Central California Area Office

Glory Hole

Glory Hole Recreation Area is located off of Highway 49, on Whittle Rd., approximately 16 miles (25.7 km) northwest of Sonora and 4.7 miles (7.6 km) south of Angels Camp, California. This recreation area has 2 campgrounds, 4 day use areas, 2 boat launch areas, and a marina. Payment is required to use this facility.

Park Rules

All visitors must comply with Reclamation policies listed under Title 43: Part 423 and Part 429.

All Federal, State, and County laws and regulations apply. Violators will be fined and / or trespassed accordingly.

Park Visiting Hours

For your safety and security, the access road to the Glory Hole Recreation Area is closed at night. Gate times vary by season as shown below:

Dates	Times
April 1 – Memorial Day (May)	close 10 p.m.; open 4 a.m.
Memorial Day (May) – Labor Day (September)	close 11 p.m.; open 4 a.m.
Labor Day (September) – September 30	close 10 p.m.; open 4 a.m.
October 1 – March 31	close 9 p.m.; open 4 a.m.

Marina

New Melones Marina offers several different options of vessels, watersports equipment, and boat slip rentals for your recreational needs. They also offer fuel and a convenience store so you can enjoy your time on the lake longer. For more information, visit their website.

Trails

Tower Climb: Parking for the trailhead is located along Whittle Ranch Road, approximately 1/4 mile (0.4 km) beyond the Glory Hole entrance station. There is a restroom at the trailhead, but no drinking water. This challenging 1.3 miles (2.1 km) trail is popular with mountain bikers due to its several switchbacks and 400 ft (122 m) in elevation change.

Carson Creek: Parking for the trailhead is located at the junction of Angels Creek access road and Whittle Ranch Road. This moderate, 2.3 mile (3.7 km) trail connects to the challenging Tower Climb trail, and offers beautiful views of New Melones Lake and shoreline access.

Gold Rush: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Angels Creek swim beach and at the Carson Creek Trailhead Parking Area. This moderate, 2.2 mile (3.5 km) trail follows the shoreline along Angels Creek access road and ends near campsite 70 in Ironhorse Campground. Warning: The section running alongside Angels Creek access road may be overgrown due to low foot-traffic, please use caution.

Frontier: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Buck Brush Day Use Area and at the Carson Creek Trailhead Parking Area. This moderate, 2 mile (3.2 km) trail runs parallel to the Angels Creek access road, and provides hikers and mountain bikers with a trail connecting Glory Hole's southern trails with its northern trails. Near the Buck Brush Day Use Area this trail becomes forested with sheltering manzanita, oak, and pine vegetation as it begins to merge with Buck Brush Loop.

Angels Creek: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Buck Brush Day Use Area and at the Angels Creek Boat Launch. This moderate, 2.5 mile (4.0 km) trail provides views of New Melones Lake. Near the Buck Brush Day Use Area this trail becomes forested with sheltering manzanita, oak, and pine vegetation as it begins to merge with Buck Brush Loop.

Buck Brush Loop: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Buck Brush Day Use Area. This easy, 1.3 mile (2.1 km) trail provides views of New Melones Lake and access to fishing along the shoreline. The trail begins in sheltering manzanita, oak, and pine vegetation and slowly transitions to a dense buckbrush thicket. Warning: This trail is known for mountain lion activity, please take caution when recreating.

Glory Hole Trail Map

Camping

Camping is only allowed in designated campgrounds. For standard and walk-in campsites, reservations must be made within 30 minutes of your arrival or up to six months in advance. To make a reservation visit Recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777. All reservations come with an additional $8-9 one-time fee.

Standard Campsite - $22 per night/site max 8 people, 2 vehicles

Walk-in Campsite - $18 per night/site, max 4 people, 1 vehicle

Group campgrounds are available in Tuttletown Recreation Area.

Glory Hole Recreation area has no active dump station at this time. A recreational vehicle dump station is located in Tuttletown Recreation Area near the entrance to the Fiddleneck Group Campground. The dump station has an $8 fee for campers and a $16 fee for non-campers. All fees must be paid at the machines at the entrance of the recreation area.

Campers that possess an Interagency Senior Pass or Interagency Access Pass receive a 50% discount on camping fees except for the group campgrounds. These passes also give 50% off boat launching and dump station fees.

For your safety, enjoyment, and courtesy for other campers, please comply with campground rules and regulations

All visitors must also comply with Reclamation policies listed under Title 43: Part 423 and Part 429, and all Federal, State, or County laws and regulations that apply.

Campers should anticipate that during July and August, daytime temperatures can reach to over 104 °F (40 °C). Most campsites offer some shade, however, some sites have no shade at all. Self-supporting shade shelters are recommended.

During your visit, you may see wildlife such as deer, squirrels, raccoons, osprey and bald eagles. On rare occasions, rattlesnakes, mountain lions and bears have also been seen in this area. See the Wildlife section for precautions.

Photos by Leigh Duncan, Bureau of Reclamation

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