Park on the edge of New Melones Lake with boat ramps & hiking trails amid rolling hills.
Hours not specified
What clients say about Tuttletown Recreation Area in East Sonora (CA)
Had the boat decontamination done and boat banded. The girl who preformed it was quick, effective and extremely cordial. Launch was quick and easy. The rangers at the ramp were helpful and very quick in checking bands before departure. Fishing was tough but we managed to get a decent limit. Boats are required to out of the water by 4:00 pm at the latest if they want to get rebanded so they can return another day without an inspection. For that reason we quit fishing at 3:30.
Rode one easy trail and walked another easy trail. At 66 and out of practiceon my mountainbike, easy wasn't exactly easy. But with a few more rides, the trails would be enjoyable. Large disc golf course available. Only one or two cars here this time of year. Most, if not all campgrounds are unavailable.
This campground has been closed for several months and there's no information on Recreation.gov or the BLM website about WHY they have done this. It's probably related to the invasive mussel. Or, could it be that's just an excuse? Anyway, this WAS the closest camping to Jamestown California, but now everybody has to drive about another 7 mi north to Glory Hole. Just another sign that America is NOT as great as it used to be.
We absolutely enjoyed our camping adventures here. The campground were well kept. Our campsite overlooked the lake and just a short hike to reach it. We will definitely book another camping trip here.
I'm camping here in the Acorn section in the latter part of April and the campground is 2/3 empty. No camp host. No patrols by a park ranger that I have seen either. Last night a panhandler disturbed me at 10:30 p.m. Scared me to death as a solo female camper. I don't feel very safe here. I'm not sure they have gates that lock and so anyone can come in off of Highway 49 to create havoc if they want to, especially this time of year when there's not really anyone around. Spooky. They keep the bathrooms pretty clean however the water is a dark yellow.
Played the Cougar Point Disc Gold Course located within the Tuttletown Rec Area.. Awesome Course in rolling hills with a great blend of short technical shots mixed with big arm long shots... best to play November thru February when the grass is low and the rattlers still sleep.. great sunsets and views of the lake.
Great area with several trails for hiking
Be aware of the wildlife in the area though, not sure what I heard but whatever it was, was big and had a nasty growl.
Not all camping sites are created equally. We have camped here twice now, and both times in the acorn campground. One site had literally no trees so no shade at all, and the other was filled with trees and plenty of shade.
Toilets and showers in the main area are better maintained. Toilets near the 50's in Acorn were out of paper each late night/early morning and were non-flushing (which is fine, but just letting others know). There were no sinks and no sanitizer in these toilets either, so bring your own sanitizer!
I wish there was a better route/path to get to the lake. We've had a hard time walking there on trails, and we just wanted to hike and swim. Overall not bad, but could be better.
It’s beautiful this time of year. The lake is, of course, quite low. But there are still plenty of trails to hike. And it has been super quiet every time I’ve been out there this year.
Great area! I stayed in campsite 31. It was nice and close to the bathroom ?
Everything is well organized and set up.
The boat area is very nice.
The view is amazing! I woke up to deer grazing next door. Wonderful place!
Should have spent more time figuring out which campsites have any kind of shade. Reservoir was depressingly low. The camp itself was very well maintained if more arid than I was really prepared for.
This camping location was super last minute for us. Our first location was further north and got canceled due to the fires. We came here not knowing what to expect.
SITES▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
We had about 20 people and booked 3 sites online. We booked sites 147, 148, 149. However, these sites are really hilly. It was difficult to find a place for 3 tents. We asked the ranger, a super cool guy, if we could switch sites. He checked in and allowed us to do so. We switched 147 to 146 because it had a great spot for a tent. (See images)
BATHROOMS▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
The biggest reason I gave the stars is because of the bathrooms. The bathrooms are with stalls, flush, have sinks, lights, and are even cleaned everyday! There are several bathrooms located around the campground. You do not have to worry about the restrooms. (See image)
Every campsite has spots dedicated to park next to it. The fire puts are a little close to the table, and the tables are bolted, meaning you cannot move them.
WATER ACCESS▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
This is the biggest reason why I had to take off stars. The water acces was terrible. If you want to swim, you have to take everyone in the car and drive about 5 minutes to the water. I tried to walk to the water, and it took me about 15 minute. However, the walk does get steep sometimes. It is about a 100 foot altitude difference between the campsites and water. The water was super low when we went. We went to the boat ramp and swam there.(See Images)
OTHER NOTES▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
There is a water hose spout located next to the sites. I recommend bringing a hose to attach it to. This was really nice because you can use this water to wash whatever you need because it is right by the site.
Make sure to bring flashlights/lanterns, tarps sor the tents, and sprays for ants. We went at the end of August and did not see mosquitoes.
We had a good time in this campground. We went in the middle of a heat wave, so it got pretty hot and there were a lot of ants everywhere. But the view and location was great. We had a walk up site (#131) but the car was very close to the campsite. The bathrooms were not functioning when we were there, but they provided a clean portapotty for us.
Nice place, ample space for boaters and jetskis in the water. As someone else stated there's no sandy/beachy area so the kids have to play near sharp rocks- something to consider when letting younger kids play near the shore. I highly recommend taking a shade tent, and water shoes for adults and kids. Other than that its an enjoyable place. ?
Tuttletown is open. I saw Acorn Woodpeckers, turkeys, osprey, and met a guy who limited on trout. It was a nice getaway. The trail I helped to layout and worked on 12 years ago has been well maintained.
Awesomeness abounds! Camping, swimming, fishing, hiking and just going for the day is allowed. We camped for Father's Day weekend and enjoyed it thoroughly. The Manzanita loop of campgrounds gets you closest to the lake, but the amenities in Acorn are better equipped and operational. The area had a ton of other families out enjoying nature, too. The lake has a boat launch and you can anchor right next to your camp site if you're lakeside.
Nice campsite, I went on Easter weekend. It was quite busy, the campsite next to me had no respect. Their kids and dogs always came to my campsite.
I couldn't even take an afternoon nap because of the disruptions at my campsite. I wish there was more distance between sites.
I would definitely come back in the winter so the seasonal campers won't be around.
Awesome campgrounds. Got a site with a great view of the lake and plenty of shade. Fire pit / grill were clean and ready for us when we got there. Nice little hikes around the lake with lots of different bird species flying around and some deer. Will be back!
If you like camping, this is one of the best places.. the accessibility s very good.. Waters are pretty calm and the water activities at this place is very active
It's been years since I've been here. I came here as part of our church's men's club fellowship camping trip. I wasn't an angler then. Now, I am. The lake provided an awesome fishing experience as well as a comfortable stay. Yes, it was hot but swimming at Heron Point made up for it. Lunch at the boat launch allowed our group to socialize and continue to enjoy the lake. Caution, swimming near the boat launch was nerve wracking and could be quite dangerous. Fortunately, no incident occurred. Campgrounds at Acorn Loop were ok but small with a few tree cover and ample parking for two vehicles. Compared to the handicap version which was quite large, elevated and has a permanent fixed roof shelter. There were fire rings and no BBQ grill. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked with toilet paper. Although there were sinks, there were no hand soap dispensers. Showers cost money. As an alternative, swim in the lake or spigot wash. Just for the fishing alone, I will definitely go back with my family and friends. I highly recommend this place.
Website
