Pinecrest Christian Conference Center

Stayed up here for a Advance (our version of a retreat) and it was more than expected the people were friendly the accommodations were very nice and they recently got a new navy cook that apparently is making some great food. The food was great and the portions were perfect. There was nothing they did not leave out. This place is remarkable and if you want a place to hold your conferences this is the place. They try an do whatever they can to help make your stay pleasant. The location is only a few miles outside of Arrowhead so they shopping is very nice and the location is perfect. Enough out of the way to feel like you are in the mountains but close enough to shopping to appeal even to the most outdoorsy types. I will be returning again, Thank you Edward and Silvia for your spectacualr service!

Not gonna go to this place again
1. Mess hall needs soda fountains not juice fountains
2. Less hiking spot
3. This place is small
4. REALLY REALLY REALLY!!! Adults get a nice place while the cabin smells like a sweat shop
5. No wifi
6. Nothing anything fun (i.e. gun range, horse riding, and amazing stuff)
Not coming back here id prefer the palomar camp in san diego.
The reason i gave two star is the food.

Amongst the local Christian camp sites, Pinecrest is definitely one of the best out there. Our church has been using Pinecrest for our Glory Camp retreats and other various summer camps for 10 years and we keep coming back
Last week, we were up there again for a retreat and whilst we normally are given use of their main conference area and dormitories, this time, we had to use their Lakeside facility with their lake condos. In the many years i’ve frequented Pinecrest, this was actually the first time i’ve ever seen/​used the Lakeside area
It’s situated on the southwestern portion of the property after the entrance and it is easily viewable as you enter from Hwy 189. The lake itself isn’t that big (or swimmable), but it adds a nice picturesque view. There was a different children’s summer camp towards the end of ours and they had canoe activities available. The chapel has two rooms available: the main room at the 1^st floor and a smaller area upstairs. The dining area is attached to the same building and since there is only a dishwashing room, the food is brought in from their main kitchen
The lake condos are rustic and adequately furnished. If i remember correctly, they’re actually owned by families and are let out for rent. There are beds (including rollaways), sofas, kitchen and bathrooms. Kevin L was right about the carpet and the floors creaking LOL. One thing i do enjoy about Pinecrest is that their tap water is connected to local aquifers, so you can actually drink the water
One of my favourite aspects of Pinecrest is their food. Most campsites that do offer meal services kinda just taste… bleh. Although it isn’t 5-​star dining, to me, Pinecrest’s food is tasty and plentiful. My particular perennial favourite there is their roasted herb chicken with rice pilaf dinner. Yum :)
Overall, the entire property is kept clean and well-​maintained. You’ll usually not encounter many problems, but the staff are there in case you need something. The only reason why i rated a 4 because the A/​C system where we were using wasn’t working well all the time and the weather wasn’t exactly pleasant during our stay. But other than that, i am happy to go to Pinecrest

I spent the week here with my sixth graders for their Outdoor Science School trip. The camp itself wasn’t as hard to find as I expected (even though there was incredibly thick fog surrounding us for the whole trip up the mountain). The teachers stayed in the condos and they were nice. Both were three story buildings with five rooms each. There was a slight hotel atmosphere to the condos upon walking in. On each of the beds was a set of towels for the room’s inhabitant. Our condo had a large living room with a big screen TV (though the remote didn’t work the one time we tried to watch it, the rest of the time we didn’t even think about watching TV). The rooms on the first level were spacious and shared a bathroom. I stayed in the second floor room, right off of the stairs and the living room and kitchen. The bed was nice a firm, great for me because of my back problems. There wasn’t a vent in my room, so it was a good 15 – 20 degrees colder than the living quarters (all of the rooms were like that). The bedding was warm so I really didn’t notice the cold unless I was out of bed. There was also a bathroom on the second floor. I can’t rate the kitchen because we didn’t use it. After one of the teachers left, I took over the loft. It was huge! I think that this was the only room with heat (being a loft, it was open so the heat from the living quarters made it up to the loft).
the carpet is old and worn and you can hear every step your condo-​mates make. Personally, the condos were a perfect example of a cabin in the woods. When I think ‘cabin’, I think worn out carpet, creaky wood floors underneath, many bedrooms, and great views of the wilderness. I view all of this as a positive.
The rest of the campsite was great too. Being in the condos, we were the furthest from the mess hall. The students stayed in the bunkhouses and were an average of a 2 minute walk from the mess hall, gym, and chapel. We were an average of a 7 minute walk from the mess hall, not bad if you ask me.
The camp was run by Arrowhead Ranch Outdoor Science School the week we were up and they were all great.

OVERALL RATING = ⁹⁄₁₀
*note: This review’s primarily for the Lakeside Building + suites only.
The LOCATION = 8
I believe it’s @ 3000 feet in altitude so it’s not that high up. The drive’s about 20 – 25 minutes from base of the mountain depending on traffic. But it’s high enough where you’ll see snow.
The FOOD = 8
Healthy and very decent. Compared to what I’ve had at other conference centers, I can’t complain.
The SUITEs
View = 7
Bed/​Bedding = 5
Bathrooms = 7
Heaters = 9
Kitchen = 5

The PARKING = 7
Plenty right in front of the suites.

The ATMOSPHERE = 10
You’re in the mountains in the midst of a forest. There’s a small lake behind the Lakeside Building.
The SERVICE = 9
They do their best to provide hospitality. They fixed the hot water tap when we asked them to. When we forgot to bring our checkbook to pay, they understood and let us mail the check to them (They weren’t happy about it of course, but were understanding).
The APPEAL = 10
We’ve been coming here every winter for the past 4 years. I always look forward to coming back each year.