California / Tuolumne County

Tuttletown Recreation Area

Closed — Tuttletown campgrounds and boat launch are closed from October 1 through March 31 for seasonal maintenance and resource recovery. Glory Hole Recreation Area remains open year-round. When open, entrance gates operate daily from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.

About

Tuttletown Recreation Area is located at New Melones Lake on the Stanislaus River in California's Mother Lode region. The 12,500 surface-acre lake sits at 1,100 feet elevation and is surrounded by 100 miles of shoreline with foothill oak woodlands, rolling hills, and steep marble cliffs. The area receives around 600,000 visitors annually who enjoy diverse recreational opportunities. The recreation area includes three campgrounds: Acorn, Chamise, and Manzanita, offering 161 total campsites. Twenty miles of hiking and biking trails provide access to excellent lake views and natural features. The Heron Point Trail is an easy 1.7-mile path with lake vistas, while more adventurous visitors can explore nearby attractions like Natural Bridges, a unique series of marble caves with a creek flowing through them, and Table Mountain, showcasing an extensive lava flow from over nine million years ago. Water-based recreation is the primary draw, with activities including fishing for various game fish, boating, water skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, sailing, swimming, kayaking, and canoeing. The lake can hold up to 2.4 million acre-feet of water. Due to invasive golden mussels found in the Delta, boats must participate in a 30-day seal and quarantine program before launching. Hand-launch vessels like kayaks and paddleboards with no gas motors are exempt. The area is surrounded by historic gold rush towns, Yosemite National Park, state parks, and other Sierra Nevada attractions.

Directions

From Sacramento take Highway 99 South, 88 West and 12 East to San Andreas. Take Highway 49 South for approximately 20 miles. Turn right onto Reynolds Ferry Road and follow it 2 miles to the recreation area. From the Bay Area take Interstate 580 East to 205 East to Highway 120 East in Manteca. Continue on 120 East, then take 108 East to 49 North. Turn left onto Reynolds Ferry Road and follow it 2 miles to the recreation area.

Nearby Campgrounds