The Historic Pines Resort in Bass Lake, CA

With a Sierra National Forest setting on the shores of beautiful Bass Lake, CA, The Pines Resort is a quintessential mountain hideaway and recreational haven in Central California. The mountain retreat, just 17 miles from the southern gate of Yosemite National Park, offers rustic lodging in two-story Mountain Chalets, Lakefront Suites and a waterfront house. Our beautiful resort features iconic restaurants and lounges, a marina with water sport rentals, a shopping village and market, a lakefront wedding gazebo, tennis courts, a swimming pool, fitness room and a spa. Walking distance of Bass Lake, the resort has been in numerous movies and TVs shows since the 1930's.

Celebrating a colorful history spanning four decades, The Pines Resort is the heart of Bass Lake Village, a mountain community that grew up on the banks of the lake, originally called the Crane Valley Reservoir. With an elevation of 3,400 feet and measuring 4½ miles long and ½ mile wide, Bass Lake is a recreational playground for fishing, boating and water skiing in the spring and summer months.

The Pines Resort of today dates back to 1977, when two business partners purchased some rustic cabins on the shores of Bass Lake, CA. They started renovations designed to transform the property into a full-service, year-round destination, and The Pines Resort was born. The legendary resort has welcomed generations of families and business and leisure travelers. But, Bass Lake, and the resort it inspired, where a mountainside meadow just a century ago.

While we retain our quaint charm and character, there's nothing old fashioned about The Pines Resort at Bass Lake. Updated guest rooms and amenities, contemporary dining, recreational activities and a calendar of special events create the perfect destination for family vacations, corporate groups, sightseeing tours and romantic getaways.

Bass Lake On Film

The natural beauty of Bass Lake has attracted Hollywood's creative eye for generations. Movie and television directors have brought stars to Bass Lake, California and our Yosemite area hotel since the early 1930s. The 3,400 foot elevation of Bass Lake attracts Hollywood film crews to the scenic "high country" lake as a background year-round. Bass Lake has also been filmed for auto commercials for Cadillac, Honda, Chrysler and Isuzu and Mark Harmon did two Coors commercials at Bass Lake. We are so photogenic, that USA Today named us one of the "Top 10 places to lodge yourself in a movie." Click here to see the article.

If you've seen these movies and TV shows, you've seen Bass Lake on film!

"Carnival Boat" - This 1932 action-melodrama about a logging camp starring William Boyd and Ginger Rogers was filmed at The Pines Resort in 1932.
"Leave Her To Heaven" - This Academy Award winning film was shot at Bass Lake in 1945.
"The Great Outdoors" - The crew spent six weeks filming at Bass Lake in 1987 and there's a scene with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd at the Pines Bar.
"Meatballs 4" - This movie with Corey Feldman made great use of Bass Lake for its lakeshore scene.
"Mouse Hunt" - The Bonnie B Ranch near Bass Lake hosted the cast and crew of "Mouse Hunt", released in 1997 with Nathan Lane. The big old house was erected near Bass Lake for exterior shooting.
"The Giant of Thunder Mountain" - This film co-starred area resident Richard Kiel - known for his powerful "Jaws" character in the James Bond 007 films.
"Haiwatha" - The shores of Bass Lake were the backdrop for this 1957 feature film.

Bass Lake Location Filming and Photo Shoots

The Pines Resort is the perfect filming location for motion picture, television and commercial projects. 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 [email protected].

Here are some key notes regarding our camera friendly site

Privately owned resort, 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 endorsement, expertise and support for all projects.
We are within a 5-hour drive from Los Angeles, with easy proximity to Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI) and Merced Regional Airport (MRE).
We are 14 minutes from Yosemite National Park, with year-round highway access to the southern gate.
The Pines Resort offers a lakefront, high-country, forested setting - only 3,400 feet above sea level - and summer scenes can be shot in spring or fall.
We offer quaint mountain-style chalets, lakefront suites, a charming two-bedroom house and one waterfront estate home for backdrops.
Our resort's historic bar, market, gas station and Marina evoke a small-town, 1970's era aesthetic
Crew/Cast accommodations, meals, hospitality and security services can be arranged with special rates.

Pet Friendly Resort - Our Policies

The Pines Resort welcomes guests traveling with their dogs. We know that pets are a big part of your family, and take all measures to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of our guests traveling with their pets. We ask that you read our Hotel Pet Policy and agree to the terms and conditions when booking our pet-friendly rooms.