Location Filming | The Pines resort, Bass Lake, California, CA

Our Yosemite Hotel & Bass Lake on Film

The natural beauty of Bass Lake has attracted Hollywood's roving eye for generations. Movie and television directors have brought the stars to Bass Lake, California and the present day site of our Yosemite hotel since the early 1930s.

Thanks to the 3,400 foot elevation of Bass Lake, Hollywood can use the "high country" lake as a background nearly year-round. Many film crews have shot "summer scenes" at Bass Lake, CA during the fall and winter.

In fact, we are so photogenic, that USA Today recently named us one of the "Top 10 places to lodge yourself in a movie." Click here to see the article.



		The 20th Century Fox Academy Award winning film, "Leave Her To Heaven" was shot at Bass Lake in 1945 and starred Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain and Vincent Price.
		House facade set that was built on the shore of Bass Lake for "Leave Her To Heaven." Photo: Dwight Samuels Collection
		Film crew shoots a scene from "Leave Her To Heaven" in 1945. Photo: Dwight Samuels Collection
		The video cover for "The Great Outdoors."
		The late John Candy (L) and Dan Aykroyd at the Pines Bar in a scene from "The Great Outdoors" written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch.
		The 150-member cast and crew of "The Great Outdoors" spent six weeks filming at Bass Lake in 1987.
		At left is a ticket from the sell-out benefit screening of the film at the former Ponderosa Pines Theatre at Bass Lake.
		"Meatballs 4", written and directed by Bob Logan, made great use of our lakeshore scenes.
		"Meatballs 4", starred Corey Feldman and Playboy centerfold Cristy Thom (Second from Right).
		The Bonnie B Ranch near Bass Lake hosted the cast and crew of "Mouse Hunt", the 1997 release from Dreamworks SKG studios, which starred Nathan Lane and Lee Evans.
		The big old house in "Mouse Hunt" was erected at the Bonnie B Ranch near Bass Lake for exterior shooting.
		"The Giant of Thunder Mountain" co-starred area resident Richard Kiel - known for his powerful "Jaws" character in the James Bond 007 films, and long time movie actor, Jack Elam. In addition, Foster Brooks, Marianne Rogers and Noley Thornton were filmed at a variety of locations around Bass Lake.
		Richard Kiel and Jack Elam in "The Giant of Thunder Mountain."
		The shores of Bass Lake were the backdrop for the 1957 feature film, "Hiawatha."
		Scenes from “Carnival Boat,” an old-fashioned action-melodrama about a logging camp starring William Boyd (pre-Hopalong Cassidy), Ginger Rogers and Fred Kohler were filmed at The Pines Resort in 1932.
		Auto commercials have been produced in and around Bass Lake for Cadillac, Honda, Chrysler and Isuzu.
		A Wells Fargo Bank commercial was filmed just above Bass Lake.
		Mark Harmon, shown at left, did two Coors commercials at Bass Lake. One in the popular series of Bud Light "I Love Ya Man" beer commercials was also shot at the lake.

The Pines Resort welcomes inquiries regarding serving as a location for motion picture, television and commercial projects.

Also, we are pleased to recommend local resident Dwight Samuels, as a top resource for historical photographs of Bass Lake, CA and The Pines Resort. Dwight has an extensive collection of more than 200 original negatives spanning 1860-1960. For photo reprint inquiries, he can be reached at lakenew@sti.net.

We are a privately owned resort (no county, state or federal permitting required); with significant experience and an excellent reputation with film, TV and photo crews.
We work closely with Dave Wolin, Executive Director of the Yosemite/Madera County Film Commission and have his full endorsement, expertise and support for all projects.
We are within a 5-hour driving distance from Los Angeles, with easy proximity to both Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI) and Merced Regional Airport (MRE).
We are located just 14 minutes from Yosemite National Park, with easy year-round highway access to the southern gate.
The Pines Resort offers a prime lakefront, high country forested setting – yet at only 3,400 feet above sea level, summer scenes can easily be shot in spring or fall.
We offer a unique collection of quaint mountain-style Chalets, deluxe lakefront Suites, one small two bedroom house and one waterfront estate home that can serve a wide variety of backdrop needs.
Our historic onsite bar, market, gas station and Marina buildings evoke a homey, small-town, 1970's era appeal.
Crew/Cast accommodations, meals, hospitality and security services can be easily arranged, with favorable rates.

Photos, artwork, studio titles, logos and other trademarks used on the basslake.com website are copyright protected and are the property of their respective owners.