Pinecrest Lake

Pinecrest is the lake people picture when they imagine a Sierra summer: a broad sandy beach at one end, granite slabs and pines all the way around, and water that actually warms up by July. It sits at about 5,600 feet in the Stanislaus National Forest, above the town of Strawberry on Highway 108, and it is run as a recreation area rather than a resort — day-use parking, a beach, a marina, a store, and a lot of families who have been coming for generations.

From Arnold it is a genuine crossing rather than a quick hop. You drop down Highway 4 to Angels Camp, run south on Highway 49 through Sonora, then climb Highway 108 for forty minutes. Plan on about an hour and a half each way and treat it as the whole day, not a morning errand.

The trail around the lake is roughly four miles and the best walk in the area for mixed groups. The first half is easy and shaded, following the north shore past coves where the water goes green over granite. The back half crosses the inlet at the far end — a rock-hop or a wade depending on the year's runoff — and then works along the south shore over slabs where kids inevitably stop to jump in.

Most people take two to three hours with swim stops. There is no shade on the exposed sections, so go early or late in July and August, and take more water than feels necessary. The inlet crossing is easiest from late July onward; in a big snow year it can be genuinely pushy into June.

The main beach is at the west end by the day-use lot: shallow, sandy, roped off from boat traffic and shallow enough for small children. The marina rents kayaks, paddleboards, patio boats and small fishing boats by the hour, and the lake has a wake-free speed limit, so the water stays calm enough to paddle across without fighting chop.

The lake is stocked with rainbow trout and holds browns as well; the deeper water at the east end fishes better than the beach. A California fishing licence is required for anyone sixteen or older. Rental availability and day-use fees change season to season, so check with the Stanislaus National Forest and the marina before you drive up.

The honest problem with Pinecrest is parking. The day-use lots fill by mid-morning on summer weekends and holidays, and once they are full you are turned away or parked a long walk out. Arriving before nine, or coming on a weekday, changes the day completely.

Late September and early October may be the best time of all — the water is still swimmable, the crowds have gone home, and the aspens along the inlet turn. By November the lake is drawn down and quiet, Highway 108 is a winter road, and the area becomes a snow-play and cross-country destination instead.

There is very little lodging at the lake itself, and what exists books out a season ahead. Basing in Arnold puts you an hour and a half away with a full kitchen, a grocery store, restaurants and a hot tub for after the drive — and it puts Calaveras Big Trees, Bear Valley and the caverns on the other side of the same stay.