The Pines Resort at Bass Lake, CA

My family and I were recently hosted in collaboration with the rustic Pines Resort at Bass Lake in California near Yosemite National Park. We had a wonderful time and created core memories that will last a lifetime. Our stay was minimally focused on spending quality time together as a family on the resort property, as well as a short excursion to a nearby historical attraction. Throughout this blog you will find some helpful information about The Pines Resort, it’s surroundings, and tips on how to make the most out of your family vacation during your stay.

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The Pines Resort Environment

From the mid-century, the resort keeps up with the era’s rustic charm throughout the property, while being up to date with everything needed for a comfortable family experience. You’ll find lots of wood tones, forest cabin vibes and bear statues! Our stay during April had pleasantly cooler climates, compared to the high temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona where we are from. I suggest packing for cool and warm weather transitioning throughout the day.

The property also has plenty of family friendly amenities such as:

swimming pool
hot tub
fire pits
multiple dining options
small shops
“ice” rink
tennis courts
marina
multipurpose room for family hangouts

A Chalet Experience

For a cabin-like experience, we opted to stay in one of the Chalets with a lakeview. It was one part of a duplex with two and a half levels on our side, separated by a loft on top, living area with full kitchen plus pull-out couch on the main level, and the bottom level with two comfy queen beds and full bathroom. Both levels had flat screen TVs and heating/cooling. The décor theme was rustic and 90’s cabin vibes. We love a good themed room to really make an authentic feeling vacation experience. The cherry on top was the cleanliness and overall safety we felt throughout our stay.

Because our lodging was a big part of our reason for staying at The Pines Resort, we also wanted to make the most of our time inside the Chalet. It was a nice escape from our daily grind and very relaxing overall. Each morning we’d drink coffee cuddled on the couch or checking out the lake views from our balcony. Then we would play some games we brought from home and watch a movie at night. The TV access to most streaming services was very convenient. We also were able to make meals in the full kitchen conveniently purchased from a variety of food and drinks from The Pines Market on the property.

Here are some things we brought to keep us busy in the cabin and keep our trip costs down:

puzzles and books for adults
puzzles and games for kids
favorite toys, blankets, books, etc.
baby gear and play things (small Pack n’ Play, plus baby gate were available on our arrival)
snacks and drinks for the whole family

Bass Lake Views at The Pines Resort

When we weren’t enjoying the low-key cabin life, we were out and about on the The Pines Resort property and taking in all of the beautiful Bass Lake views. There are many options for lakefront views around the resort and our Chalet balcony had a great one. When you are booking just make sure to specify you’d like a lakeview either from the chalet or hotel style rooms. You can get up close and personal with boat rentals at the marina right on the lake as well!

If not, you can always head down to the wedding venue area, swimming pool, fire pits, and even their on-site restaurant, Ducey’s on the Lake. We managed to get lakefront seating up at the historic film spot for the movie “The Great outdoors” Bar & Grill for lunch and a Sunset Dinner in the evening at the main restaurant. Plus, the food was delicious. My dinner choice of salmon, sautéed mushroom mix, and bacon mac and cheese was literally the best meal I’ve ever had. No matter where we went exploring, we always managed to sneak a peek at the beautiful Bass Lake views surrounded by big, beautiful pine forestry.

Nearby Railroad Attraction

Once we had our fill of enjoying some quality family time, beautiful nature views, and the amenities The Pines Resort had to offer, we checked out nearby attractions for an even more memorable vacation. The one that caught our eye, and fit in perfectly with our rustic themed travel experience, was the Yosemite Mt Sugar Pine Railroad less than a 20 minute drive from the resort.

While there, we took a little train ride into the Sierra National Forest on a vintage locomotive, ate some fresh sandwiches for lunch from their Deli, and checked out some more history in the museum. Our personal favorite was the guided gold panning add-on that our daughter experienced with her Dad. She was even able to keep the gold she found, which is an extra special keepsake. We finished out our day trip with a stop at the Toy Depot for a child’s tool set and brick of “gold” sand to break apart for a surprise gem! Definitely add it to your to-do list!

Overall, it was an amazing and fun-filled end to our family vacation at The Pines Resort at Bass Lake, California. I hope you enjoyed reading about it and this blog helps you while planning out your family travel goals.

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