George Smith Road is an approximately 5.5-mile rural highway located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County. As presently configured George Smith Road begins at California State Route 180 (Kings Canyon Road) in Yokuts Valley (previously Squaw Valley) and winds above a ridge overlooking Shannon Valley to Ennis Road. George Smith Road was developed as the Sand Creek Cutoff Road and originally ended in Tulare County. The roadway appears renamed after Smith Ranch beginning in the 1930s. During the 1950s and 1960s George Smith Road would be altered heavily. The 1960s alteration truncated the corridor away from Tulare County and realigned it to Ennis Road. Part 1; the history of George Smith Road George Smith Road is named after Smith Ranch which historically has been located on the corridor. As presently configured George Smith Road begins at California State Route 180 (Kings Canyon Road) in Yokuts Valley (previously Squaw Valley...
Italian Bar Road is an approximately six-mile switchback highway located in the San Joaquin River Canyon of Fresno County. Italian Bar Road begins at the southern rim of the San Joaquin River Canyon at Jose Basin Road and terminates to the northwest at the Italian Bar Bridge over Redinger Lake. Italian Bar Road is named after a former mining claim which was staked on the San Joaquin River where Redinger Lake is now located. The Fresno County side of Italian Bar Road was largely constructed concurrent with Million Dollar Road to access the site of Big Creek Powerhouse #8 in 1921. The Fresno County roadway was connected with the Italian Bar mining road in Madera County circa 1925 when the Italian Bar Bridge was constructed over the San Joaquin River. Before Madera County dropped roadway names after World War II the corridor of Italian Bar Road extended to Minarets Road near North Fork. In 1951 the Italian Bar Bridge would be raised to accommodate the Redinger...