New Hogan Lake Park Hdqtrs Ofc

The WORST spot we’ve ever been camping at! We will never be back. Not only do their rangers constantly drive around staring into your site (creepy) but one day they turned our generator off while we were at the restroom. Keep your hands off other people’s property! They had a huge boulder in the middle of the lake not marked by a buoy & ruined our prop. I heard it happened to several other people that weekend too & they still didn’t do anything about it. I wouldn’t camp here again if they paid me!

Never again will i come to this place my family and i felt violated by the park rangers. They will complain about every little thing they told us to turn off the music at 10 pm i understand at night but then they came again at 1pm the next day telling us to put the music down and it was day light!!! I give them no stars i hated this place if you like to have a good time while camping i DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! I promise you the rangers will make your camping trip hell.

Beautiful Country, beautiful lake USA land of the beautiful.

Went late on a sunday afternoon. Had two dogs that
play in the water and met some nice Fisherman best part no parking fee

First of all I want to say I’ve been coming to hogan for 10 years and over the years it’s been in decline but this last trip by far the worst ever I will never ever be back to hogan again and this is why ok first off the condition of the campsite and restrooms have gotten worse over the years with less attention to cleanliness second a it’s a big second the Rangers have become very rude and aggressive ok me and my group where camping this weekend 9÷5−9÷7 and 10pm came around the Rangers came by and told us its quite time and we said ok no problem we will be quite then on of the officers told us its your final warning we will kick you out first and final in one shot and we were very respectful with it so we headed down to the lake so we can hang without bugging the rest of the campers no sooner than 15 min after being on the water 5 Rangers drive down to the water and treat us like criminals running our ids and threaten to takes all us to jail as well as take our children to cps we hadn’t done anything wrong to be harassed by anyone the lead officer was the worst very load grabbing and pushing everyone around also asking where is the weed I smell it not one where or have ever smoked we all are very hard working men and this is our one time a year we get together and try to enjoy a weekend I feel that these officers were way over the line and I have already started making phone calls to pursue legal proceedings for violating my rights long story short after they let us go we went back to our site went to bed then next morning Rangers came back and forced us to leave we then packed up and went to Lake Comanche witch is by far a cleaner and friendly place for hard working men to camp and enjoy there self without being harassed like a couple common ghetto criminals

Water is low but all good still a good temp. Watch out for the kids who can’t handle there booze. And FYI camp host are ancient need new hearing aids not trying to be mean. But if you can’t hear the screaming drunk dudes 2 camp sites away from you ready to kill each other AND other campers with a Fucking taser mabey you should find a new job. Lake hogan please hire camp host with new batteries in there hearing aids.

There are 2 camping locations at New Hogan Lake.
This is for Acorn Campground!
⁰⁶⁄₂₇ — ⁰⁶⁄₂₉ Weekend there were 12 of us staying at 3 campsites — 2 of us with small travel trailers and a boat. If you get sites next to each other there is plenty of space. They all have a BBQ and a larger fire pit that also has a grate on it for cooking and 1 larger table. They also all have a pole to hang a lantern from. The water is shared between sites… well ours was anyway… which we didn’t mind at all. The bathrooms are not as close as you would want them to be from some of the site but they are clean and well taken care of with supplies. The showers run off quarters… .50 for 5 minutes. The 5 minute shower is well over 5 minutes and the water was set on a great temperature that you do not have control of. It wasn’t too hot, and definitely not cold! There was only 1 shower and 2 bathroom stalls in ours but I never waited in line.
The sites are very close to each other but there are some NOT close to the water that have more space between them.
The grounds could be a little cleaner. When I got to the site I had to pick up after the last campers that left bottle tops, used forks that you can tell just fell off the table and was not picked up.
There are no garbage cans at the individual sites however they do have several large garbage bins around. Ours was so far that we had to drive it over at the end of the weekend. It made it very difficult to recycle unless you bring separate containers.
There is no store on site and they do not sell Ice or Firewood. The closes store is only a 7 — 10 minute ride from the campsites.
The camp Hosts are really nice and very helpful! Super friendly and someone you would want to be friends with.
They are very firm on the amount of vehicles you park at the site, but the overflow parking was easy to get in and out of. I could see that the overflow parking could be an issue if it’s a holiday weekend as it’s not that big. We had no problems on a regular weekend but I did see on Saturday that there were only 5 or 6 spots left in overflow!
The lake is really low so the hike to the water is long and hot! If you are going to hike it to the beach be prepared to stay the day and make a list and check it twice to be sure you didn’t forget anything! DON’T FORGET YOUR SHADE STRUCTURE you will need it as there are no tree’s for shade! Once you are there it’s a beautiful time!
We had brought a boat but there is no boat launch at Acorn Campground. The boat launch is just a 3 minute ride out of the park and was really easy!
All in all we really like this place and I would go back. Depending on what you want I think that Acorn Campgrounds can accommodate you.

I went to New Hogan Lake for my first time this Memorial Day weekend. I must admit I was a little worried after reading the reviews, but I decided to go anyway. I had a wonderful time! The staff were all very nice and helpful. It was very hot there with little shade, but the lake is very nice! I swam in the lake and I didn’t get any swimmers itch like some reviews said. And being a holiday weekend there were no overly loud or rowdiness at all. The guy next to me complained about some campers being noisy the first night and after that the sheriffs and rangers were on top of it. I had absolutely no problems. I will definitely be going back.

I have been going to New Hogan Lake for years and it has always been great!
Fortunately I have never had the sort of experiences that others have complained about. Needless to say, for privacy and comfort the best times to go are off-​season (not too hot and not too cold) and mid-​week. And, a word to the wise from a knowledgeable source… try to avoid August, which is apparently when the heaviest partying goes on.
It also helps a lot if you are careful in picking a campsite… they are not all created equal. Some are jammed on top of each other (especially those closest to the water) but some others offer a ton of seclusion and privacy. I am not naming numbers but if you look around, you can find them. I did.
In general I think you are more likely to find more peace and quiet in the East Loop than in the West Loop (someone here erroneously placed campsite #27 in the East Loop when it is actually in the West Loop).
The restrooms are kind of ratty but the toilets flush and the showers are nice and hot. The biking is great and varied… that is mostly what I go for. The rangers have never hassled me and the people in the kiosk are always friendly and informative.
So, I say pick your time and place carefully and then have a great time!

I hate this place! The rangers mess with you over everything. Its a hike to get down to the lake. Very small and of course not flat camping sites. Supper rocky and not many trees.

This is a great lake for day trips — we have spent many enjoyable hours on the water — but do not stay in the campground, especially on the weekends. The rangers will drive around during the day, harassing people if their vehicle’s tire is few inches off the pavement, but come evening there are no rangers in sight, which means all hell breaks loose in the campground. There are NO QUIET HOURS at this campground. Stupid people get stupider as the evening progresses, with copious amounts of alcohol being consumed, including large numbers of underage drinkers. And because this campground is a large open space, with few trees, there is no escaping the screaming, music, racing cars, and general bedlam, even if it is not taking place right next to you.
With this many people getting wasted, use your imagination at the state of the bathrooms. This past Saturday afternoon, the bathroom nearest us had so much human waste flung around it, the ranger came and locked it until the cleaning crew came the following day.
Because we enjoy the lake, we have tried this campground a couple of times, hoping we had just hit a bad weekend. But each time we stayed brought a new terrible experience, so this past weekend will be our last. Either a sheriff’s presence needs to be established during the evening hours, or this campground needs to be closed before a tragedy occures.

This was the worst place I have ever camped before, no exaggeration. It was extremely hot and not much of any shaded area. It was unbearable just due to the weather alone. It was hot and dry. It wasn’t a family environment in my opinion because a lot of the families that were present were drinking and getting high. It was loud in the evening and I felt like I was «camp clubbing.» There really wasn’t anything serene or natural about it. Worst ever, were the big huge beetle like bugs that were about 4 inches big that were falling out of the trees in the evening. We packed up and left.

Hogan is what you make of it. Don’t expect mild temps and quiet nights on a summer weekend, and don’t expect a crowd of people during the winter –early spring either. Great lake for skiers and water sports, socializing and such during the summer. There is some decent fishing for Stripers and Cats but I am doubtful of their table fare due to the water supply being the short run Calaveras River (as opposed to Pardee nearby… which has cold clear Mokelumne water supplying it.) I mostly come here to ride the Coyote Point trail and the connected downhills on my MTN bike. If you are a mountain biker this trail is a mix of technical, switchbacks, rocks, puker climbs, and some smooth flow as well. Bring lots of water and a FS bike, peddle and hang on…

We wanted to do one last camping trip before the summer was over. There weren’t many options left and we chose New Hogan over Clear Lake.
We had great campsites — #27−29 at Acorn Camp East. It was more private than the other sites since they were somewhat removed. #27 and #28 were better since the grounds were more flat which is easier when setting up tents. These also back up to the meadow so there are less neighbors to deal with. #29 was good because it has the water spigot.
If you’re going, program the Calaveras County Office’s Sheriff’s dispatch into your phone now: 209−754−6500. The rangers and sheriffs do drive around but chances are, someone will be walking around playing the guitar at 11pm and playing bongo drums at 2am. Some people just don’t care that there are quiet hours.
PLEASE DO NOT SWIM IN THIS LAKE! There’s a problem with swimmer’s itch (flatworm parasites) which cause horribly itchy rash and blisters. And the park host told us that there are leeches in the lake. Please just spare yourself the pain and don’t go in the lake!
They don’t have a marina, so bring your own boats, sea doos and canoes. Pack all your shade structures (pop-​up) since the trees do not provide much shade.
The ground is all solid clay dirt so make sure your tent has aluminum or metal stakes.
Lots of wildlife to check out — mule deer, snakes, chipmunks, frogs and lizards.
If you’ve read this far and you still want to go, there are a few fun trips within driving distance. Moaning cavern in Vallecito offers many: cavern walking trip, rapel, rock wall climbing, zipline. Angels Camp is fun too.

New Hogan Lake is a lovely place to go for boating, camping, running, hiking, or just hanging out, splashing in the water. Patty has been working the front gate there for five years now (accompanied by her faithful pooch), and she runs the places with an iron fist and a kind heart. There are numerous camp sites on the lake, usually with flat ground for a tent, water close by and some trees to shade your picnic table. The number of camp sites on the water is impressive and most of the sites in the Acorn campgrounds are close to the clean washrooms. We’re not talking portos here, oh no! If you want a hot shower, bring quarters (I think it’s $ 1 for 7 minutes).
It’s hard to book spots because they fill up fast, especially in the summer months, but there are some walkup spots if you get there first thing in the morning. The sites are cheap ($ 16 per night) compared to the likes of Camanche or Don Pedro (where a site can run you a lot more). They allow your dog (without an extra fee), but they must stay on a leash. The lake has a rocky shore, so bring good boat shoes to save the feet.
The campground is quiet for the most part during the week, but weekends, like all campsites, the residents can get rambunctious.
For those of you that prefer to have fun out of the water, there are so many trails that are clearly marked for any level of hiker/​runner.
New Hogan Lake has something for everyone! Give it a try, but leave me a spot.

This place is OK, water is muddy in the swimming area. I went this weekend and it was crowded and FILLED with white trash. Redneck is too nice of a word for some of what I saw, which included pre-​teens flashing 40-​something year old guys, women with brand new babies (like.3 –5 days old) drinking beer and screaming at their baby daddies, and white guys walking around covered in jail and gang tattoos (the one that said NORTENOS across the front of his sternum was a special guy.) I’m from Texas, and I know what red neck is and this definitely draws the straight-​out-​the-​trailer park types of people.
If you are into boating and jet skiing (which I am not) this place is 4 stars as they are very accommodating and have a nice set up. Want a nice nature hike with beautiful views and minimal people? You will have to head up the 88 to some of the NE lakes.
Also, hatin’ on rednecks is discriminatory, not racist. Last time I checked, redneck is not a race, lol!

We come to Hogan 3 – 5 times a week during the spring/​summer (we live about 20 minutes away). We have boated the lake, fished the lake, biked around the lake, and swam in the lake – and it is awesome. We have yet to camp here, but with the rumors of rampant rattlesnakes, I am afraid to. My boyfriend, our dog, and I had done the lake’s River of Skulls Nature trail and came across a baby rattlesnake – just laying out in the middle of the trail camouflaged by leaves and dirt! If our dog hadn’t sniffed out the snake first I think I may have been bit in the ankle. Other than rattlesnakes, it is my favorite lake.
I have not yet had a problem with any «loud & obnoxious» people that other reviewers have mentioned. I do notice that people who come here are generally happy and having fun. On any given summer day, you’ll find many boaters playing loud music, people fishing on aluminum boats, young adults floating around in rings, jet skiiers, kayakers, and paragliders.
It does get dry hot during the summer and there are some trees for some shade. There are also some tick infested spots and we have come home with a tick or 2 now and then – especially our dog. But you just have to be careful about where you walk. You also may see does and their fawns roaming around which is cool.
The lake is rocky but I prefer rocks to mud. If you don’t like swimming in a rockbed, you might like swimming at Hogan’s Wrinkle Cove as it is more muddy than rocky.
The lake is also 5 minutes away from Valley Spring’s shopping plaza. There is Mar-​Val food market, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, and a Starbucks! So it’s very convenient for campers at Hogan.
Overall, I totally love this lake :))

My Hogan Reservoir (hereafter referred to by its proper name– Hogan Lake) experience is going to be a tad a-​typical from most of the reviews already written here.
I live almost right next to the lake, up on a ridge. My wife and I go to the lake all the time, and usually bring our dog to play in the water. I have been occasionally skinnydipping at Hogan lake for nearly all my life. For day use, no fees, and during the week, it is quiet and mostly empty.
We can play «throw the stick in the water and bring it back» all day long in one of the small coves. Wife and me have camped here more than once, and unless it is a weekend, it is very quiet. Even on weekends, and especially on holiday weekends, there are a lot of patrols from the ranger and from Calaveras County Sheriff’s officers, so people pretty much behave themselves.
As for the racist «redneck» comments some others have written here… I’d much rather be surrounded by «rednecks» than by the average citizens populating most of your big cities, ANY day. Rednecks aren’t going to mug me for my sneakers, carjack me at gunpoint, or rape my wife. You people throwing the «redneck» racist remarks around need to check yourselves, or go back to the city where you belong! If you come to Hogan Lake, you have to expect the polar opposite of city life. It is rural, and it is Calaveras. Clean bathrooms you want? Go to the city. Hole in the ground with a small privacy door to get your business done and get back to the outdoor life quickly? You’re in the right place!
If you’re not a stuck-​up city kid, you’ll love the Hogan Lake experience. And, bring your dog, it’s almost expected to have a dog with you. If you don’t have a dog, I’ll bet most of the laid back locals (country folk) will be glad to loan you theirs for some water fetch fun any time. Some of you city kids may not know this, but around here, everybody knows almost everyone, and especially their dogs. Sometimes, people who don’t know our names end up knowing our dog’s name, and will say things in conversation like «you know, Rover’s mom and dad». The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. You may quote me.
Hogan is known for all the trees around the lake and the mostly untouched (scorched) surroundings. There is a hiking trail that goes all the way around the lake. I have only done it once, it takes all day, literally. And, it is a wonderful hike for those in good shape. You can just do a small portion of it if you eat a tad too much at one sitting (hey, who doesn’t now and then?) and need to walk it off.
Your vehicle is safe at Hogan Lake (unlike anywhere in a city). If you leave it in spot A, it is still there when you get done. If you left the windows down, still there. If you left keys in it, still there. If you left it running, it most likely will still be there, but if it isn’t, it just means one of the locals moved it to spot B to teach you a lesson.
Hogan’s drinking fountains have the best tasting water most of the year. It sure makes great campfire coffee in the morning. As for bird watching opportunities, Hogan Lake is the first, last, and only time wife and I had the opportunity to see wood ducks leaving their nest. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, in case you didn’t know. Hogan Lake is unique in that most of the wildlife couldn’t care less about you being there. Even the deer will come and check you out at much closer than normal range. It’s a pretty neat place.
And you city kids will be shocked to learn (ask the ranger if you don’t believe me), skinnydipping is still legal at Hogan Lake, just as long as you don’t get stupid. For country folk, that goes without saying, but for the benefit of the city kids here, figured I had better point that out. If someone complains beacuse you’re acting stupid, the ranger will come tell you to put your clothes on and leave. Most likely in that order. If you’re not being stupid, the ranger will inform the complainer that it is not against the law. Honest!

A friend and I were looking for a place for our first camping trip of the year. Many places were booked last weekend so I randomly found Acorn Camp East, online. I was a bit skeptical since I could barely find any pics of the place, but I’m always a fan of camping by the water.
50 miles of shoreline, 90 degree weather and literally the best camping spot on the premises (I won’t divulge the spot #). The grounds were about ¾ full and we had the most private spot on the grounds with the lake literally behind us. Most of the other spots had to walk or drive to lake access or for any privacy.
Although there were tons of rednecks, they were pretty harmless… just LOUD. Lots of boats fighting for airplay and blasting either bad hip hop with too much auto-​tune or cheezy country music («Where’s My Lighter?» and «I Wanna Be at a Country Club» where the memorable and laughable songs).
The place is quite dog friendly as well, which is good to know in the Bay Area. Too many places aren’t, which can be disappointing. If you’re into water sports, this is also the place to go. People were water skiing, para-​sailing, fishing, jet skiing, etc. all day long.
Each site is well equipped with 2 grills (1 for charcoal and another for fire), a picnic table & even a green pole to hang your lantern. We didn’t check out the showers so can’t review that.
All in all we had a great time. Aside from the loud nights, people were friendly and chill. It was, after all, the first camping weekend of the year. The weather was amazing, the water was perfect and we just chilled out all day and night. Driving to town for supplies is pretty quick as well.

Spent a great time with a group of friends for the Labor Day Weekend here. 2 hours away from the downtown San Jose to view the valley and dry heat.
Each site has 2 grills, 2 parking spaces, a water faucet station, a campfire pit, and a picnic table.
For about 20 people, 3 campsites was sufficient enough to designate a campsite strictly for food and campfire socializing (in its own seclusion), while the other two occupied somewhat peaceful sleeping. With a big holiday weekend, comes big families camping. Waking up to kids at 8am getting scolded by their parents wasn’t really the relaxing sleeping environment we imagined.
The lake was accessible from many campsites, about a 15 minute walk from our campsite, which was practically by the campground entrance. The rocky outskirts were cool to relax and watch the boats and jet skis zoom across the lake. There are even spots to go fishing, we got Trout!
A few of us embarked on the Coyote Point hiking trail, with little excursions off road that led us to private camping grounds with nice bathrooms. Who knew? Definitely a very dry grass trail, so pack plenty of water during your hikes.
Bathrooms were decent. Bring quarters for the showers though, unless you wanna rough it out. Our closest bathroom only had one toilet stall, which built somewhat of a line for the 5 or so campsites surrounding it during mornings.
For more supplies for your trip, go back on HWY 26 and you’ll run into a Safeway-​ish market called «Mar Val’s.» About 5 – 10 minute drive from the campground.
Overall, a good campsite! Rangers were really nice during the night rounds of the campsites. Like any camping trip, plan accordingly.