ABOUT

My name is Roland Krevitt.  I would like to tell you about the best-kept vacation secret in California.

That secret is Shaver Lake - a mountain village paradise on the Western slope of the Central Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.  It is one easy hour’s drive from Fresno, California and about two hours South of Yosemite National Park.

In today’s high-pressure environment, we all need some time to relax, rejuvenate, and recover from the craziness and stress of everyday life.  Picture yourself spending a quiet vacation away from it all where you can just do nothing if you so desire, or you can explore the terrain – either on foot or by car.  Come to Shaver Lake and enjoy its unspoiled beauty, convenient location, unhurried pace, and a culture of just mountain folks being nice to each other.

And now, I would like to introduce you to ShaverHaven.  While our family enjoys the many outdoor recreation opportunities in the Shaver Lake area, we thoroughly enjoy the many conveniences and features of our cabin.  However, we also want to make it available as a vacation rental when we are not using it so that we might share the incredible mountain experience with others who also appreciate nature.  It has been a wonderful experience for our many guests as well.  Just being there is so good for one’s well being and for winding down from the pressures of life.

“Dear Sue and Roland.  I can’t thank you enough for our two days here in glorious fall weather!  Such a lovely comfy, spacious home and I agree about the kitchen “to die for” one of your earlier guests mentioned – every convenience.  Did not need heat at all – upstairs very warm.  We were honored to be guests at ShaverHaven!”                                                                        Martha and Lynn.  10-10-2010

ShaverHaven is a lodge-like log cabin built in 1995 on a level 5/8 of an acre of Fir, Pine, and Cedar trees.  The cabin is spacious and extremely comfortable, with a very modern kitchen, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms.  It sleeps 11 and is ideally suited for families and couples alike.  We have a library of about a hundred books for all ages and tastes and a large selection of board games.  There is a two-car garage with ample parking in the driveway.  Shaver Village and the Lake are only 5 minutes away.

Imagine relaxing on the deck, enjoying the smell of fresh mountain air scented with pine needles and incense cedars, reading a good book on a lounge among the trees, listening to the cool mountain breezes whispering through the forest, birds singing, or having lunch on the picnic table out back.  We frequently see deer roaming through the neighborhood and of course there is an abundance of squirrels, chipmunks, and birds that sing all day long.  Why not?  It is a paradise for them also!

 

At night, after a great day of boating in the warm sun, hiking on the abundance of trails all around the area, or skiing on the well groomed slopes of China Peak (only 30 minutes away), imagine soaking in the hot tub under the stars.  The air is so clear that you think you can see every star in the solar system.

For dinner, try barbequing salmon steaks on a cedar plank.  We have a Weber kettle on the deck for your enjoyment.  Check out this article about Cedar Plank Grilling: Cedar Plank Grilling - For That Enhanced Barbecue Experience

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar Planks are available at Lowes, Home Depot, and Target.  Make sure they are at least 3/8″ thick.  They can also be ordered online at Amazon but they are more expensive that way.

A favorite activity for locals, and visitors alike, is to commune with nature in its purest form and enjoy the natural wonders of the area.   There are plenty of areas to explore.

The McKinley Grove of Giant Sequoias is only 30 minutes from ShaverHaven.

 

“What a wonderful place to come home to after a long day of shooting out at Shaver Lake.  Our crew thoroughly enjoyed your cozy cabin.  We all hope to return when we don’t have to work!”           The production crew of “Click”.  Sony Pictures Entertainment. 10-18-05

When people in Northern California, especially those who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, consider a mountain vacation, either in the summer or the winter, they typically think about Lake Tahoe.   The Tahoe scene is one of crowds, casinos, stoplights and traffic jams.  Not so at Shaver Lake.  The contrast is striking in that the Shaver pace and culture are so incredibly different from the Lake Tahoe experience – Shaver is peaceful and quiet with no crowds and no traffic jams – in fact hardly any traffic at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This video is a drive through “Downtown” Shaver Lake and will give you a feeling of the quaintness and how wonderfully unsophisticated the village is.  Downtown is only 1/2 mile long.  I suggest that you turn the volume down or off to avoid wind noise.

 

Even on the Forth of July there are no traffic problems.  You can watch fireworks from a boat out on the lake as they are launched into the sky.

Shaver Lake has a permanent population, officially, of 1750 but in fact there are only a few hundred residents in the summer and much less than that in the winter.

It seems that when folks who live in the Southern part of the state think of the central Sierra for their mountain vacations they mysteriously overlook a Shaver Lake experience.  This is hard to believe because it is such a spectacular area for boating, water skiing, and hiking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dear Krevitt family,  We had an incredible stay!  This place couldn’t feel more at home to us.  We are so thankful we came up on the recommendation of our neighbors.  We have camped up here for 13 years but have found a new way to “camp.”  We look forward to doubling our stay next year.”                                                      The Worrell family.  7-10-06

There two marinas for launching boat with dock slips to rent if you don’t want to haul your boat out each day.  Both marinas have various watercraft for rent – wave runners, pontoon boats of various sizes, kayaks, and fishing boats to name a few with helpful staff members to assist you. People still respect property left overnight on the beach – the same as they did 73 years ago.

 

Kids love hanging out on the beach.  Just keep them fed and they are happy.

Dorabelle Campground is set up for day use right along side the lake.  A great place for a barbeque with lots of picnic tables that are easily accessible.

If you are a snow skier, China Peak Ski Resort is only 30 minutes away.

Click here to access the China Peak Website.

There are cross country ski trails as well as several Sno-Parks nearby for sledding and playing in the snow.  Snowmobiles are available for rent also.

If you have a Jeep, you can explore the back country and the high mountain lakes on the many Jeep trails.

Check out this video of a 5 vehicle caravan to Coyote Lake

 

Shaver Lake Stables is nearby for rides down to the Lake.

“Thank you for making your home available for us to use.  It couldn’t have been more comfortable.  We had a wonderful time on the lake and went on a really fun horseback riding adventure.  The hot tub was a treat after the long days on the lake.  We hope to make a trip back on winter so that we can take advantage of the snow.  Of course, we plan to come back during summer break again.  Thanks again.”                The Deichler and Forrester Families.        7-29-2011

 

The area is a photographer’s dream with wildflowers, wildlife, lakes, streams, waterfalls and majestic granite peaks to shoot to your heart’s content.  You just can’t take a bad photograph in these mountains.

 

Shaver Lake is actually one of three lakes that make up the Big Creek Project.  The system was devised in the early 1900’s to generate hydroelectric power for the Los Angeles streetcar system.  Dam construction started in 1912 for the first lake, Huntington.  It was finished in December 1913 and the first powerhouse went on line.  Florence Lake dam, the highest at 7300 feet was started in 1920.  Shaver Dam was completed in 1927 on the site of C.B. Shaver’s lumber mill and pond.  This water, as it cascades down the mountain through powerhouse after powerhouse is called, “The hardest working water in the world!”

In addition to Shaver, Huntington, and Florence, there are three other nearby lakes that are ideal for outdoor recreation - primarily camping, hiking and fishing;  Lake Edison, Wishon, and Courtright reservoirs.

There are several back country areas nearby for the more adventurous folks;  the Kaiser Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness, John Muir Wilderness, and the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness - all within just a couple of hours of ShaverHaven.

There is an incredibly rich and fascinating history of the area including cattle ranching, logging, lumbering, recreation, and of course power generation.  These histories will be presented in my blogs from time to time with descriptions of the many mountain characters, past and present, who have made their mark on the culture of the area.   The Central Sierra Historical Society Museum near Shaver Village is a wonderful resource for learning about the local culture and its many characters of yesterday.

As you can see, Shaver Lake has something for everyone whether it is just a quiet weekend escape, a relaxing week away from it all, or a longer time spent exploring the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Everything you need for a peaceful mountain vacation.

So we invite you to discover this secret of the Sierra for yourself.  Come play at ShaverHaven and Shaver Lake.

 

 

For rental rates and cabin availability click on the “Reservations” Tab.

For a list of ShaverHaven Amenities and Features and things to do in the area, click on the Amenities or Resources & Supplies Tab.

For detailed directions to Shaver Lake Click Here.

If you would like additional information, please click on the “Contact” tab.

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