Teaford Saddle

Teaford Saddle is the high point where Madera County Road 223 crosses the ridge between Oakhurst and Bass Lake, in the Sierra National Forest foothills. It's a working mountain pass rather than a manicured overlook, but it opens onto long forest views, and it doubles as the trailhead for one of the area's better day hikes: the climb to the historic Goat Mountain fire lookout.

A Gold Rush-Era Road

Before Madera County switched to its current numbering system, this stretch was called Teaford Saddle Road. It follows part of the old Millerton-Fresno Flats Road, a Gold Rush-era route that once connected Fresno Flats (Oakhurst's original name) to the logging mills of Crane Valley — the drainage later dammed to form Bass Lake. The alignment shows up on 1912 USGS survey maps under its original name, before the county renumbered it as Road 223 in the mid-20th century.

Hiking to the Lookout

From the saddle, the Goat Mountain Trail climbs through mixed conifer forest toward the Goat Mountain Fire Lookout, with views opening over Bass Lake and the North Fork valley along the way. The full out-and-back runs about 9.9 miles round trip with roughly 1,630 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate and typically taking 4.5 to 5 hours. Some sources describe a shorter, roughly 3-mile round-trip option from a closer access point, so confirm which trailhead you're starting from before you go. The lookout itself — a 20-foot steel tower built in 1934 and rebuilt after wind damage the following year — is still standing and listed on the National Historic Lookout Register, though it no longer staffs fire watch; the Forest Service now uses it as a radio relay site.

Good to Know

• Trailhead: Teaford Saddle Road (Road 223), Sierra National Forest
• No visitor center or facilities at the saddle — fuel up and fill water bottles in Oakhurst or North Fork beforehand.
• Mountain roads at this elevation can hold snow or wash out outside summer; check with the ranger station if conditions are uncertain.