Great campsite! Restrooms were kept clean daily…read more Heavily monitored by campsite staff. Absolutely no service for AT&T. Loved having the little community center that served coffee and snacks near loop 400. Best part of the site!

No reservation needed or possible, it's a first come first serve. To find a spot you'll have to…read moredrive through the campgrounds. It helps to have one person get out of the car and read the permits, sometimes previous occupants forget to take their permits off the site markers, so it's easy to think the site is occupied. Once you've found your desired site, park(each site has it's own parking spot). Make sure you take a picture of your license plate and remember your site number. Head back towards the entrance of the camp grounds, in front of the info board you'll find the permits you'll need to register for you site, oh yes make sure you have a pen too, and exact change, cause you'll be depositing payment into a slot. I didn't have exact change, and wasn't able to find staff around. I recommend arriving well before evening, so you're not setting up tent in the dark and with bugs. Beautiful meadow view. Restroom well stocked with toilet paper, trash was emptied daily, clean except for the bugs, but what do you expect, it's better than porta-potties, functional soap dispensers and sinks with hot water. What I loved about this campground was that each site has a parking spot and it's own fire pit and some even have benches nearby. You're allowed to burn any downed wood, twigs, pine cones around, NOT TRASH. There are dumpsters around to dump trash. Tons of cute spots to take pictures. One last thing, I have sprint and the reception SUCKED, I was only able to receive and make calls. But luckily we didn't need phone service, just make sure you check the weather & maybe make a make available offline if you're maps dependent.

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.

Our stay at Pinecrest was completely ruined by the camp host…read more We arrived with two vehicles and a small pop-up trailer. Everything was inside our campsite boundaries, and we had a lot of gear with us including two kayaks, a paddleboard, and inner tubes. While we were trying to enjoy breakfast, the camp host unexpectedly walked up to our site and immediately started giving orders. The interaction felt aggressive and unwelcoming rather than helpful. He insisted that we move our small pop-up trailer because he didn't like how far back it was positioned, even though it wasn't causing any issues. He also told us to move one of our trucks despite the fact that we only had two vehicles and both were within the campsite limits. We complied and moved everything as requested. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it. After spending the day at the lake and returning to our campsite, the host came back again and continued bothering us even after we had already made the changes he demanded. The repeated interruptions created tension within our group and turned what was supposed to be a relaxing family camping trip into a stressful experience. The constant scrutiny and confrontational attitude caused arguments among our group and completely changed the mood of the trip. I was so frustrated that I packed up my things and left early. We've camped many places over the years and understand that rules need to be enforced, but there is a respectful and professional way to treat campers. This experience left us feeling unwelcome and disappointed, and it overshadowed what should have been a great trip to Pinecrest.

Amazing camp grounds. about 10 miles down the road from pinecrest and 1000 feet up in elevation…read more(6000 ft total) is the most beautiful campgrounds ever. + only $5 a night!! +14 spots for camping + even though there is only an outhouse and no running water, this one was luxurious. the host adds lavender to the restroom and really makes sure nothing is stinky! what i was once dreading to use turned into a pleasant surprise + fresh creek running/ soothing to sleep to + fire pits/ bbq + 1 picnic table per site + wonderful host named Diane. smile and say hi to her when you see her definitely coming back here.

This place could be nice! But the camp host Dianne harass you the whole time you are there! We are…read moreadults not children Diane! We don't need to be told what time to go to bed. (10:00pm) according to her! We are also waaay over 21 and can drink if we want! We are not stupid and know how to maintain a low campfire. Never in all my years of camping have I come across such Nasty , harrassing , camp hosts. Mind you who are only volunteers and hold no authority at all. I would never reccomend this place to anyone , untill they get new camp hosts!

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.

Small yet popular lake in the Stanislaus National Forest. Very convenient for Bay Area vacationers…read moreas it is only a 2.5 hour drive. I've done a few summer weekend trips here, but as a child. So don't remember many details, just that it was always a blast, camping with a large group and delving into lake activities. As an adult, I've mostly come to this area during the winter/spring months, and that's only because Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is in the same area. But never really knew how close the actual lake is to the ski resort...until recently when I finally did both in a one weekend stint. The actual lake is man-made, it is a reservoir meant to harness water, snow melt is my guess due to the regular snow fall every winter in these mountains. Then PG&E bulit a dam and used this for hydroelectric energy and you can see the raging water on the bottom of the dam if you hike over to that corner. We hiked only half of the lake on a gorgeous clear winter's day. I wanted to hike the entire circumference of the lake, which is only a little over 3 miles, but we had a small child in our group, so we kept it manageable. The trail is well kept and very easy to stay on, not many off shoots to other trails. It climbs in a few spots but nothing too difficult (at least to me). The lake is in view in practically every spot on the trail, so very very scenic and picturesque. Even though a man-made lake, seeing the clouds drift by the snowcapped mountains and all the pine trees all around, that I never felt like it was a man-made lake. Very natural contours and plant and tree habitat. I saw an occasional deer and tons of birds enjoying the sun on an otherwise cool winter's day. Even saw a couple of eagles soaring from the trees to the lake line, may have even been bald eagles as I observed white heads. I didn't have binoculars to confirm, so just a hunch, but it still felt special. Not much activity on the actual lake during my winter visit, maybe just a few people fishing off of rocks near the shore. No one was boating or swimming in these months. But in the summer, it is a much different story, as my memories recollect. Now i want to come back during the summer/fall and do some camping and kayaking. A promise I am making to myself and will surely bring into fruition. Trust.

I got married at Camp Sylvester in April, 2023. It was a wild winter, and there was more snow than…read moreexpected. We originally planned to get married outside in the amphitheater, but it was buried in snow. We ended up using DeBoer Hall for the ceremony, and it was magical! Our guests had so much fun, and everyone said the cabins were warm and cozy. Everyone embraced the feet of snow surrounding camp, and it made for a unique experience. Our camp wedding was everything we hoped for, and we are so glad we found Camp Sylvester. One of my favorite moments was watching our guests having snowball fights and building snowmen on the morning of the wedding. Ken was incredibly helpful in the planning process! All the Camp Sylvester staff were kind and responsive throughout the wedding weekend. I highly recommend you plan an event at Camp Sylvester!

Spent the week here for camp and have to say it was a very nice, well laid out camp. The camp as…read moreyou might expect has the hub for the leader/director to set up shop. Dining hall, bathrooms on both sides of the camp, amphitheater, activity room and of course cabins all named after trees, mine being the "Oak" cabin. Amongst all that are plenty of places to pitch tents all within the boundaries and not to disturb the residents who live around the camp. What I really liked about the camp are the other activities that available like a basketball court (not a full court) but enough to shoot some hoops and a volleyball net. Also the staff who run the camp (outside of our program) were accommodating if we needed additional supplies or had questions about the site. There are also plenty of trees to set up some hammocks and pits to have a fire. The camp is within walking distance to Pinecrest lake which of course is a plus. I enjoyed our time here, my only critique is the bathrooms could use either some ventilation or air fresheners. It was painful to my nose every time I had to go in there. We even tried to keep it clean but the smell was just too strong. Fun camp site otherwise though.

Wanted to try a new spot for fishing. Husband and I came out the week after Memorial Day, and had a…read morelot of fun. Rented a motor boat from the marina and spent 4 hours fishing at the river inlet. As soon as we dropped our lines, the bites never stopped! Came back with 5 keepers . (Free tip: the dam and the river inlet are the prime boat fishing spots) weather was manageable, light rain/sleet off and on over our 3 days there. The Marina staff, and the front office staff, and Serene Bean coffee stand were absolutely amazing! (Emphasis on all of the Marina Staff, Lori and team) We felt like we found a secret gem in the mountains. Everything is within walking distance of our on-site motel, and the lake was breathtaking. Since we went after Memorial Day it was very quiet and peaceful. Thank you all so much for hosting, we will be back again soon!

Enormous well stocked immaculate kitchen. Two nice size bedrooms and large living room. Bathroom…read moretight as is shower stall. Close parking. Pickleball for my DIL. Walk to lake. Bedding and linens impeccably clean. I think it's time for owners to invest in new mattresses. The single bed I slept on cabin 18, was so worn you could feel the innerspring coils. All flooring was clean. Great general store and family style restaurant. All in all I would stay there again if/when they 'spring' pun intended for new mattresses.

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!

I visited for the first time with my friend and our son's.. we stood in the 2 queen chalet #J and…read morewere very happy! The space was plenty, fireplace was cozy and the kitchen was convenient! The snow all over was breathtaking. Views were gorgeous and our boys had so much fun sledding down a hill we found right outside our cabin. The man who checked us in was very nice and welcoming too. For the reasonable price and all we experienced... we will absolutely be back. *the only small downside is that the cabin could have been cleaner. There was lots of dust on the curtains and dirt stains on the kitchen floor, small areas that needed attention... however, again, with the great price offered, it wasn't bad!*

Happy to report this place has done a complete 180. Thanks to Robert the new camp manager he has…read morereturned the Chalet back to its original charm that it once had. No more dirt cabins, it now comes equipped with WiFi, and a smart tv with Roku. There are snacks and smores in the lobby for a small fee. Robert was kind enough to bring us the fire wood. We will sure return based on the changes made here.

Small little reservoir at snow line , lots to do including boating, swimming or hiking and…read morepicnicking