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Pinecrest Lake, California Photos

Pinecrest Lake California is located in the Sierra Mountains at an altitude of approximately 5,500 feet on Highway 108. These Pinecrest Lake photos were taken over a number of years with different technology digital cameras. The photos show the lake in all of its seasons. Pinecrest Lake is a nice place for a family outing with camping and cabin rentals. Pinecrest Lake is stocked with trout and has generally good fishing. Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is about 3.5 miles from the lake.

The Pinecrest Lake resort area has a general store that has everything, the Serene Bean Coffee kiosk, the Steam Donkey Restaurant and bar, and a great snack bar with burgers and ice cream treats. The general store and Steam Donkey are open year round.

The Pinecrest Lake is partially drained each fall to provide room for the spring snow melt. The sloping lake bed turns into a sled run in the winter (but not a very fast one).
This photo was taken on the far side of Pinecrest Lake. You can see the beach area across the lake
Pinecrest Lake is formed by a dam on the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. This picture was taken in late spring showing the Stanislaus River transporting the snow melt. You have to hike or boat to the location but it is worth a trip.
This is another photo of the Stanislaus River heading into Pinecrest Lake in early summer.
This photo shows a small marsh area that forms near the Stanislaus River inlet to Pinecrest Lake.
This is an early winter photo taken from the path above the dam that forms Pinecrest Lake, California. You can see the summer water level from the darker shading on the dam. You can walk down from the far right side of the dam to Strawberry for a good breakfast but you do have to cross some water (about a foot deep in summer).
This is another early winter photo of Pinecrest Lake showing the low water level and exposed rocks that are submerged in summer.
Pinecrest Lake with a heavy winter snowfall. People do hike out to the water to fish.
The Stanislaus River offers many nice pools in the later summer for wading if you can hike up the river course from the mouth at Pinecrest Lake.
This is a photo of the Pinecrest Lake beach in summer. The nearby snack bar has great burgers and ice cream treats. A Mountain Cheeseburger is a meal & a half.
Pinecrest Lake photo in early winter with only a slight snow covering. You can see the boat dock laying on the lake bottom.
The Pinecrest Marina where we dock our boat each season. Boat rentals are available. The lake does not allow water skiing or jet skis so it is always quite tranquil, which we like.