Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge
| Ducey's Lodge | |
|---|---|
 Ducey's on the Lake | |
  Ducey's on the Lake  Ducey's on the Lake | |
| General information | |
| Location | 39255 Marina Drive Bass Lake, CA |
| Coordinates | 37°19′8.32″N 119°33′25.35″W / 37.3189778°N 119.5570417°W |
| Opening | 1941 |
| Website | |
| basslake.com | |
Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge, originally Freeman’s Bass Lake Lodge, is a historic establishment on the northern shore of Bass Lake. Built by Buddy Freeman in 1941, the lodge initially featured a bar, restaurant, and rental cabins. It changed ownership several times before becoming part of The Pines Resort in 1975.
The lodge gained national recognition as a filming location for the 1987 movie The Great Outdoors. A year later, a kitchen fire destroyed the building. Undeterred, The Pines Resort rebuilt the lodge, opening a new facility in 1991, a mile east of the original site.
History
[edit]
Buddy Freeman established Freeman's Bass Lake Lodge in 1941 on the northern shore of Bass Lake, about a mile west of the Pines Village. Initially featuring a bar, restaurant, and rental cabins, the lodge changed hands in 1947, when Jeff Jeffords, Karl Briz, and A.C. Zingle took over. In 1950, Maurice and Marie Ducey bought the lodge, adding a general store, campgrounds, and expanding the collection of Native American artifacts, guns, antiques, and taxidermy.[1] This made the lodge a popular destination for hunters pursuing bear, deer, and quail.[2]
In 1952, the lodge served as the filming headquarters for the movie "Hiawatha".[3] The Duceys later renamed the establishment Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge. Upon their retirement in 1968, Al Westman took over, followed by Dr. Robert and Gloria Rickard a year later.[4] In 1975, the lodge became part of The Pines Resort.
Ducey's Lodge was featured in the 1987 film The Great Outdoors, which was shot at Bass Lake. The movie's vacation cabin set, built at Universal Studios, was designed to resemble the lodge's cabins.[5][6][7]
On June 2, 1988, a kitchen fire led to the lodge's destruction.[8] The complex layout of the building, with multiple attics and additions, hampered firefighting efforts. Four hours later, the slate porch and stone chimneys were all that remained of the once thriving lodge.
Ducey's on the Lake
[edit]The Pines Resort quickly initiated reconstruction plans after the original lodge's destruction, bringing on local architect Michael Karby (AIA/MCRP) to design the new building. They chose a site along the lakeshore, roughly a mile east of the previous Ducey's location, for this new lodge.
Members of the Mono tribe actively participated in the lodge's official opening on April 20, 1991, marking the occasion with a ceremonial dance.
Throughout the reconstruction, the team focused on restoring the collection of artifacts lost in the 1988 fire. Notably, the fire had spared the original 12-foot Ducey's road sign, which now adorns the lobby. The sign is complemented by hunting trophies and historical photographs, collectively narrating the lake's history.
References
[edit]- ^ "Resort Is Sold At Bass Lake". Madera Tribune. 1 February 1950. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ "Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge Ready For Deer Hunters". Madera Tribune. Vol. 62, no. 150. 1953-09-22. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- ^ "Hollywood Uses Bass Lake Longfellow's 'Hiawatha' Story Before Cameras". Madera Tribune. No. 109. 1952-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- ^ "Ducey's Lodge Sold For $350,000 Tag". Madera Tribune. 18 March 1968. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ John McKinney (November 12, 1995). "Wandering Around Bass Lake. Hiking: Southern Sierra Nevada".
- ^ Dee, Jake (August 10, 2020). "10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Making Of The Great Outdoors". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ "Fall's Lake - Log Cabin". The Studio Tour. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- ^ "Fire Destroys Sierra Lodge". The Los Angeles Times. The Associated Press. June 4, 1988. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
External links
[edit]- The Pines Resort owns and operates Ducey's on the Lake.
- Ducey's on the Lake was designed by architect Michael Karby AIA/MCRP