Pinecrest is an unincorporated community in the Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County, California, United States.

Pinecrest is a community of USFS Recreation Residences authorized by the United States Forest Service under the Occupancy Permits Act.

In the beginning the purpose was to divert water via ditches and flumes to the mining claims in and around Columbia and the foothills.

Prior to the California Gold Rush of 1848 anthropologists agree that the first inhabitants of Pinecrest were the early bands of native Me-Wuk.

Scattered throughout the forest you can still find evidence of ancient grinding rocks used by the Me-Wuk in areas assumed to be their campsites.

Nearby, is the Dodge Ridge Ski Resort which brings in many people from all over Northern California during the snow season and Pinecrest Lake.