Glory Hole Recreation Area

I have been camping here every year for the past 3 years. We just went camping for Memorial Day weekend and it was horrible. Our campsite #82 was infested with earwigs– it was AWFUL!!! We ended up throwing away our tent because there were so many earwigs hiding in between the tent sticks and the tent! The earwigs were also hiding in our food bags, gaps in our chairs… Sadly, we won’t be coming back.

We just spent the memorial weekend in this campground. We were expecting a low water level of the lake but not like we found. There was no water at all in most of the lake. We were desapointed. The picture of the camp site we booked on line showed a very beautiful view of the lake but in reality there was no water. The swimming area was closed for the same reason. So sad! Beside that, the campground is beautiful and well maintained. The staff was very nice and helpful. The bathrooms and showers were clean. You might need to look for some activities to make you busy during the day. I believe that this campgroud used to be a paradise when there was more water in the lake. Overall we had fun and we enjoyed hiking in the area. I recommend to hike in the natural bridges. It is really beautiful.

day visit will explore more when I can. and they rent boats !

I really wanted to love this place. We went last weekend. The name hooked me and my 12-year-old-self’s humor. But what I experienced, unfortunately, did not.
I wanted to give this place only 1 star, but well part of me feels like that might be a little harsh, and I DID enjoy the bird watching and wildlife I got to see.
We originally chose site #59 in the iron horse loop. When we arrived to tent camp we realized there was zero flat ground or shade at that site and since we had our pup with us (and it was about 90+ degrees out) we were concerned. They were nice enough to let use choose an open spot we liked and switch. We chose #68 because of the flat ground, shaded areas, and the fact that no one else was camping within 4 sites of us. We could not see any other campers from our new spot.
What we did NOT realize until we set up camp was that there was ZERO access to the lake unless you had a boat. I had read that the water level was lower in recent years, but did not anticipate that a huge portion of the lake was GONE! We went to the only designated swimming area in hopes of cooling off our pup (and ourselves) only to find a dried up lake, with a boat launch sitting in the dirt. BUMMED! It was torture to be able to see the lake, but not be able to jump IN the lake. Like a cruel mirage.
The straw that broke the camels back was when the camp host threatened to kill our dog. THIS PLACE IS NOT DOG FRIENDLY! (despite saying so)
We did have him off leash, which is against the rules… so we were in the wrong there. BUT, again, there was no one within at least 4 sites of us, we could not see any other campers AT ALL, and our dog was staying within our camp… never out of our site or voice control. The camp host came up on his motorized cart, got out and aggressively pointed his finger while shouting «He needs to be on a leash!» so of course, our dog barked to alert us that «hey, this angry man is shouting and coming at us» then he yells «IF HE COMES AT ME, HE WILL DIE!!!»
Now, I know we were not following the rules. I will not contest that. I also understand their need to enforce the rules. What I do not understand is why anyone would charge at a dog, yelling and wagging a finger… then SCREAM even more when the dog barks… and go so far as to threaten to kill the dog.
Totally killed our glory hole adventure and we will not be returning. BUT if you have a boat, and don’t have a dog… I bet you’d love it! ;)

Our Boy Scouts Troop camped out at New Melones, Glory Hole Rec Area.
We were at Big Oak campground, site 103,104,105,106
The sites were spacious, offering hot water and showers.
It was Oct, before the rains arrived so the lake level was quite low.
A few boys fished on Sunday morning but caught nothing
The weather was perfect. There was no wind, no bugs, not cold, not hot.
With the lake view, it does not get better than this, except maybe higher water level and catching some fishes.

I reserved site #85 at the Iron Horse loop. It was a walk-​in site. In the picture it showed plenty of shade, in reality, the shade didn’t show up until mid-​afternoon. Site #83 would’ve been much better, it was shaded throughout the day. In fact, every other walk-​in site seemed to have more shade.
The walk-​in sites worked well because you weren’t right next to other campers and you had plenty of space. Plus no «Gangsta» wannabe, douche bag, white kids in their Volvo station wagons with the subwoofers playing explicit rap lyrics can park near the walk-​in sites. They’re at New Malones and if you want peace and quiet, walk-​in sites are the way to go.
The bathrooms were clean & showers looked nice (the showers take quarters). The bathrooms were within an easy walk of the camp site.
I grew up next to Yosemite, doing real camping in the actual mountains, Glory Hole Recreation Area is none of that. There are not vast forests of pine trees and the lake is not even close to the campsites (unless you’re camping in May). I was originally going to camp near Yosemite but a forest fire cancelled my camping reservation at the last minute, which is why I ended up at New Malones.
There are hiking trails but when it’s 95 degrees every day with no trees shading you, why would you go hiking unless you wanted heat stroke or sun stroke?
There was an outdoor amphitheater with some type of «interpretive» program, but there was no interpretive program while we were there. There wasn’t even a camp host, that space was empty.
This lake is for people with boats or for people that want to rent boats.
Luckily, the 1^st day we were there, we had some friends there with a boat. We had a great time on the lake.
The second day, we tried hiking the quarter mile down to the lake shore. It was a hot, horrible hike. You couldn’t really swim in the lake because you’d get stuck knee deep in mud just trying to wade out far enough.
The «Swimming Area» located on the map they gave us at entry, was actually closed due to there being no water. The water was so low that it was just brown weeds where the water had once been.
Bottom line: If you have a boat, you’ll like this lake. That’s it.
I probably won’t come back unless I have a boat or plan to rent one.

It isn’t all that glorious. The restrooms are very clean and in good shape. The shower was nice with plenty of hot water. The campsite was fine. We had a pretty private area with a bit of shade. The picnic table was in sparse shade but there wasn’t a shady spot to set up a tent. Luckily we brought our own shade tents. My only real complaint about campground is the lake. The water level was really low and so we had to hike down to get to the water. Then once we got there it was too muddy and gross to be able to enjoy. We drove to one of the ‘beach’ areas suggested by the rangers which was at least swimmable but still not very enjoyable. If the lake was full I’m sure it would have been a much different place.
I would only suggest this location to someone who was looking to take out a boat. The water looked great out in the center of the lake. But if you’re looking to go swimming or play at the shoreline this is not the place to go. Maybe after California gets a few good years of rain this place will be a bit more glorious.

Glory Hole is an awesome place for mountain biking. It has several trails, ranging for easy to hard (Tower Climb). The trails and entire area are well maintained and clean. Beautiful views from the trails. This is a hidden gem. I am a bit reluctant to write this review as not many people know about this place and it is so nice having the trails to myself.

Love this lake, the area, campsites are wonderful, lots of shade. Nice clean shower/​restrooms.

This lake is the jewel of the western Sierras. The lake stretches for miles and during the week you can count the boats you see on one hand. The water is flat and glassy and oh so warm. The campgrounds are best for people who are half billy goat, but once you get over it’s hilly terrain, they are beautiful. The facility is well maintained and the workers take pride in what they do.
Great vacation spot for everyone. One thought, stores are not close up there and Sonora even though it is only 5 – 6 miles is a 20 minute run at least.

Went family camping here for the weekend 6÷22÷2012 and stayed in the Big Oak area, campsite #124. We had easy access to the bathrooms and the wash station. It had a nice view of the lake, hills and trees. There were lots of friendly campers nearby. All the campsites were equipped with a picnic table and fire ring with a grill on top. The general store was only 10 min away and had everything we needed from charcoal to firewood, ice, paper towels and fishing bait.
My only complaint was that we really couldn’t enjoy the water in the swimming area. The sand area is really small; the rest of it is full of dirt, mud and geese poop. To enjoy New Melones, I believe you really need to get a boat. Like another reviewer stated, they book fast. We are going back and although their website says they offer an hourly rate, you cannot reserve at the hourly rate, only on the daily rate. Still, I think it is worth the $ 250 since the campsites are so cheap anyway. It’s a beautiful area, but we couldn’t enjoy it without a boat. Also, campsite #124 was on a hill which was annoying to go up and down for middle-​of-​the-​night bathroom trips or to go wash dishes. I noticed that it might be nice to get #131 AND #132 if you’re going with a big group because it’s more secluded from the other sites, flatter, and has a nice court if you’d like to play frisbee or catch.
We didn’t get to enjoy the trails, but I hope to when we return and will update this review then.
Last tip: Don’t miss stopping by the nearby town of Murphy’s. They have such a cute downtown area with nice restaurants, wine and even a Cupcake Wars contestant, Lila & Sage (although we forgot to try it because we got sidetracked by ice cream). If you have kids, there is an amazing park area with a huge shaded play structure and a somewhat Disney-​fied river running through that you can actually wade and swim in.

This is a great place to go camping if you have a boat, but without a boat or other watercraft, it’s not very appealing. Overall the campground is clean and well-​cared for, and each campground has a host and regular patrols by the ranger, flushing toilets (and rumor has it, showers, but we didn’t see them), but that’s the best there is to say. It didn’t seem like a very tent-​friendly campground as many of the sites are sloped and don’t really have flat spots for a tent, or if there is a flat spot, it’s the only one and there is no room for more than one tent. The picnic tables are deteriorating because of sun exposure (i.e., not a lot of shade for a lot of the day in an area that gets hot). There are a few hiking trailheads, but they are far enough away from the campgrounds that you will probably want to drive to them.
The water level was really high in 2011 when we went, which unfortunately brought out rattlesnakes and tarantulas who went to higher ground, i.e., the campgrounds, to avoid drowning. We didn’t see any tarantulas, and only saw a dead rattler on the road, but the ranger saw fit to warn me when I checked in so I assumed it meant they were pretty visible and present. We saw two deer, a lot of hawks, and had a beautiful but loud and persistent woodpecker near us. There weren’t a ton of mosquitoes as far as I could tell (we use products to keep them away) but there are a TON of gnats buzzing around.
The location is great. It’s just a few minutes from Angels Camp and Murphys, and in a short drive you can go caving at Moaning Cavern or Mercer Cavern.

SO. MUCH. FUN. This campground is very well maintained and close enough to town just in case you need anything. This is my kind of camping! Park Ranger Greg was super cool! He gave us a pretty good education about our surroundings. We rented a boat down at the marina for the day and had a blast on the lake. The water felt clean and refreshing. The bathrooms were pretty close to our campsite and were much cleaner than I had expected. Sweet ass campsite plus awesome people equals good times.

Camping here is AWESOME. HUGE camp site right on the lake. We rented a boat at the harbor and spent the day boating/​swimming. I especially appreciate the bathrooms… cleanest camping bathrooms I’ve ever seen. The Park Rangers were also SUPER nice. Will definitely camp here again.

If it had full RV hook ups it would be a solid 5 star camp ground. Camp sites are well groomed and taken care of. showers and bathrooms avail. When the lake is full, the water is walking distance from the camp sites. and the lake itself is amazing. even on long weekends there is plenty of room to play without worrying about running people over. water temp. is perfect as well.

Best fake camping spot ever! When I say fake, I only mean that there aren’t any animals, no mosquitoes, and there ARE showers! I mean it’s like living at home. This is definitely a nice place and go camping when a group of friends.
There’s also a lake within the camp side so that also super nice. It often gets pretty hot so a day on the lake a great. But the boats always get taken up super fast. Reserve a boat at least a day in advance. You won’t have much options the day of.
The only thing I dont like about this camp site is that there are A LOT of flies during the day. get a netted canopy and thatll solve the problem.
Other than that I love this camp site. Been camping here for years.

very clean /​neat camping spot. I would give it another star if it wasn’t for the lack of cover in super hot summer weather. It can also get very dusty, making the overall campaign experience a little enjoyable. Not muhc the management can do for that! That being said the lake is nice and if you don’t mind the mud, great to swim in.

Just spent a week in the Ironshore campground and it was heavenly! Gorgeous lake, abundant wildlife, clean, well-​kept campsites & restrooms. Plus, you’re within driving distance of many area attractions… caverns, Columbia SP, zip lining, and tons more. We can’t wait to come back.

One of the nicest and cleanest campground and recreation areas in California is stuck with the most unfortunate name.
I happened upon this place accidentally as the afternoon was drawing to a close and I was eager to find something quickly. I stopped at the registration booth and commented to the park attendant how new everything looked. Well, it ain’t: he said it’s just very well maintained. That’s an understatement.
Fortunately, the weekend prior to Memorial Day didn’t produce many visitors so I had an entire campground section to myself. A surly gang of turkeys came by to complain about my presence on their turf — they nest in the nearby trees — but they soon relented after a staring contest and a hefty bribe that permitted me a good night’s sleep.
I wish I had the time to explore the lake the next morning but time was limited. By my next visit, I hope the local authorities have had the good sense to change the name. Let me suggest one: Angels Paradise. That’s how it seemed to me.

Extra bonus points for having the best name for a campground EVER! Glory hole jokes make camping with friends extra fun.
We had 40 friends congregate for a 2 night camping-​boating adventure. The camp sites were clean with basic equip — one fire pit each and one picnic table. The men and women’s toilets were very clean and accompanied by a coin operated shower.
There wasn’t a lot of flat ground room for tents and the trees were sparse — barely protecting us from the mid day heat (and it’sDAMN it’s hot!!) Luckily we brought extra shade structures for communal cooking and hanging out.
During the day we rented boats at the marina to play on the lake. We had one pontoon boat for drinking and cruising and another speed boat for water sports. WAY fun! And it wasn’t over populated with other people around.
The only other complaint I had was the VERY LOW WATER LEVEL. We had to hike down a steep, rocky hill an extra 160 feet just to reach the water’s edge. If the lake had been at full capacity it would been much easier to make it to the water and back and we could have spent more time splashing and floating around.
But all in all a great place for water sports, fun and friends close to the city.