Central California Area Office

Tuttletown

Tuttletown Recreation Area is located off of Highway 49, on Reynolds Ferry Rd., approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Sonora and 9.6 miles (15.5 km) south of Angels Camp, California. This recreation area has 3 campgrounds, 2 group campsites, 3 day use areas, a disc golf course, and a boat launch area. 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 Tuttletown 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.

Disc Golf

Cougar Point Disc Golf Course: Parking for this course is located in the Lupine Day Use Area. This course runs along Black Bear Loop and Cougar Point Trail with 18 holes and an estimated 2.3miles (3.7 km) of length resulting in approximately 2 hours of play time. A map of this course is available online. For extra enjoyment, annual tournaments are held on this course, and there is a practice area with an “Around Nine” game at the entrance to Lupine Day Use Area. “Around Nine” is a simple and highly enjoyable target game where there are 9 throwing positions, each 2 feet further from the hole than the first.

Trails

Black Bear Loop: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Lupine Day Use Area. This easy, 1 mile (1.7 km) trail is popular with bikers due to its sheltering oak woodland vegetation and gently rolling hills. For disc golfers, the Cougar Point Disc Golf Course runs along the trail. Halfway along the trail, Cougar Point Trail runs through this loop, offering a different route for those who want to enjoy a shorter hike.

Cougar Point: Parking for the trailhead is located at the road spur across from Acorn Campground; other access for this trail is through Black Bear Loop, parking in the Lupine Day Use Area. This easy, 0.5 mile (0.6 km) trail cuts through Black Bear Loop and goes down hill to the water, providing fishing and recreation access to Mormon Creek. For disc golfers, the Cougar Point Disc Golf Course runs along the trail.

Fox Ravine: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Lupine Day Use Area. This easy, 0.6 mile (1 km) trail is popular with bikers and dog walkers due to its wide meadows and shady oak woodlands. The trail connects Black Bear Loop and the Oak Knoll Group Campsite.

Heron Point: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Heron Point Day Use Area. This moderate, 2.9 mile (4.7 km) trail has beautiful views of New Melones Lake as it goes from foothill vegetation to shady groves of manzanita. The trail passes near campsite 23 in the Acorn Campground, and ends at the Tuttletown Entrance Station. By the trailhead, there is an optional 0.2 mile cutoff available for those who want to enjoy a shorter hike.

Kingsnake Loop: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Lupine Day Use Area. This easy, 1.1 mile (1.7 km) trail connects Ringneck Run, Chamise Campground, Oak Knoll Group Campsite, Fox Ravine, and Black Bear Loop. This trail is popular with bikers due to its sheltering manzanita, oak, and pine vegetation and gently rolling hills.

Redtail Trail: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Heron Point Day Use Area and the Tuttletown Boat Launch. This Easy, 1.2 mile (1.8 km) trail has beautiful views of New Melones Lake as it wanders through the foothill pine forest connecting the Heron Point Day Use Area to the Tuttletown Boat Launch. Halfway along the trail, there is a 0.1 mile cutoff available for those who want to enjoy a shorter hike.

Ringneck Run: Parking for the trailhead is located at the Lupine Day Use Area and the Tuttletown Boat Launch. This Easy, 0.6 mile (0.9 km) follows alongside Reynolds Ferry Rd and through the Lupine Day Use Area, connecting Redtail Trail and Kingsnake Loop.

Tuttletown 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

Oak Knoll Group Site - $125 per night, 20-50 people, max 10 vehicles

Fiddleneck Group Site - $150 per night, 30-60 people, max 12 vehicles

Tuttletown Recreation Area has a recreational vehicle dump station located 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 and Patricia Sanders, Bureau of Reclamation

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