About Glory Hole Recreation Area
Number of accommodations: 135
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Pet friendly
RV Utilities and Hookups
- Dump station on site
Water Access
- Lake Access
- Marina
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Rates, Sites & Availability
135 Sites Available
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Site Details
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135 Sites Available
No available sites
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Reviews (431)
What Guests Are Saying
Glory Hole Recreation Area is highly praised for its peaceful, clean environment, with spacious campsites and well-maintained bathrooms, including free showers. Many visitors enjoyed the beautiful scenery and wildlife, along with excellent hiking opportunities nearby. While some noted issues like long grass and noise disturbances, overall, the campground is considered a great place to relax and camp, with friendly rangers and convenient amenities.
What Guests Are Saying
Glory Hole Recreation Area is highly praised for its peaceful, clean environment, with spacious campsites and well-maintained bathrooms, including free showers. Many visitors enjoyed the beautiful scenery and wildlife, along with excellent hiking opportunities nearby. While some noted issues like long grass and noise disturbances, overall, the campground is considered a great place to relax and camp, with friendly rangers and convenient amenities.
Review Summary
Steve B
VerifiedJune 25, 2023 • Stayed at: 112, Loop: Big Oak 90-112
Showers and bathrooms were always closed.
Thr dumb station was a drive to tuttletown.
Robin W
VerifiedJune 24, 2023 • Stayed at: 137, Loop: Big Oak 133-144
My only two complaints about this lovely spot with the amazing lake and water fun, is that 1) there are no showers—come on! And 2) if you enjoy quiet camping or simple tents and stuff like we do, the massive RVs and their loud generators running till 10pm can be a pain.
Steve R
VerifiedJune 23, 2023 • Stayed at: 057, Loop: Ironhorse 45-59, 80-89
Nice to see the lake back to normal levels.
James K
VerifiedJune 23, 2023 • Stayed at: 127, Loop: Big Oak 113-132
Well laid out site with room between each camp. Our seemed to lack a picnic table and fire pit. We did discover them way behind the site (127). The men's shower took quarters but did not work for me. I did hear other showering so I'd like to know the trick to making it work. A large family group came it to several sites next us and did not heed the 10pm quiet hour.
Isabella L
VerifiedJune 20, 2023 • Stayed at: 054, Loop: Ironhorse 45-59, 80-89
Beautiful lake if you have a boat. I have rented a boat on New Melones lake multiple times and love it. This is the first time I camp and it wasn’t the best experience. First off beach access is very hard to find. We rented a boat which was amazing but it was impossible to find any beach access. I also brought my dogs which was a mistake because there were fox tails and sand spurs. Which made it very hard for the dogs to walk around. Campsites are also pretty small and ground is very slanted.
Steve D
VerifiedJune 17, 2023 • Stayed at: 098, Loop: Big Oak 90-112
We love this campground and the local area. Our campsite was ok, not the best we have had here but not too bad either.
Lemon tree Coffee in angels Camp and Big Trees State Park in Arnold. Grab a bite to eat in Murphy’s.
George A
VerifiedJune 13, 2023 • Stayed at: 127, Loop: Big Oak 113-132
Copy of reservation was attached to the front post so no hassle getting the site. Site was clean, the surrounding weeds hadn't been cut down yet which allowed the deer to feed closer than normal. Perfect time and water temperature for the bass to be very active. Was awakened in the morning with the sounds of bass pushing the minnows into shore and attacking them. They were so shallow their backs were visibly out of the water and of course the minnows were creating a quick water splash sound, The bathroom was very clean and the shower was hot and free. One of the best times I've had here.
Nicholas L
VerifiedJune 13, 2023 • Stayed at: 061, Loop: Ironhorse 1-7, 23-44, 60-69
Glory Hole Recreation Area is a beautiful campground located on the shores of New Melones Lake in Calaveras County, California. The campground has 144 campsites, most of which have views of the lake. There are also several hiking trails in the area, as well as a boat launch and a marina.
The campground is open year-round, but it is most popular during the summer months. The campsites are all reservable online, and there are a variety of different types of sites available, including RV sites, tent sites, and group sites.
The campground has a number of amenities, including flush toilets, hot showers, drinking water, and a dump station. There is also a camp store that sells groceries, snacks, and camping supplies.
The campground is located in a beautiful setting, and it is a great place to enjoy the outdoors. The lake is perfect for swimming, fishing, boating, and water skiing. The hiking trails offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains and forests.
Overall, Glory Hole Recreation Area is a great place to camp, hike, and enjoy the outdoors. The campground is well-maintained and has a variety of amenities to make your stay enjoyable.
Here are some pros and cons of Glory Hole Recreation Area:
Pros:
Beautiful setting
Variety of activities
Well-maintained
Amenities
Cons:
Can be crowded during the summer
Some campsites are close together
No hookups for RVs
Overall, I would recommend Glory Hole Recreation Area to anyone looking for a beautiful and fun place to camp.
Shannon B
VerifiedJune 10, 2023 • Stayed at: 069, Loop: Ironhorse 1-7, 23-44, 60-69
Bathrooms near our campsite were locked. The port a potty was full and not emptied despite our complaints.
Jessica P
VerifiedJune 8, 2023 • Stayed at: 138, Loop: Big Oak 133-144
We set up a pop up badminton net and started playing in the only area available on the site and two ant hills caved in and there were a million huge ants almost covering the entire section down the hill. It got a little scary. There was evidence that ants have been a long time problem as you could see all the holes they’ve had to backfill. This area needs to be treated. It put a big damper on our camping activities at site #138.
Location Glory Hole Recreation Area
Address:
Glory Hole Recreation Area, 6503 Whittle Ranch Road
Angels Camp, CA, 95222
United States
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.
Glory Hole Recreation Area is accessible via State Route 49, which is approximately 10 miles away, providing connection to U.S. Route 50 and other regional roads.
Latitude & Longitude: 38.0075 / -120.54
Elevation: 351 feet
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
3PM
Check out time
2PM
General
- PLEASE HEAD STRAIGHT TO YOUR CAMPSITE UPON ARRIVALThere will be a reservation tag and 1 or 2 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) with dates visible. Contact a Park Ranger if you have any questions.
- At New Melones Lake there is a 14-day camping limit within a 30-day period.
- The recreation area entrance gate closes at 9:00pm. Vehicle entry after the gate is closed is prohibited. Exit at any time.
- During quiet hours, loud noise is prohibited. Excessive noise (audible beyond 50ft) at any time is prohibited.
- Camping fees include boat launch and day-use fees. Two vehicles are permitted in standard campsites. One vehicle is permitted in walk-to sites. All vehicles must display a campground vehicle tag or an overflow vehicle parking receipt.Vehicles must remain on paved roads and parking spots. Off-roading is prohibited.
- Campfires are only allowed in fire rings or grills in designated areas. Campfires must be attended at all times and extinguished completely before leaving.Campers may collect only dead and down wood for campfires. Chainsaw use is not allowed on property.During National Weather Service "Red Flag Warning" days and facility fire bans, wood and charcoal fires will not be permitted.
- All pets must be on a maximum six-foot (1.8 m) leash at all times. Leaving your pets unattended is not permitted.
- The dump station is out of order at this time.
- While recreating at New Melones Reservoir: CLEAN, DRAIN, and 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/
- 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
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Last updated: June 5, 2026
