Pinecrest Day-Use Fees On Supervisors Agenda

Published Feb 9, 2026 9:42 am

Photo by: BJ Hansen

Sonora, CA — The idea of implementing a new day-use fee for visitors at Pinecrest Lake will be discussed at Tuesday’s Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors meeting.

The board is hoping to gather feedback from the public. The goals of the proposal are to improve public safety, visitor experience, and the quality of life in the Pinecrest basin.

Slides prepared ahead of the meeting note that there are 352 regular parking spaces available and 42 for vehicles with a boat trailer. The proposal drawn up ahead of the meeting lists a potential charge of $18 on the regular spots and $28 for the larger areas (boat trailers). That scenario, once fully implemented, would bring annual revenues of just over $1-million to the county. The money could be used for things like expanded patrol and enforcement services within the Pinecrest basin.

The proposed dates for the fees are May 31 through September 15.

Some of the other items on Tuesday’s agenda include discussing a potential restructuring of the Library, Parks, and Recreation Services divisions of the county, and a lease agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the South Shore Campground at Lake Tulloch.