Sunday, October 4, is the last day of The Forks Resort's 2026 season. The restaurant is open 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for one more day. Miller's Landing closed its grill, ice cream fountain and store on September 27. From Monday on, nearly every dated event and most of the posted evening dining at Bass Lake runs out of one place: The Pines Village, at 54432 Road 432 on the north shore. That schedule runs heavier on weekends than the summer one did.
The last Forks Burger of 2026
The Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce calls Sunday "your last Forks Burger of the 2026 Season." The family menu, the shakes and the store all close when the season ends. This spring, Visit Yosemite | Madera County named Leslie Cox as owner of The Forks and reported that 2026 is the family's 85th year running it. The same report gave no sign of an ownership change, so next spring should look familiar.
On the south shore, the summer season is also over at the public campgrounds and day-use sites. The Forest Service lists Forks Campground with operating hours of May through September. Its Recreation Point Picnic Area page also lists May through September and currently shows the site as closed. Wishon Point Campground is also marked closed.
So the restaurant counter, the store shelf and the last weekend crowd all wrap up within about a week of each other. After that, the north shore is the only stretch of the lake with a full public calendar.
The north shore runs on two schedules
The Pines Resort's restaurants now post hours updated October 2, 2026, and those hours split the week in two, with limited menus on weekdays and winter menus on weekends.
- Ducey's on the Lake, breakfast: Monday through Friday, 7 to 11 a.m., limited menu. Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to noon, winter menu.
- Ducey's on the Lake, dinner: Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 8 p.m., limited menu. Friday and Saturday, 4 to 8:30 p.m., winter menu.
- Ducey's Bar & Grill: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., limited menu. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., winter menu.
Compare that with The Forks, which served from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day until this weekend. From Sunday through Thursday, the Bar & Grill now closes at 4 p.m., and Ducey's downstairs dining room is the main posted dinner option on the lake. On Friday and Saturday, both stay open until 8:30.
The smaller Pines Village spots are harder to pin down, so call before you go. A local dining directory lists the Pines Village Bakery/Pizzeria at 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in the off-season, but the listing has no date. The same directory lists Nurture Coffee + Eats as open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., without saying whether that holds through winter. The Marina Bar & Grill gives May 22 through September 7 as its season and currently shows "HOURS: TBD." The Pines Bar page posts hours only for June through September.
The same weekday-light, weekend-heavy pattern shows up in the event calendar below.
The calendar from here to midnight on December 31
Every dated event below is at The Pines Resort or The Pines Village except one, the Halloween paddle, which takes place on the water.
- October 18: Wine and Design at Bass Lake, on the Gazebo Deck.
- October 23 to 25: The Pines Village Arts & Crafts Fair, with handcrafted jewelry, artwork, candles, woodwork and treats.
- Saturday, October 24: The 10th Annual Bass Lake Halloween & Fall Carnival in The Pines Village. Plans include lawn games, a dunk tank, inflatables, trick-or-treating through the village, a costume contest for ages 0 to 12, food, music and a beer garden. The resort's event page lists 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but its own blog post says 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., so check the time before you go.
- Friday, October 30: Community Golf Carts 'n Treats in The Pines Village. Line-up starts at 6 p.m. and the decorated-cart parade begins at 6:30.
- Saturday, October 31: The Witches & Warlocks Annual Bass Lake Halloween Paddle at 5 p.m., open to paddlers of any ability in any human-powered craft. Costumes and decorations are encouraged.
- Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving at The Pines Resort. Choose from a buffet in the Lakeview Room, a three-course meal at Ducey's, or a take-and-bake option to heat at home.
- Friday, November 27: Jingle Bash in The Pines Village. Festivities start at 6 p.m., the parade at 6:30 and the Spirit of Christmas Tree Lighting at 7.
- November 27 to 29: The Holiday Bazaar at Bass Lake at The Pines Resort.
- Saturday, November 28: The annual Bass Lake Christmas Tree Lighting and holiday celebration. It's free, starts at 5:30 p.m., and includes a float parade, pictures with Santa, a bike raffle and a craft fair. The float parade and Santa's arrival are at 6:15, the tree lighting at 6:45, and Santa photos at 7.
- Friday, December 25: Christmas Day Brunch at Ducey's, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Thursday, December 31: New Year's Eve at The Pines, with fireworks at midnight.
The Chamber also lists a "Bass Lake Halloween Carnival" in The Pines Village on October 31. The resort and Visit Yosemite | Madera County both put the 10th annual carnival on October 24, and the October 31 listing gives no further details. Treat the 24th as the carnival date and confirm the 31st before planning around it.
Two stretches carry most of the season
Look at where the dates fall. From October 23 through October 31, the village has the craft fair, the carnival, the golf-cart parade and the paddle, all within nine days. From November 26 through November 29, the four days of Thanksgiving weekend bring the holiday dinner, Jingle Bash, the bazaar and the Saturday tree lighting.
Those two stretches account for eight of the eleven dated events above. Most of them land on a Friday or Saturday, the same nights Ducey's and the Bar & Grill stay open until 8:30. In between, from early November until Thanksgiving, nothing is on the calendar. If you're planning a dinner out, hosting family or bringing visitors up to the lake, the late-October week and Thanksgiving weekend have the most going on.
Thanksgiving weekend also has two separate tree lightings on back-to-back nights. Friday's Jingle Bash includes the Spirit of Christmas Tree Lighting at 7 p.m., and the Chamber lists a contact named Amy for that event. Saturday's lighting is run by The Pines Resort, which describes it as its annual Holiday Market & Celebration on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2026 they're separate events, so you can go to one or both. If you want to enter a golf cart, Friday has the cart parade; the resort's Saturday event has the float parade.
What stays open away from the village
The lake doesn't empty out entirely. Lupine Cedar Bluff Campground is listed as open all year and is operated by California Land Management. Recreation Point Group Campground is listed as open year-round, with day-use hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Bass Lake Water Sports and Boat Rentals says it operates year-round. It has listed off-season hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Its contact page advises calling first because rental hours change in the off-season, and that page is several years old.
Miller's Landing's restaurant and store are closed for the year, but its cabins can still be rented year-round. The resort advertises a 20 percent discount from September 15 through May 15. That's useful if relatives are coming for Thanksgiving weekend and your guest room is already full. Miller's 2026 season ran March 27 through September 27, so the grill and ice cream counter should reopen in late spring.
If you own a vacation rental at the lake, it helps to know that guests arriving after October 4 will find most dining and events in The Pines Village. Put the weekend hours and the two busy stretches in your guest guide, and point weekday arrivals to Ducey's limited menus or the Oakhurst options down the hill.
At Tchukon Shanks, we help Bass Lake owners update guest guides and pricing for the off-season, from the first quiet weekdays in October through the Thanksgiving rush. If your rental's fall calendar or your listing still describes the lake as it was in August, schedule a free consultation and we'll update it with the dates above.
