First off, be warned... Getting camping reservations here are EXTREMELY HARD to get and very competitive 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. read more

Our stay at Pinecrest was completely ruined by the camp host. 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. read more

Pinecrest Campground - The campground host involved in the interactions described in this review. - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

TLDR; great campground with many amenities and great recreation We stayed here as part of a cross country road trip. We were planning on camping at Eureka Valley, but last minute decided to stay Pinecrest. This was a great decision! The site was only slightly more expensive. The campground has several restrooms with plumbing, an outdoor movie theater, a beach, several trails, kayak rental, and a few stores. Great place! read more

Ok, so my family has been camping here off and on for over 40 years and boy has this place changed! We arrived on Wednesday night at campsite D138 across from the day-use lake area. Staying until Monday 5 nights. Campsite D138 parking spot had a huge slope so our van was not level at all making it very unpleasant to sleep. Luckily the store at Strawberry had jacks to level it out but still was a little slopped. I guess all the spots by the lake are pretty much sloped. So keep that in mind if you're van/truck/trailer camping. Friday and Saturday rolled around and that's when they offer outdoor movie night which was about 5 campsites from our camp spot. The movie started at 7 and the sound of it was blaring then to top it off several campers decided to blare their music! We had the sounds of country music, rock music, the movie, and Mexican music. That sure was 2 loud and crazy nights!! Surprisingly by 10 pm quiet time, everyone seemed to respect the others and turn everything off. On our first full day, we brought our Kayak to the lake and I guess this time of year (October) they start to drain the lake so we had about 100 feet or more to drag our kayak to the lake and back out. Easy going down but difficult going up in the sand. Had wheels but still very hard to push up the hill slope. Water was warm and the fishing was good. Saw a Bald Eagle fishing on the other side of the lake which was entertaining to watch! The weather was nice and warm during the day with a light breeze. Got cold in the 40's on the 3 night. On our 2nd day, we went to the store to get firewood that cost $9.00 for about 6 sticks. The store was really nice and it has been renovated nicely. They sell steaks from Kennedy meadows that looked good. When we checked out I asked about the showers and he said ever since covid they have been removed but the town of Strawberry offers portable showers for $7.00. I was shocked to hear this! They advertise that the showers are still there when you google them on the map. I don't know why the actual campground does not offer showers for how many people come to this area! Seems like by now after 4 years since covid they would bring back the showers. Luckily it was hot enough that we had toilet wipes and washed our hair, face, and feet under the faucet to get by. I hope in the future they decide to bring the showers back making it more pleasant to camp. I think next time we will come on a Sunday and leave on a Friday for peace and quiet. Plus we will bring our own portable shower unit. Maybe also check when they start to drain the lake. Overall this place is really great for camping and exploring the surrounding area. Just need to be prepared for the ups and downs. read more

Pinecrest Campground - Portable showers in Strawberry - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

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Located in the Stanislaus National Forest, the Pinecrest Campground is within walking distance to Pinecrest Lake, an amphitheater, visitor center, and hiking trails. Amenities for each camp site includes a paved parking pad, picnic table and campfire ring. Overall, the entire campground is clean with ample space within each sites. Our site, E17, is fairly standard, featuring a large boulder and conveniently located across from the restrooms. The only downside to our site was no shade. Our friends were at sites E11, E13, and E14, which is very spacious with plenty of shade, and also within walking distance to the general store. We did the 4 mile trail around Pinecrest Lake. It was fun, but an exhilarating experience once you reach towards the other side of the lake! Some sections are marshy, while others have you going up and down through granite cliffs and boulders. You can even stroll across the dam! Be sure to pack a hat, plenty of water, and some snacks! read more

20 plus years coming here and something changed. 1. At check in the office worker didn't even greet us it was like I was a bother. 2. They yelled at my 75 year old dad for running his generator at 11 am to charge his needed C-pap machine. 3. Every day leaving no worker will even say hi. 4. Generator use is only 3 hours a day and from 8-8 everywhere it's been always 7-am to 10 pm and we had a brute of a lady charge in my campsite all over my stuff yelling at me because my generator was on at 8:12 pm while I was showering I apologized and she still was rude to the point she walked away saying what campsite is this C?!. Then the rest of the trip that oger of a lady can and parked directly in front of my camp to monitor me at 7:59 sharp every night.they do not offer hookups. 5. There is lake front prices then there is robbery. 12 eggs $11 Lake is nice but if you're ok getting hassled and treated bad while patronage to the place then this is your place. read more

Every day is a holiday in Pinecrest, summer or winter Winter is for fun and play. Summer is for adventure, sunshine, relaxation, and cool water that feels marvelous. read more

Close to beach and theatre easy walk to both. boat rental near by. Great place to visit all year round close to DodgeRidge Ski Resort.

I definitely enjoyed coming to this site. Although it was a first come first serve we were lucky enough to be able to pick from at least three or four more sites that were not occupied during the time. It is a $34 per night charge per space. This location does have restrooms with flushing toilets. They also have running water locations throughout the park. Fairly large campground site with a hostess on the location. We found out the following morning that we over paid our stay by one dollar as the Ranger was nice enough to ride around in the morning and return the overpayment to us. This is part of the Ridgecrest/Pinecrest area lovely location lots of people visiting this area. Nice cabin homes here also. I am looking forward to returning soon! read more

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I debated between 4 or 5 stars and decided to call it 4-1/2. Overall, 5 stars for views, cleanliness, friendliness and amenities. The "Cons": -Poor cell service, even with verizon had to sit outside the store after paying $10 for their somewhat spotty internet that only works in that location and not throughout the camps -Difficulty booking campsites as they sell out way early and if you wait too long you've missed another summer -We were there during the week and it was so smokey from all the fire pits burning from early morning and into the night. There was soot everywhere and difficult for anyone with a lung condition. -Camping next to someone that smokes weed all day, again, for someone with a lung condition, it brought on issues and unable to run the air filtration system in my RV due to restrictions on generator use. -Due to the above affecting my lung function, I would reconsider camping on a busy weekend or holiday here as I can only imaging how much more smoke (of all kinds) will be in the "fresh air" -Some very small spaces we drove around to face the right direction to back into our space E5 (which was very spacious, except for trying to park our truck behind the white line we had to get creative). I would call and check before booking spaces to get the length of the blacktop so you don't have issues when you arrive. The "Pros" are plentiful: - Walking distance to a beautiful lake - Super friendly staff at entrance, store, and equipment rental - Beautiful hike around the lake -Clean restrooms We will definitely return, once I figure out how to get a campsite booked before everyone else.. and will definitely stick to mid-week camping. read more

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We love Pinecrest and plan trips not only during the summer but winter time as well. We like to camp when it's a bit cooler and less crowded. This is a beautiful place with great trails and the movies during the summer are a great time for the kids. read more

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Very beautiful drive, however there will more than likely be no service or one bar. They are no showers, but come prepared with options/work around. Very very clean facilities and rangers are very available for any needs you may have. Come prepared with lots of sunblock and shade options for both camp grounds as well as lake days. read more

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Clean campground and fun atmosphere, great time with the family. can't wait to go back. read more

Pinecrest Campground - Lake - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

My first time up to the campground and enjoyed the company I was with. However, I feel that the check in person in the hut needs to address and enforce the rules of the campground a bit better. Also CAMPERS with children who are allowed to run rampant throughout the campground they need to be raised with a little better mannerism of NOT TRASHING BATHROOMS. The bathrooms are super slick when they are freshly cleaned. A light in them at night would be helpful as sometimes nature calls at 2am Especially with young kids who do not feel comfortable with going to them alone or even with a flash light. The rules state that over night parking is up at the front near the entrance of the camp ground. However upon talking with the checking in ranger they stated the over night parking had moved to a mile away. It would be nice if there was a pathway from the long term parking to the campground loops instead of walking around on the sometimes busy road. The spaces do show that they are not for the new owners of a trailer and have never backed into a spot before. There are plenty of chances for Rangers/Reservationist and Campers to forsee the potential issues are. While waiting for the other half of our party we witnessed a gentlemen attempt to back in to the spot next to us and he was not able to make the trailer which was easily 30feet and his truck safely into the spot. He ended up taking the spot across from us which was one of the spots belonging to someone else in his group. Having clearly defined rules on size limit of Truck & Trailer would probably have helped this individual greatly. As well as knowing if his Pop out would hit a tree- although he had no problems stomping down a couple of baby trees in his making sure his pop out was able to move. The camp ground it self is what the campers make it. Also a nice walk from B loop to the lake for day use. Please be mindful when camping. Pack it in- Pack it out. read more

I returned here for the first time in a few decades over this past weekend. My family used to go here all the time when I was a kid (which was several decades ago). My daughter wanted to try camping so we booked and went for two nights. We had site A27. Loved it. It was spacious and since it was on the outer loop we had a huge site with much more privacy than we expected. The grounds were clean and well maintained. There was staff driving around enforcing the rules. Our last morning I saw someone from the campground knock on an RV door and make them turn off their generator as it was outside the allowed hours. Great for those who are sleeping in tents. We plan to go again in the fall and will definitely stay here. I have AT&T and the there is no service, but I didn't expect any. A short walk to the lake. Definitely check it out. read more

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This campground has it all except for showers. Bathrooms were generally clean. The general store, restaurant and marina have everything you need for a super fun filled weekend. My husband and I were able to take our young kids to watch a movie at the amphitheater. They were showing new movies like Top Gun and a Pixar kid movies. The kids loved the boat ride and swimming in the lake. I really liked the hike around the lake even though we didn't make it very far read more

Pinecrest Campground - Boating on the lake - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

I've been coming to Pinecrest for 25 years. It's a beautiful campground next to a big lake with picturesque mountains in the background. For a kid there is no better place to ride bikes around , make friends, and just run free exactly like kids should. Even though I lost some negatives, it's still a magical place and I will continue to take my family there. The culture of this place has changed tremendously in the past 20 years. It used to be a very family oriented campground. Now it's mainly groups of non campers setting up barbecues and loud music on the beach and surrounding the lake. Yuppies have taken over thie campground place and there are tons of 100k trailers and a lot of Patagonia clothing everywhere. All in all, I don't think I've ever felt unsafe here and everyone says hi to you. Check it out, I'm sure you'll end up going back. read more

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Get reservations because everyone knows this is a great place to camp. Right near the lake and all of the opportunities for outdoor fun.

Campground was clean & so were the restrooms. We enjoyed the lake. They have the marina where you can rent boats & kayaks and e joy on the lake. read more

Pinecrest Campground - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

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I stayed at Pinecrest May 3rd weekend. Campsite A017. The campsite itself was great, I was able to hand up a hammock. However the campsite next to me was a tad bit close, but not too shabby. I was able to watch the meteor shower without any issues. I did notice they didn't enforce dogs on leashes since I had a few dogs come to my campsite, they weren't bothering me but it just seemed weird to have dogs roam around. They definitely had owners since I saw where they ended up going. The washrooms were nice, they had garbage cans close by. It was also nice to have a restaurant and store in walking distance. One night I decided not to cook so I walked to the restaurant and had a steak. read more

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Been camping here for over 50 years, fantastic place to bring family! Camping, beach area, you can rent pontoons, fishing boats and kayaks, great hikes, outdoor movie theater showing first run movies, snack stand on beach, serene bean coffee shop and steam donkey restaurant! My only negative comment - replace the old campground bathrooms with the same type of day use bathrooms, it's time and not doing this should not be about $, place is packed all summer long every year! read more

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Fantastic campgrounds! Roomy sites with lots of shade and sun. Bathrooms are clean but some don't have working lights at night. No power at sites for trailers. Clean water is located throughout. Garbage and recycling bins within walking distance. General store is across the street from the check in point. Showers are located in a trailer in store parking lot. $5 gets you 12 minutes. Tokens are purchased in store. Outdoor amphitheater is great and they play movies at night. Movies are $7.50 each and they sell snacks and drinks. Dogs are not allowed in the fenced area at the lake but can be at the far end outside of the area. read more

Where can I start!! Our site was so pretty so close to the most gorgeous lake!! All the staff is so nice and so accommodating!! All the stuff you would need is right there, general store, supply store, Marina with boat rental!! We loved it and will be back read more

Pinecrest Campground - Pinecrest lake - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

The close proximity to the lake is nice. The CONSTANT barking of dogs is infuriating. Dog owners who can't keep their dogs quiet should leave them home. read more

This campground has the advantage that it is not as long a drive up into the Sierras as other camps are. It does have all the various attractions of Pinecrest Lake within a moderate walk, and it is among the pine trees up in the mountains. Reservations are available via recreation.gov and in fact must be made perhaps six months in advance; if you come to the kiosk at the front, you might get one of the less desirable campsites for one or two days unless it is a holiday weekend in which case good luck. Our campsite B25 illustrated some of the issues: regulations that were widely ignored included campers that made noise until 2 a.m. after the 10 p.m. quiet hour; excessive running of generators beyond the prescribed hours; and teenagers running through the campground driveways at high speeds on skateboards. As noted by others, there are no lights in the restrooms, but I found that an electric LED lantern reflects on the walls which lights up the entire room. There is one flush toilet. B25 had a moderately large clearing in the trees which allowed me to charge the solar camping lanterns and the power pack for cell phones. However, there was no cell phone service all the way from Long Barn up to the Sonora Pass. I guess that the coverage map from our cell phone carrier no longer is an accurate map. However, a security guard at the campground told me that I would have cell phone service if I had been using Verizon. We did get wifi by driving three miles up the mountains to the Dodge Ridge ski area parking lot. Our 8 x 14 large tent had difficulty getting into the campsite. The only place to put it had two stumps in close proximity, one of which messed up a guy wire. Another tree blocked the best half (performance of the tent zipper, you know) of the entrance to our tent. All that was the best we could do, given the rocks and the trees, and the fixed location of the picnic table and fire ring. Using the ability to put in an 8 x 14 tent as one major issue, I rated many of the campsites in the B Loop, as follows: B1: D B2: D B3: C B4: B B5: A B6: A B7: A B8: B B9: A B10: A B11: B B25: C (our site) B26: B B27: D B28: B B29: A B30: A B31: C C1: B There are movies at the amphitheatre, which currently cost $7.50 per head admission. At first, we didn't know they were charging since we walked in from the day use area. We left when they said to display a ticket purchase indicator, but some generous lady jumped up and gave us one as we were leaving. We stayed 5 minutes and then left. The following evening we came and watched the feature (high-end cartoons) about the secret lives of cats and dogs. I would have liked for it to be about the big dog and the small dog learning to like each other instead of an action-packed, noisy presentation about many types of animals running through the sewers. Obviously, you want to stay warm even if it turns cold during the movie; at least they had the good sense to make money by offering cups of hot chocolate at the end for $3 each. read more

Pinecrest Campground - Site B25 offers one area with plenty of sun to charge camping lanterns and cell phone power pack. - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

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Love love love camping! As long as there are warm showers easily accessible and actual toilets I can sit on...i'm good! *This girl does not dig holes!!* Lol! Pinecrest has been my home away from home during summer months year after year. My daughters and I have been camping here....just the 3 of us....since they were 2 & 3 years old! Their dad is not the type to get dirty (Hello! I know you're reading this!) so we would leave his ass at home and enjoy the beauty of nature without him! There are 5 different sections .....a,b,c,d & e and honestly 95% of the sites are great! We do have our favorites (no, i'm not telling you so you can beat me to them!) but would not hesitate to grab any available site since they do book up pretty fast! All sites have a picnic table and fire ring and most sites are pretty spacious with some being a little bigger than others. The restrooms are cleaned daily in the mornings so that's a good thing! Some have lights & outlets & others do not so be sure to take a flashlight in the evenings. Each restroom also has a little sink outside for washing dishes which comes in very handy! Our stays have always been pleasant and we've never had any problems with theft or obnoxious & loud, out of control people. I think the most annoying thing is being the unfortunate neighbor of 'fake' campers in RVs lol who run their generator all day and all night which can sometimes interrupt my mid day nap! ;) The price to camp here has increased steadily over the years and is now at $21.00/night. For the opportunity to take in natures beauty & make lasting memories with my baby girls it's a small price to pay so no complaints here. If you plan on camping for more than a couple nights I strongly suggest booking in advance online otherwise you may be disappointed once you show up and they tell you to go kick rocks! Now go get dirty! No girl likes a sissy la la! :) read more

Pinecrest Campground - Chillin - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

The only campground for our family ...that is of course if we are lucky enough to nab a spot. This is a very popular place to camp and folks tend to "overbook" a window that they may want to camp in if they're not sure of the dates they may be able to go ...which is why the website has it booked fully and when you go there are many vacant sites that have been reserved and paid for ....totally bad manners on people's part ....this is why the saying "I hate people" was penned. That should really be addressed but it seems that the park's stance is as long as they get paid they could care less.So if that person is you slap yourself for me. That said this campground has it all .... big sites that can accommodate 3 tents easily and two cars in the driveway no problem. The general store has pretty much everything you need that you forgot or ran out of including decent bottles of booze and wine.There's a post office,restaurant and post office ....and a small tackle shop that has everything you need to fish or be out on the water.The food at the restaurant the "Steam Donkey" is not bad at all ....good steak there. The lake is great. We rent a party boat every year and putt over to the far side of the lake with cooler,small grill,hot dogs/etc. and spend the day just chilling out jumping off the rock ledges on the other side ...some close to 30 feet high !! The trout fishing is always good as the lake is well stocked in early June.We also LOVE the trail around the lake that takes around 2 hours to complete....definitely a mid level hike so bring water,power bars (beer ...shhhhh) and enjoy ! There is a amphitheater that plays first run family movies at night ....love that.Just head down there with the kids,blankets,flashlight,chairs(bench seats are'nt that comfy),bottle of wine or some beers and snacks and enjoy the movie ! There is a snack bar there as well. What else can I say ?! You will love Pinecrest ....if you can score a sight!! Oh ...there are also property rentals here ...almost forgot ! I think you can find them on Pinecrest's site. Get here ! read more

This is a great place to go GLAMping. They have it all - a little grocery store with all the necessities, a lake with tube & boat rentals, and even a bar/restaurant. I came here with a group of 8 and we got 2 sites right next to each other (A37 & A38). They ended up being in the middle of a bunch of sites, but we situated our tents in a way that blocked most other campers out. Even though online it said we needed two spots, which we did pay for, we loaded into one cause it was so huge. We rented a pontoon/ party boat for all of us and went fishing for half the day Saturday. This is a must do. We brought our lunches out and they have a umbrella cover that you can cover half the boat with if its too hot, which is a nice amenity. Going out on it was amazing, and you really get to see the whole lake this way. No, we didn't catch any fish :( CONS: The campsites are pretty open and I didn't see many that were secluded. The bathrooms near us didn't have a light, so at night you had to balance a flashlight in there to see anything. The second night we got smart and went the other direction to a different bathroom that had a light and was much bigger. Weird that some do and some don't... Also, if you decide to shower note that they are in trailers, which I have no idea how they do that. ($5) Overall, a really fun place to go camping if you want all the necessities just a couple minutes away in the car. read more

Pinecrest Campground - pricing for boat rentals. I highly recommend the "party boat" for groups. - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

I don't know where to start this since this place is such a part of who I am and of my family. I have been coming to pinecrest for 38 years. This place hold so many memories. And here lies the problem. Those memories do not compare to the state the camp ground is being managed or run. It has slowly declined. For starters the parking lots use to be over night, now they are all day use only. What the F*CK??!! The camp sites allow for six people and you can only have two cars per site, so what do you do with the possible third car. Apparently park far away. That's right you now have to park near meadow view and walk back to the campsite. What the hell dodge ridge. So the parking lots are empty all night. And if you do leave them in the day use parking you will be ticketed or towed and as the ranger at the campground entrance said "most likely towed." I meet my family up at pinecrest now that I'm an adult and have to work. My parent bring their motor home and their tow car but now I'm stuck parking a mile and a half to two miles a way and hope I'm in the right parking site. Now the bathrooms. With the price that we pay per site why has the lights in the bathrooms been taken out. They use to have a light on all the time then had one on a motion sensor then one that was like a candle on the motion sensor to not having one at all. How is that at all ADA compliant and how is that supposed to make people feel safe going to the bathroom? I get that camp fees have been paying for all the repaving and new "no overnight parking" signs but how about putting a solar system in on the bathrooms so a motion light or two can be in the bathrooms for at night? The camp sites are the usual some small garbage in the dirt. I won't stop my yearly visits here since I am now sharing my memories and making new with my kids but dodge ridge needs to step up the game a little and not limit the parking lots and fix the camp ground bathrooms. read more

Pinecrest Campground - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

Camping is always a ton of fun. It's helpful if you're prepared. When we camped here in 2013, it was in early May and it was cooler than we had expected it to be. At night, the temperatures dropped pretty low (40s), and my entire camping party were freezing in their tents. The hubby and I were as snug as a bug in a rug in our Grizzly double sleeping bag. It's a pain in the arse to pack and load because it's so bulky but it was definitely worth it once darkness fell. Cuz sleeping in the cold sucks. There were LOTS of families with young kids. Most of them hung out at the lake all day. Our initial plan for the trip was to rent a pontoon but since it was so brisk during the daytime, we didn't even bother, lol. But the lake was gorgeous and so blue. The boys went fishing a few times and caught a couple fish out by the dam, so I guess there are some out there. Not quite sure how the levels of the lake are now, since this review is 2 years overdue. read more

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Love love love it here. Spent many summer vacation camping here for our family reunion. My grandparents used to take my dad and uncles to pinecrest when they were kids. And i definitely plan to continue that on. Love the general store and sports store. But make sure you stop by the snack shack! Word of advice take away a few feet on their rv length unless you are experienced with a trailer. Ive seen people struggle time and time again. read more

Love Pinecrest and have been coming here for years! I will say in the most recent years and specifically my last trip (Sept 2019) there were drivers who were completely unaware of what an appropriate speed should be through a campground. Pinecrest needs to post a speed limit throughout the campground loops, include in camping reservations and remind at check-in. It's very scary to watch your children riding bikes on the campground roads where drivers think it's appropriate to go 15 miles an hour! Also the yellow jackets are a huge problem kids in our group get bit every year this year eight people got bit and there was a ground hive in our trailer site read more

In general this is a very nice campground with a lot of trees and a "country" store and "restaurant" more or less across the street. However, we camped here in the middle of the months for two days (May 2021) and the bathrooms were not cleaned during this period. In addition the garbage containers were running over and thus the ravens were very happy - messy, but happy. However, we have stayed at this campground before and this will not stop us from coming back. It would be nice if they had showers. read more

Great for families. Pass for adults. Let's start with the good. This lake is gorgeous with lots to do as far as paddle boats, hikes, water activities as well as every amenity you can think of. It's also dog friendly along the left side of the beach past the marina. A definite plus. The bad... well, this place was obviously great for families for all the reasons above and for those reasons, it was like camping on a elementary school playground. It wasn't exactly the quiet and serene experience that many people look forward to when they go camping. We had the baby crying all hours of the day and night, children screaming at the crack of dawn, and the constant sound of car alarms. Cal's Lair of the Bear Alumni camp is across the meadow and they like to shout on their megaphones first thing in the morning to get their activities going so if you were thinking maybe it'd be quieter during the week than the weekend, not really. A suggestion would be that if you'd like to enjoy the lake but don't want to encounter what we did, go up the road to other campgrounds that are first come/first serve to possibly avoid some of the crowd. Yes, it is a longer drive to get to the lake but it's probably well worth it. read more

I've been coming here for the last 16 years of my life. Cant say enough good things. Its a beautiful campsite with plenty of trees. Pet Friendly on leash. Each site has a fire ring, picnic bench to eat on, and bathsrooms(no shower) close by. The best part though is Pinecrest Lake. The view is awesome and just relaxing to look at. Go for a swim, or get catch some rays on the beach. There is also a conveinence store really close if you forgot anything including firewood. They sell booze/beer, and just about everything else you need. There is even a restaurant/bar for burgers and other lite fair. I've stayed at various sites, and never had a problem with privacy. They are all pretty awesome. read more

Pinecrest Campground - Campground Map - Parks Near Me - Pinecrest, California

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The campground has a lot of things to do and explore. Each camp site has a asphalt drive way, a picnic table and fire pit. The toilets are flush and there is a sink for water and dishes next to the bathrooms. Reservation is a must, if you plan to camp outdoors in the summer. There are many places to explore around the campgrounds: restaurant, general store, art gallery, lake and trails. A bike is very useful, if you can bring it by car. There are no black bears around the campgrounds. read more

I have camping at Pinecrest since I was born and both my parents have been camping there since they were kids. This place isn't just a campground it's years and years of wonderful memories. Coming back every year is like coming back home. It is definitely a family campground but I don't have kids and we always have a great time. It's great to relax and if you want to explore the surrounding area it has beautiful, secluded areas that are awesome for hiking or day trips. The only complaint is in the past years trying to get reservations (and you have to have reservations or you will be turned away) is harder than getting back stage passes to a Rolling Stones concert. We have to book 6 months in advance and even then you rarely get a spot because they go so fast and if you do get a spot it's terrible. I miss the days of first come first serve. I love going here but it's almost becoming impossible to get in!! Love you P-Crest but you should really make it a lot easier for people to come and enjoy. read more

Honestly last trip was the worst. I go twice a year for the last 5 years.Group of young girls showed up blasting music, vulgar language all night. Called the number, no one was there, and no one enforced the rules so for two nights straight they just kept doing it until they left. Hopefully they fix it in 2019. Don't wanna stop my memories here but why come if I'm just gonna be miserable. read more

We love camping in the Redwood and Sequoia trees but Pinecrest was an exception. We stayed there for the Labor Day weekend and we loved every moment. Our site number was C2 and it was very spacious but we slept on a slope. We have a 6 persons dome tent and there was nowhere else to park it. Don't get C2 as there's really no flat ground for your tent. It was a cancellation so we didn't have a choice. We were lucky we got in! The campground was extremely nice and shockingly quiet for the long weekend. There are restaurants, a general store and another store where you can buy your swimming and fishing stuff all in close proximity to the campground. Firewoods are $7.51 a bundle. Pinecrest Lake is absolutely beautiful and clean. You can buy food right at the lake or have a BBQ onsite. We rented a party boat one day and a motor boat the next day. The boat was nice to have as you can drive away from shore to avoid the heavy crowds. The reason I'm giving this place 4 stars and not 5 is because the shower is quite horrific. It's $5 for 12 minutes. Tokens only which you can get at the general store. You have to use up all $5! My family spent a total of $20 for our showers for the duration of our stay. It's a must to shower if you've been in the lake. Oh, if you're closetphobic l you wouldn't do well in the showers. The stalls are very small. Other than the shower, this place would've gotten 5 stars from me. Pinecrest campground should be on your bucket list! AND..........Don't forget to bring warm clothes and a heavy jacket for balmy evenings. It will drop down to the low 40s! Pack your beanie and gloves, too! You'll appreciate them ^_^ read more

If your bring a trailer over 20 ft , the roads in campground are really narrow and very difficult to get around. There are trees in the way and you will hit them. They need to chop down trees near roadway. Some campsites are really difficult to put trailers and RV'S in. Before choosing a campsite on line, take a scouting trip and check out sites you'll save yourself some grief. Ariel campground so that is to be upgraded, read more