My husband and I stayed at the Pinecrest Chalet last weekend. It was a wonderful romantic get away. From the minute we pulled into the parking lot we felt "at home." The staff who checked us in were friendly and welcoming. Our cabin was neat and tidy and so cozy! We took a walk through the resort and down to the river. The whole area was clean, well kept and it smelled so good and piney. We took our canoe and spent a few hours on the lake. It was beautiful. The lake and the lake campgrounds were very busy. It was nice that we only had a few minute drive back to our peaceful resort and quiet cabin. The time away with my husband was awesome, but I can not wait to take our family and friends back! read more

We just got back from a weekend at Pinecrest Chalet and Camp Lair and had a great time. The staff was super nice and our cabin was very comfortable and clean. We stayed in the log cabin which is one of the nicer and larger units - but worked out great as we shared with my sister's family. 2 nice baths and nice kitchen. Price was great. read more

Very Dirty and overpriced for what it is.....several of us in the party in different cabins, experienced these things: bed sheets were dirty, heaters didn't work, food still in the fridges from previous guests, mouse droppings in drawers, dead mice in mouse traps, mold in showers, along with visually unappealing carpets, plumbing and paint. No one at the front desk before/after certain hours. It is not cheap to stay at this place so at least the rooms should reflect the price, but instead it is overpriced and under serviced. Has the potential to be an amazing destination but not under the current management. read more

We stayed in the romantic "Honeymoon Chalet" -- our very own little cabin among the beautiful trees. Costs were reasonable and the room was clean. Kitchen was equipped with cooking and eating utensils (enough for two people!). Situated close to both Dodge Ridge Ski Resort and Pinecrest Lake. Also located near a "neighborhood" store that is packed with lots of creature comforts and amenities that you may need during your stay. We got "snowed in" during our stay, but we had a fabulous time! Looking forward to returning to this beautiful place! read more

As long time Lair campers, the Chalet is an amazing place to get your Pinecrest fix all times of the year. The working staff has great energy and are so enjoyable to hang out with. The staff works very hard to assure that everyone is comfortable and happy and will do whatever is needed. The cabins are very homey, comfortable and well kept. With such a great area for either ski bunnies in the winter or adventure seekers in the summer the Chalet is perfect for any season and every activity! read more

The ground level unit we rented (1G) was horrid. There were issues with things not working---broken blinds, broken screens, broken lamps. The kitchen was very poorly equipped. Worst of all, there was a horrid odor. The setting is wonderful and if U.C. can bring these units up-to-date and in working order it would be a great place. read more

We had our wedding here this month. The venue is amazing. The staff is amazing. Highly recommend!

The owner could not find the reservations upon our arrival so perhaps this was a sign....... No electricity or running water because of a power outage. All the food I brought went to waste and we had to eat out. The owners made NO effort to communicate and share any power updates. Certainly they must be used to storms. It is insulting that they leave a broom for us to clean up give the prices we paid. Other folks near us were also very unhappy. The office needs to be much more customer friendly. First time it was like this and I won't be back. read more

Horrible. We stayed in Cedar. The sheets hadn't been changed in either bed. They were filled with hair, forest debris and stains that looked like body fluids. I went to the office and they were nice enough to come immediately and change all of the sheets and bedding. While they were doing that we tried putting our groceries away in the kitchenette only to find that all of the drawers and cabinets were filled with mouse droppings. They offered to move us but when we looked at the alternative it was even worse. Since it was late we decided to stay. We went to the store at the lake and bought cleaning supplies, bleach, gloves, paper plates, plastic utensils. We bleached and cleaned all of the counters, stove, (which was also covered with hair) dining table and any pots, pans and utensils we were forced to use. We then left them out on the clean surfaces and did not put them back in the disgusting drawers and cupboards. It wasn't until the next day that we discovered there were also mouse droppings along the walls on the floor, mouse traps under the beds and the couches. The day we were leaving we heard a snap and looked under the bed to see that we'd just caught a mouse in a trap. The shower was also disgusting, with a brown skummy film all along the bottom and partially up the sides. There was also dried spaghetti on the walls. The manager was a nice guy and gave us a gift certificate equal to the amount I had paid for the chalet. We were attending a wedding there and that is the only reason we stayed the 2 nights. Since I have no intention of going back I gave it to the Bride, hoping it might help her out since there were many other complaints similar to ours. I feel like I should report them to the health department and I might still do that. Would not recommend at all!!! Too bad because I think the place has a lot of potential and the wedding was beautiful!! read more

This place was great. Reasonable price for the amenities you get and even totally booked the place felt quiet and peaceful. The man and woman who seemed to run the place were wonderful. I went with my wife and our two kids and anytime I leave my san francisco bubble I get a little nervous about how people will respond to us. They were lovely, treated us fantastic and I will definitely make this a family destination for us for many years to come. Thank you! read more

To start with the positives. The trees, creek and trails were awesome. Our cabin however was a different story. We paid $275.00 per night and were put basically in dirty basement like cabin. To be fair it was a holiday weekend so you would expect to pay more. But our place smelled like mildew. The light fixtures were missing bulbs. The towels old and the swimming pool dirty on the bottom. It was recently purchased by cal so hopefully they can turn it around... read more

I have been here many times throughout the past 6 years. It has been under new ownership the past few years owned by Cal Berkley Alumni and they take care of this place much better, we have had no trouble with RV hookup since. The place has cabins and RV spaces - no tent spaces. They gave us free wood which was nice, It wasn't free before. They also have free wi-fi thru most of the grounds. We always have a good time here, love the creek that runs thru it. read more

I stayed here on a Saturday to go back skiing the next day. They were very nice and let me have a nice cabin at a great rate at the last minute (Saturday @ 5pm). The cabin was great, very cozy, with great amenities like a DVD player and a good library of movies in the office. Friendly staff, great setting, and very comfortable room. Highly recommended! read more

We have been coming up to Pinecrest Lake for the past 6 years. This was our first time not taking our travel trailer and staying at the Pinecrest campground. Boy what a little gem this place was. Dog friendly, great staff, clean and most of all the setting was so beautiful and relaxing. We can't wait to come next yrs. read more

Our family just spent three nights in a mini-chalet. We loved it and will be back again next month. The access to Dodge Ridge can't be beat. The accommodations are simple, comfortable and in good condition. It was really convenient have the full kitchen and my kids had a great time on nature walks around the property. The manger was very welcoming and told us a lot about the local history. He also recommended two tasty restaurants within a few miles - the Steam Donkey and Mia's. I agree with the previous review - a trip to Pinecrest Chalet is what California is supposed to be like. read more

Beautiful cabins near Pinecrest lake! We just stayed there in the 'off' season (March), and we had a wonderful experience. We stayed in one of the larger cabins (N), and we were very comfortable. Enjoyed the full kitchen. Lovely grounds, staff was very accommodating. Will stay here again! read more

We recently spent a family weekend here for the first time and loved it! We arrived Friday afternoon, checked in, went skiing at Dodge Ridge on Saturday and checked out Sunday. The host and staff are great. Love the low key, down to earth atmosphere. The cabin we stayed in was for 2 adults/1child. DVD player/small television (after all - you are there for the great outdoors - not the TV!), dorm refrigerator w/small freezer, microwave. It's like a home away from home. Clean. Reasonable priced. We will definitely return again!!! read more

Have stayed at the Pinecrest Chalet in April for the last two years. We bring the whole family (8 adults and 5 kids). We were in one of the 4 bedrooms units and it was plenty roomy for the group. The kitchen is well stocked with cooking items. We ski at Dodge Ridge and it was great to come back to a cozy place with a fireplace. They provide free wood. There was plenty of hot water and the unit was clean, beds were comfortable. They could use a bit more attention to icy surfaces....particularly near the office. read more

Staff is very accommodating. Nice clean room. We could park in a reserved space right next to our cabin. Close to Pinecrest Lake and Dodge Ridge ski area. Really enjoyed our stay. Would definitely stay here again. read more

Just had a nice overnight stay with the kids to enjoy the snow! Mark and Ashlee were welcoming and helpful, I had to work while the kids played and they went above and beyond to accommodate so we could all enjoy the stay! The kids and dogs loved it and we will be back for longer next time! read more

We stayed for a week in July 2014. Our until was horrible and I'd likely never go there again unless I could be guaranteed one of the brand new units for bigger families. In general, the outside area was fine - it had a run down kids' play ground and tar basketball court with deflated basketballs and footballs available and ancient iron horseshoes. However, the pool is very nice, so if you had a new unit and went straight to the pool or stayed in your RV you'd probably be fine. But unit G left A LOT to be desired. First off, it was built into a hill so our two-bedroom "townhouse" was actually below ground,making it incredibly dark all the time. The overhead lights (those that worked) had huge decaying bugs in them, and the kitchen light was totally broken and couldn't be fixed. The carpet and bathrooms were also gross - after years of melted snow and being beaten down by ski boots and having beer spilled on it, the carpet was frayed and puke brown colored like it had been there since 1986. The kitchen lacked even the most basic things like a cork screw or a sharp knife, or a serving spoon, as well as more than one pot and pan. The stairway to get down into the unit consisted of a metal grate for snow to come off boots, so our toddler couldn't walk on it and neither could our senior guests. In fact, it was completely inaccessible to my mother in her wheel chair. She couldn't walk down the stairs, so we had to go around back - but couldn't because on one side, someone had placed a picnic table in middle the cement walkway, and on the other side, a car was parked that extended over it. We basically had to push her around the car onto the dirt hillside to get in the back door. Every day we had to go to the office and ask for light bulbs, garbage bags, and whatever was broken or not working that day. Unit G felt like a frat house the day after a big party - I can't believe we spent almost $300/night for it.. We're not coming back - our VRBO the next week was just so much better for the same price. The two stars are for the great location near Pinecrest Lake, the free laundry, and the fact that the college kids who work there were really nice and apologetic about how gross our unit was for a family with small children and seniors. read more