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- Reclamation Announces Spring and Summer Hours of Operation for Recreation Facilities at New Melones Lake
News Release Archive
Reclamation Announces Spring and Summer Hours of Operation for Recreation Facilities at New Melones Lake
Media Contact:
Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis@usbr.gov
For Release: March 20, 2015
SONORA, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation’s Central California Area Office announces that effective Wednesday, April 1, most recreation facilities at New Melones Lake will be open for the public’s enjoyment, with some exceptions.
Individual and group campsites and group picnic reservations may be made a minimum of two days in advance through the National Recreation Reservation Service at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Several individual campsites are also available on a first-come first-served basis.
The Glory Hole and Tuttletown Recreation Areas’ gates currently open at 4 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Beginning Wednesday, April 1, the gates will remain open until 10 p.m., and beginning Thursday, May 14, the gates will remain open until 11 p.m.
The New Melones Lake Visitor Center and Museum is currently open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Beginning Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, the Visitor Center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In the Glory Hole Recreation Area, the Angels Creek boat launch ramp, restroom and fish cleaning station will remain closed due to low lake levels. Portable restrooms for use by shore fishermen and trail users will be available April 1 in the Angels Creek Parking Lot and Buck Brush Day Use Area. The Osprey Point Day Use Area will re-open on April 1. All other day use areas and trailheads at both the Glory Hole and Tuttletown Recreation Areas will remain open.
Boat launching is currently available at the Glory Hole Point low-level concrete ramp; however, once the lake level drops below an elevation of 860 feet, the concrete ramp will no longer be usable. An adjacent natural surface ramp may be available for launching and retrieving boats at the user’s risk. We advise visitors to use four-wheel drive vehicles if launching from the natural surface ramp. Boat launching is not permitted except in designated areas. Launching at the Tuttletown Recreation Area will remain closed throughout the summer due to low lake levels. Additionally, floating restrooms will not be available on the lake this year.
The New Melones Lake Marina in the Glory Hole Recreation Area will remain open, with boat rentals, boat slips, marine fuel, retail store and other services available subject to favorable lake conditions. For updated information regarding marina services, please visit the marina’s website at http://newmeloneslakemarina.com/.
Camping will continue to be offered at both the Tuttletown and Glory Hole Recreation Areas, with some reductions due to drought impacts. On April 1, Manzanita Campground in the Tuttletown Recreation Area will be reopened to the public; however, Chamise and Acorn Campgrounds will be closed. In the Glory Hole Recreation Area, Iron Horse and Big Oak Campgrounds will remain open throughout the summer.
An RV dump station is currently available for a fee at the Tuttletown Recreation Area. The RV dump station in the Glory Hole Recreation Area will remain closed until further notice.
Electric vehicle charging stations are available to the public at the Glory Hole Recreation Area’s Iron Horse Campground and in the Tuttletown Recreation Area’s Lupine Day Use Area. The electric vehicle charging stations are free to those who have paid standard or expanded amenity fees and may be accessed on a first-come first-served basis.
For additional information, please contact the New Melones Lake Recreation Resources Branch Office at 209-536-9094, ext. 0 (TTY 1-800-877-8339), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or visit the New Melones Lake website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/index.html.
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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.
