manning Ave, take a hard right turn onto Kings River Road northbound and follow it underneath the railway bridge; large towing trucks are advised to avoid the railway scaffolds by using the truck detour), haulihuvila@gmail.com. A private campground for Finnish visitors and their guests. Largely exclusive to Finns and Finnish Americans. Camping rates: $12 general, $6 members; day visit: $10 general, $5 members; motor homes, campers, & RVs $50.