Glory Hole Recreation Area, New Melones Lake

Facilities

The campground provides modern amenities like flush toilets, showers and drinking water. Visitors will also find a full-service marina, boat launch, day-use areas, barbeque grills and a fish cleaning station. There is an amphitheater for Ranger programs and horseshoe pits in the Ironhorse campground. Picnic tables and fire rings are provided at each campsite.

Recreation Area entrance gates close at 9:00 PM, and open at 4:00 AM. Exit gates are never closed.

Natural Features

New Melones Lake is located in Northern California between the historic gold rush towns of Sonora and Angels Camp. The terrain varies from rolling hills to steep marble cliffs, and the vegetation consists of oaks, Ponderosa pines, chamise and buckbrush shrubs.

Visitors can experience the beauty of New Melones by hiking the many trails in the Tuttletown and Glory Hole Recreation Areas.

The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. For those who wish to venture outside the main recreation areas, there are many unique places to visit. Overall, the geography is quite varied and provides many opportunities for all types of recreation.

Recreation

Hiking, fishing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, boating, sailing and road and mountain biking are just a few of the activities available in Glory Hole Recreation Area. Camping is also permitted in designated campsites. Equestrian trails are also present in the Peoria Wildlife Mitigation Area and open for the general public. Other interesting sites include Natural Bridges, which can be accessed from Parrott's Ferry Road and has a nice hiking trail and a creek that flows through a marble cave. The Table Mountain Trail provides visitors an opportunity to hike to the top of an extensive lava flow which occurred over nine million years ago.

Recreation Sites

Standard Nonelectric
Rv Nonelectric
Walk To
Management
Overnight

Activities

Day Use Area
Wildlife Viewing
Hiking
Fishing
Interpretive Programs
Camping
Boating
Biking
Birding
Jet Skiing
Kayaking
Mountain Biking
Non-Motorized Boating
Paddle Boating
Star Gazing
Swimming
Water Skiing
Swimming Site
Water Access

Amenities

Accessible Campsites
Accessible Flush Toilets
Accessible Parking
Accessible Showers
Amphitheater
Boat Ramp
Boat Trailer Parking
Campfire Rings
Coin Showers
Dump Station
Entrance Station
Fish Cleaning Stations
Flush Toilets
Host
Lake Access
Marina
Non-Potable Water
Paved Parking
Pets Allowed
Picnic Area
RV Parking
Trailheads
Vault Toilets
Water Spigot

Nearby Attractions

Glory Hole Recreation Area is surrounded by many places of natural beauty including Natural Bridges, Camp Nine, Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest, Moaning Caverns, Big Trees State Park and Columbia State Park.

Angels Camp Museum, Calaveras County Museum and Sonora Military Museum also provide great opportunities for learning interesting information about the area.

Surrounding communities are popular vacation and retirement destinations and provide necessary services and shopping opportunities. Golfing, snow skiing, river rafting, commercial caves, historical railroad and Native American museums are close by as well.

Getting Here

Latitude

38° 0' 27.0000" N

Longitude

120° 32' 25.0001" W

From Sacramento take 99 S, 88 W and 12 E to San Andreas. Take 49 S for approximately 15 miles. Turn right onto Whittle Ranch Road and follow the road 2 miles to the recreation area.

From Central California and the Bay Area take 80 E, 580 E then 205 E to 120 E in Manteca. Take the exit for 120 E/99 N. Continue on 120 E, then take 108 E to 49N. Turn left onto Whittle Ranch Road and follow the road 2 miles to the recreation area.

Need to Know

The entrance station is closed, please proceed to your reserved campsite. There will be a reservation tag and 1 or 2 hangable vehicle tags clipped to your campsite's post. Please leave the reservation tag on the post and place the vehicle tag(s) inside your vehicle(s). Please find a Camp Host or Park Ranger if you have questions.

Recreation area entrance gates close at 9:00pm.

Vehicle entry after the gates are closed is prohibited. Exit at any time.

All vehicles must stay on paved roads and parking spots.

Two vehicles permitted in standard campsites. One vehicle permitted in walk-to sites. All vehicles within the campgrounds must display a campground vehicle tag OR an overflow vehicle parking receipt.

Check in time is 3:00pm. Check out time is 2:00pm.

Switching campsites after check-in is not permitted. Please contact a Park Ranger.

The dump station is an additional $8 for registered campers or $4 for Senior/Access pass holder campers. Please pay using the automated fee station at the park entrance or by paying on Recreation.gov.

Camping fees include boat launch fees. Please ensure your vehicle is displaying a valid vehicle pass in your vehicle.

Campfires are only allowed in fire rings or grills in designated areas.

During National Weather Service "Red Flag Warning" days, wood and charcoal fires will not be permitted.

At New Melones Lake there is a 14 day camping limit within a 30 day period.

Showers are located in each campground and are $0.50. Please bring your own quarters.

If New Melones Lake elevation is below 870', boat ramps are not available. "Water front" campsites may also not be available. Park maps depict an elevation around 1050 feet.

Current lake elevation: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryMM?Stations=NML&SensorNums=6&End=2021-07-19&span=1+month

While recreating at New Melones Reservoir:

CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY boats and any other recreational equipment that comes in contact with water. Never dump unwanted bait, worms, fish parts or other organisms into the water. For more information visit https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/

STOP THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES. REMOVE plants, seeds, animals and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicles. CLEAN your gear before entering and leaving the recreation site. STAY on designated roads and trails and use local firewood. For more information visit https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/