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    Pinecrest Lake Resort

    3.5 (60 reviews)
    ModerateHotels, Parks

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    Lake
    Otto N.

    Its a great lake resort. The town home is nice and comfortable. The only downfall is no AC and no TVs in rooms. The beach is very nice but there's nobody enforcing social distancing and nobody is wearing masks. As long as we stay 6' from everyone we are fine. Internet and TV connection is not guaranteed both services were out almost 2 days since we been here. That was a big inconvenience because of work deadline couldn't be met. Today is day 4 of our stay. We leave our canopy and small tent out on the beach to reserve our spot because it really gets crowded, specially on the weekend. Rented a motor boat to go fishing, didn't catch nothing yet. But its beautiful out there. I would of gave it a 5 stars but they make you do your own housekeeping before you leave and wi fi was out for almost 3 days and mattresses are outdated. For 305 dollars a night I expected better.

    We had a great time here. We were in cabin number 22, it's a 3 bed 1 bath. It was pretty updated and fully stocked! I would recommend bringing a couple extra rolls of toilet paper. I was also able to get pics of cabin #21 next to us since we are coming back next year and reserving that one as well. It is a 2 bed 1 bath. We were right next to the tennis courts, general store, coffee shop and restaurant. It was the perfect location! The lake was great too!

    Irina V.

    For father's day we decided to get away from the heat and celebrate our daddy by playing at the lake. We came early around 9 am which was a great idea because we still found some parking nearby. There were picknic areas nearby and restrooms. The restrooms were also kept clean which we appreciate. It's a perfect place for kids and those wanting to teach their children how to fish. Many fished nearby us and they were catching fish especially in the morning. There were bbq rear by. Not every park allows you to grill but here they did which is so great. One of the great things is that there are no parking fees for day use. If your planning to come here arrive early and bring all your fun water play with you. Many were wearing life jackets which is so important when playing in a lake.

    Rent a boat here
    Ron L.

    I'd rate Pinecrest Lake third, after Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, in the list of greatest mountain destinations in Northern California. One thing this means is that Pinecrest is not readily quiet and peaceful. You can find that here, but only by planning ahead and pushing through the crowd. And it is a crowd, believe me. The monster-sized campground is one of the few in the area that takes reservations, and if you haven't reserved your spot by April, you're out of luck. Growing up, my family camped at Meadowview, and it's likely that it's also full by the time you get there on Friday afternoon in the summer. There are lots of parking places, and guess what: they're full too! (Minus one star.) I think you're starting to get the idea of how much people love Pinecrest. It's the sort of place where people came here with their kids, then their kids grew up and got married and started bringing their kids here, and now THOSE kids are married with children and coming up. Charismatic preachers would call that a "generational curse". But don't break the curse. There is plenty to love about Pinecrest. It's a medium-sized lake with plenty of room for everyone. You can rent motor boats, party boats, or kayaks, or bring your own. There's a safe beach to play at, and the rest of the shoreline is pine-shaded. The convenience store and Steam Donkey restaurant are close by. Lots of places to fish, whether on the shore or from a boat. Amphitheater for nature talks, movies, church gatherings, or as a central meet-up spot. What I recently did: put my inflatable boat into the water, rowed out a few hundred feet, stopped, and ate my dinner while enjoying the spectacular mountain scenery and the crowd enjoying themselves. Happy Wanderers will note the Pinecrest National Scenic Trail, a 4-mile loop encircling the lake. It is not an easy hike. There are several uphills that test your stamina, and a few places where you need to look for the trail markers to make sure you're not lost. Surprisingly, it also serves as the Main Street for the many large lakeside cabins on this lake, most which you cannot drive to. This trail is a good introduction to Pinecrest Lake, with 1/3 party central, 1/3 genteel cabin living, and 1/3 unspoiled mountain scenery, all while testing your hiking abilities. I mentioned the cabins. You go straight through a summer home community when you drive to Pinecrest Lake. They're all privately owned, and many owners rent them out to vacationers. If you can own a little piece of Pinecrest for yourself, then you don't need to worry about getting a spot at the campground, and you can walk to the lake. And preserve this for your family to come. Yes, a place like this does exist in the Land of Fruits and Nuts. Generations have loved it without loving it to death (think Tahoe). Pinecrest is worth the trouble. And plan ahead!

    Brown c.

    This place is my awwwwe place to enjoy nature and fresh air! Great family fun for everyone. Been coming here for over 50 years and still enjoy the surroundings. Stayed in the Motel for my first time as we went for a one night stay. Clean rooms close to walking to the lake , general store and campgrounds. Ate at Steamed Donkey and enjoyed a great dinner outside on the back deck. I will be back!!!!

    A few pics of our townhouse. Be sure to bring a DVD player for a movie night! Kitchen was well equipped.  Bring disposable goods though.

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    The water was good even though it was super cold got used to it after a while. Feels good to disconnect from city life and be in nature.

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    3 years ago

    Pinecrest Lake has been a summer destination for many people for decades. The resort is a wonderful place to go for a day or a weekend.

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    3 years ago

    love it had fun but they. didnt have wifi everywhere. but the cabins who confitable for my family & I

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Pinecrest Lake Resort

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    Review Highlights - Pinecrest Lake Resort

    (Emphasis on all of the Marina Staff, Lori and team) We felt like we found a secret gem in the mountains.

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    Pinecrest Campground - November

    Pinecrest Campground

    (75 reviews)

    First off, be warned... Getting camping reservations here are EXTREMELY HARD to get and very…read morecompetitive too!! Each campsite is for six people and two vehicles only!! I've been camping/fishing/hiking at Pinecrest lake virtually my whole life. It's has always been our family favorite place to camp including swimming, boat rentals, snack shack, lakeside movies, store, restaurant, etc. for five generations, so far. Be warned... EVERY evening, people will shout out "ALBERT" at the top of their lungs for several hours throughout all the campsites. It generally ends between 9-10 pm. So if you have little children that go to bed early, this may be a sleeping problem for them. My ratings for this year's family camping trip (as follows): Everything listed above "5 STARS "; EXCEPT for our campsite bathrooms "1 STAR " located in "Loop B" had absolutely NO POWER (Lights, etc.) at all, especially at night. Potential serious falling injuries may occur. I consider that to be a safety hazard and a potential liability issue. Overall, we generally have a great time camping there with our families. We'll still return again and carryon with our family tradition in the future.

    I have been coming here for over 60 years, the last 5-6 years it has changed a lot…read more Most of the below is way worse on the weekend. 1. No dogs allowed on beach, there are dogs all over the beach. 2. You cannot leave pop/ups chairs at the beach unattended, there are pop ups/chairs on the beach at sunrise, some are not occupied until mid or late in the day. 3. People line their pop ups right up to the water side by side, not thinking that anyone on the beach behind them has to walk completely around. 4. It's nearly impossible to reserve a camp site, if you then are lucky to get one, you walk around and you see empty sites everywhere. 5. It's time to replace the bathrooms with the same as the day use, it's been too long. A great family campground, outdoor theater, great hike around the lake, plenty of things to rent at the marina for the lake, store, Serene Bean coffee and the steam donkey restaurant. Don't go on the weekends!

    Emigrant Wilderness - Sunrise at Granite Lake

    Emigrant Wilderness

    (13 reviews)

    Whoa. I've been into…read morethe Sierra Nevada mountain range all my life, so I'm well aware of how rugged and gorgeous it all is. But it seems that the Emigrant Wilderness takes this up a notch. I didn't think this was possible. I bought a backpack last year to take to Channel Islands. Why not use it this year for a semi-major backpacking trip. Of the places I was considering, I narrowed it down to the Emigrant Wilderness. Got my route planned out, and off I went to Kennedy Meadows. I ended up using two trailheads. When I got my wilderness permit, the ranger warned me that snow was blocking a lot of my itinerary. It certainly was. My four days out of Kennedy Meadows turned into only 26 hours. In that 26 hours was jaw-dropping scenery ranging from vast canyons and mountain ranges to pretty seasonal creeks and wildflowers. I camped near Summit Creek, going to sleep with a raging waterfall close by. By now, you're probably thinking of the first few minutes of "The Sound Of Music", and saying "Aw, I wish I was there!" I wish you were too. Be warned that it is pretty strenuous, and you start at 6500 feet. Okay, my second trip: the Crabtree trailhead. I did much less hiking this time, only five miles to Grouse Lake. I didn't need to go any further. The area around Grouse Lake has a lot to see and do: a smallish lake divided by a peninsula, lots of fishing and swimming spots, birds flying and singing, glaciated granite to climb and run on. (And plenty of mosquitoes; bring lots of repellant.) There are other destinations from this trailhead, too; hikers I saw said that they were going to Camp Lake, Bear Lake. It's a remote trailhead, but it filled up on a Saturday afternoon, so beware! A big part of the attraction of the Emigrant Wilderness is that the only "improvements" we've made are trails and the occasional reservoir. Everything else is just as it was when California became a state. It's wild. It does take a bit of effort to get back here. And when you do, you're not disappointed. It's an immersion into the mountains, a place with just you and the Lord, and He rejuvenates your spirit among His handiwork. Dick Proenneke, who lived in solitude near Alaska's Lake Clark, told John Kauffmann for National Geographic, "Mountains are a man's best friends if he only knew it. You hike and climb every day and you don't grow old." (He was 63.) The same can be said for the Emigrant Wilderness. If you get the food situation figured out, you could live here for an entire summer and still not see it all, and still wish you had more time.

    Beautiful! We did the Kennedy Lake trail (15 mi) and camped overnight. It was so peaceful!…read moreBeautiful mountains, streams, trees, and wildlife (deer and rabbits). We tried to get to the lake but it was super swampy. It was very cold (30 F in late June so be sure to pack warm stuff! Happy Hiking!

    Pinecrest Lake - Vanilla Soft Serve

    Pinecrest Lake

    (138 reviews)

    First full weekend of June, visited the lake several times…read more Parking Saturday by 10:20am, most of the overflow parking across from the restaurant and general store were already full. To avoid walking too far if you have a vehicle, strongly recommend getting here early to keep the walk short. In contrast, on a Sunday at Noon, there were sporadic parking spots lakefront. Crowds Saturday had some areas of the lake crowded with most benches or picnic benches taken but there were some left by 11am. Sunday, dramatically less crowds. Weather Even in mid-60s, being in direct sunlight can feel much hotter and burn you. Water Just fine for early June, did not feel terribly cold. Restrooms Generally in very good condition and multiple throughout the lakefront, no soap though.

    This will always be one of our top places to visit for our camping trips along side one other…read morelocation. Just the scenery of all the beautiful trees, listening to nature all times of the day and night, the trails to explore, the beautiful marina, the ice cream hut, the post goes on. We stayed this time around for Father's Day weekend. And it was a FULL house indeed! Took our fur baby with us, and let me tell you she had a good time but she left exhausted lol! There were two camp grounds to stay at while up there if space permitted as the third location was closed. We made about 4 trips throughout to their little convenience store as they had lots to choose from plus ice and fire wood. We had a small meal from the local little pub a few doors down from there, which is also connected to their post office, surf shop and coffee/ice cream hut. Plenty of bathroom locations spread through the campgrounds which is always a plus. No showers though. Each night was $40. We stayed 2. For the most part each spot can hold two economy size vehicles. There is so much more to be said about visiting here. But it's better if you can find the time To just visit and or stay in order to relate. For sure a fun family spot to get away too.

    Pinecrest Lake Resort - hotels - Updated September 2026

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