Pinecrest Lake
Stanislaus NF (Hwy 108) · near Sonora / Twain Harte · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Camping · Kayaking & SUP
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Elevation
- 5600
- Campsites
- ~200 sites
- Season
- Summer (May–October)
- Fee
- ~$30/night
- Best season
- June–September · Warmer than higher lakes · Calm and family-friendly
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- Yes
- How to reserve
- Reserve on Recreation.gov (6 months ahead). A hugely popular family lake in the central Sierra, with a swimming beach, easy lakeshore loop, and marina. Showers, RV sites. Books out fast for summer weekends. Seasonal.
- Permit
- No permit. Stanislaus National Forest. Public access and marina at Pinecrest. Day-use and camping available. A popular, developed family lake on the Hwy 108 corridor.
What is here
- Setting
- lake-river
- Amenities
- Family swimming lake & beach · Easy lakeshore loop trail · Marina & boat rentals · Showers
- Best for
- Classic family lake camping
- Features
- Sandy swimming beach · Easy 4-mile lakeshore loop · Boat & paddleboard rentals · Family-favorite atmosphere
- Wildlife
- Trout · Ospreys · Ground squirrels & jays on shore · Waterfowl
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Camping detail
- Camp type
- developed · rv
- Intl tip
- Reserve on Recreation.gov 6 months ahead — books fast for summer weekends. Sandy swimming beach; easy 4-mile lakeshore loop; boat/SUP rentals at the marina. Warm-enough swimming, trout fishing. Showers; RV-OK. Summer only. Family-favorite. On Hwy 108; combine with the Stanislaus high country and Sonora Pass.
Kayaking & SUP detail
- Nickname
- The Family Sierra Favorite
- Water types
- alpine-lake
- Exposure
- sheltered
- Sup friendly
- Yes
- Wetsuit
- Pinecrest (5,600ft) warms more than higher alpine lakes — comfortable summer swimming and paddling. Usually no wetsuit needed in summer; a dry bag is smart.
- Tidal note
- No tides; well-sheltered. The 300-acre lake is calm, warm (for a Sierra lake), and family-oriented, with a marina, a swimming beach, and a 4-mile shoreline trail. One of the most accessible and popular family lakes in the central Sierra.
- Intl tip
- Pinecrest is on Hwy 108 near Dodge Ridge ski area (skiing guide) and the Dusy-Ershim / high-Sierra 4x4 country (off-road guide). It's one of the closest Sierra lakes to the Bay Area. The Strawberry and Kennedy Meadows areas up the road offer more remote alternatives. A great family basecamp.
The guide
Pinecrest Lake is one of the central Sierra's most beloved family camping destinations — a friendly alpine lake at 5,600 feet o…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Pinecrest Lake — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.19, -119.988