Came here last minute because I could not find any place on the coast to camp over memorial day weekend and also to avoid 60° on the coast. I really like this campsite.. close to Sonora, and on the lake. The sites are hilly so you may want to check out which one to get. I got 37 which I really liked because it was down a little bit of a climb, but very secluded quiet with shade. I would not come here in the Midsummer unless you're prepared for the heat. It was pleasant end of May and I suspect it will be after September. There are some bugs in the campsite, so be prepared to fend off ants and mosquitoes - I was not bothered too much. The restrooms are clean, the flush toilets and hot showers. Campsites are well-maintained. Enjoy some time on the lake in a kayak On The Lake kayak will bring it to the Gloryhole Recreation Area across the water (20min drive) the owners are really friendly, great service! Indigeny Reserve has amazing Apple Cider including a couple of hard ones than 5 g of sugar. Standard Pour sports bar has really good beer and amazing burgers. They have two locations I really like the one in the cute hamlet of Standard. If you want a one in a lifetime experience, pay a visit to the llamas at circle home. I had an amazing experience for an hour feeding, tending to the llamas and hugging them! Yosemite is one and a half hours away if you want to make this a stop on your way there. read more

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Watch out for what's in the water.... This place is very pretty. Bathrooms and fountains were always cleaned in our area. The ranger was kind and let me switch camp grounds when I realized there was no way I was getting my mother on an oxygen tank up a very steep hill. The map is very deceiving. I picked site 139 because it's pictured very close to the water. It was a good 10 minuet hike through two camp sites before you got to it. I switched to 128. It was better and closer to the bathrooms but still a steep 10 minuets (with small kids) hike down. We drove down to the day use area. The other yelper was right. Something is in the water. I don't know if they're leaches but they were tiny, dark grey, and all over our feet. I had to use my nails to claw them off. I only had them on me in the day use area. Playing in the water the first day near camp I didn't notice anything. read more

Tuttletown Recreation - Camp site 132 - Hiking Near Me - Sonora, California

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. read more

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It is my first time going there, it's peaceful campground and people are friendly. I will diffidently go back there to enjoy the nature with my family. read more

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The scenery and water are beautiful. But the camp site is dry and we were there when it was 98 degrees. Very few sites have shades. You almost have to reserve the premium spots. This place is more for people with boats or other water equipments. Otherwise, there's nothing to do but sit and stare at the water. Due to some hammock mishaps recently, the park no longer allowed hammocks at the campsites. The rangers drive around regularly to make sure you don't have hammocks and will sternly chastise and give tickets if you do. Supposefly, some campers tied their hammock to a less than 3-in circumference tree and the trees snapped. Because of this, the rest of us is paying for that. We were so thoroughly disappointed that we cut short our trip. read more

Best place to go camping, and have fun swimming love it. Really near from Sunnyvale. The water is really warm. read more

Tuttletown Recreation - Lake area, really nice area to swim and relax - Hiking Near Me - Sonora, California

I don't write many reviews because I'm relatively phlegmatic and laid back but this camp ground pissed me off so bad I had to let other people know, so their much anticipated trip isn't ruined by this group of inept shleps they call a staff. I thought to myself, boy for a holiday weekend this place sure is empty...? Now I know why. It was like being in a cheap horror film where you are lost in the mountains near some podunk town and the only people around are the inbred locals and they are really suspect, and unfriendly to the out-of-towners... That's the staff at Tuttletown. Our group consisted of 5 families all in our mid thirties and all with kids ranging from 9 months to 13 years old. No excessive drinking, no partying, no loud music, no drugs, not doing anything wrong, not bothering anyone and not breaking any rules. All by ourselves in our "group" campsite. But that didn't stop the police academy drop-out park rangers from harassing us to the point of never wanting to come back to this place. Mind you I spent 14 years in law enforcement, am very pro-law enforcement, and one of my closest friends in our group is a cop. The group site was a total joke and looked like it was designed by a blind man. Knowing we had the entire area to ourselves we setup our rigs in away we could actually be in a group. We were originally told that the way we had our rigs set up was perfectly fine and there were no issues. Then later on, one "ranger" puffed his chest up real big and strolled into our group site, Peacocking and said that we werent allowed to park our RVs in the manner that we had. We said well, the first guy said it was fine? So captain America proceeded to say that we were told wrong and they needed to be moved. (Text book - I was picked on growing up and now I have a badge and a minimum amount of authority so I'm going to be a total dick). So we said OK. At this time it was well over 100+ degrees outside and out infants were in the trailer sleeping. So we thought we'd take care of it later. Then 4 hours later Captain America shows back up with another one of his avenger buddies... you know, his much needed back up, and then talks to us in the most condescending, disrespectful tone. Threatens to call the sheriff on us if we don't move them right that second. What did we pay $600 for again? Group campground? I haven't even explained yet how much of a joke this "group" site was. It was depressing. The most ridiculous, incoherent layout you could come up with. It wasn't accommodating in any sense of the word so we tried to make it work for us. Anyway, After we moved the rigs The sheriff actually did come by later and he was super cool. He explained the policy about keeping the road clear and was very professional and not out showcasing his insecurities like the pretentious ranger. The biggest gathering place in this "group" campsite was two handicap parking stalls. So we set up our circle of chairs and easy-ups there so we can hangout together and what not. Since we already had all the ridiculous drama about the RVs we asked the sheriff if our common area setup would be a problem. He said no and that it was fine. Well later on guess who...here comes more of the Tuttletown avengers. This guy comes by, literally drives his electric cart down into our site (which is only supposed to be only our group) and drives through our stuff and tells us that we can't have our chairs and easy-ups there and that the sheriff is going to come tell us to move it all. I said are you kidding me? Do you guys have nothing better to do then harrass tenants of your campground? I told him I just talked to the sheriff and he said it was fine. And if he didn't believe me to call him right now and have him come back to get on the same page. (He never did). Before writing this, I read some other reviews and thought it was funny that other people have been harassed by these shmucks too. Basically if it wasn't for my friends and us making the best of our time, it would have been the most misreable camping trip of my life and I have camped hundreds of times in many different places, literally all over the world. So basically, the campsites suck, nothing is convenient, everything is either broke, out-of-order, or in total disarray, and the staff is the most unprofessional group of clowns I've ever interacted with. I could say Tuttletown rec area has a real Mickey mouse-ran organization but that would just be an insult to Mickey mouse. I will NEVER camp at New Melones ever again. I'd rather go to the ghetto cesspools of Comanche or Modesto before I return to this circus. But if you get off on bossing people around, making a big deal out of nothing, or are just an all around prick and have zero people skills, nor any self confidence then submit your resume and I'm sure they'd be happy to employ you. read more

After too many bad experiences with rude and filthy campers over at Fleming Meadows we decided to try something new. We had no idea what to expect and the few reviews were not helpful at all except to warn me the descent to the water would be steep from the campsites. What an awesome experience we had here. No garbage ringing the campsites. No rude campers wandering through our site on their way to the bathroom, water, marina, or just anywhere. There were no late night parties going until 4:00 AM and the sheriff patrolled the area to ensure everyone slept well. Positive things: Water spigots placed generously throughout. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and coin operated showers. Large launch ramp and parking close to the campground for boaters. If you are camping then the launch fees are included in the cost. Negative: Oh yes, the hike to the water is steep, and rocky. If you don't want to deal with that then go over to the launch or day use area. If you've ever been to the Shasta area then this shouldn't surprise you or even be a negative. No lake shore dispersed camping. =o( Oh yes. I will definitely be back here before I go there again. read more

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This has probably been the worst place I have ever camped in my life! I stayed at a camp ground that was meant for a large group of people but it was so poorly designed that we really could not be together. I asked one of the workers where we were supposed to park our campers and he didn't have a clue so we ended up winging it. Later that day, the Paul Blart of park rangers came down and said he we had to move the trailers or he was going to call the Sheriff on us. It didn't matter that we had infants taking a nap in the trailers when it was 100 plus degrees outside, he was dead set on making us move. The outdoor kitchen was a frickan joke. It basically looked like an alter for making sacrificial killings. The grates look like they been there since the 70s and no overhang as they described online. The advertised dump station was out of order so I had to load up and travel to the other side of the lake to empty out tanks. The bathrooms were nasty AF and showers were not close by at all. Once we found the showers, I had the privilege too look at chunks of puke from the A-Holes the night before. The beach was so frickan funny. It was basically the old boat launch ramp that they converted into a beach. It felt so good walking on sharp as gravel trying to get in the water. We ended up moving to another part of the lake but once my family and I were in the water, we were greeted by blood sucking leeches. No joke. LEECHES EVERYWHERE!!! The only saving grace is that I was with great friends and we made the best of it. All weekend it felt like Lake New Melones was one disaster after another but when it came down to it, I made some good memories with my favorite people on earth. Bottom line is that I will never give these guys my money again and would rather camp next to homeless in San Francisco. read more

The pickins are a little slim for campers in this area. Which is a shock, seeing it's so close to Sonora. Well, you take what you can get, and what you got is this large campground on Melones. Melones is a typical reservoir in the California foothills. Good for boating and fishing, and the lake is so big that the two can coexist. If you want to stay here for a few days, there are two camps, one on the Angels Camp side (Glory Hole) and one on the Sonora side (this one). The offerings are on the small side, though. Not many trails. You can walk down to the lake, although the walk can be steep. A joke of a playground. Although the campground is big, it's laid out in small sections so that you can get to know your neighbors. Boat ramp close by. Be warned that the foothills get *HOT* in the summer, and oak trees don't offer a lot of shade. The location is pretty good. Three miles on a well-maintained road to Highway 49, then maybe six winding hilly miles to Columbia. Supplies are in Sonora, including a Wal-Mart. Good if you're on a budget. It's a place to check out if you're staying in the area and love the great outdoors. Just lower your expectations a little and you'll be fine. (As a side note: I read Dr. Seuss' ABC book, and the letter T is "twelve tired turtles in a tuttle-tuttle tree". What is a tuttle-tuttle tree? I guess you find them in the little burg of Tuttletown!) read more

This place is so clean and beautiful we stayed in campsite 121 we had a blast the water is clean and very private we will definitely be going back read more

Tuttletown Recreation - Beautiful place - Hiking Near Me - Sonora, California

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Camp ground was very clean. The Staff members were nice and very helpful. The view are amazing! While we were camping they had a cool event where you could see mars and learn about the plants, they provided the telescopes. The Best part about my stay was they have SHOWERS!! Bring your quarters, it's .50 cents for 5 minuets. The only negative thing was how crowded the camp spots are. I had the cover off the top of my tent because it was so hot. While changing I happen to look up and wave at my neighbors who were directly above me on a hill. I had to laugh and wave. If being super close to strangers doesn't bother you this may be the place for you. BUT that was the ONLY downside. But my neighbors seemed like really nice people. I think I will return and maybe try out different camp sites to see if I didn't pick a good one read more

Tuttletown Recreation - Hiking Near Me - Sonora, California

If you only read one review, please make it this one....pix included. I am from Vallejo, which is a little over a two hour drive to tuttletown rec. We had made reservations on the phone, and was one of few spots available due to the wildfires. I am not rich, and rarely have enough money to do anything with my kids. because of covid, I came into some UE money and decided I wanted to make some memories with my kids before I die . Yes, It was that important. We buzzed around for 3 days, packing, borrowing from friends, making sure every detail was covered. I had never been this far before on my own and I wanted to make sure it was a memorable event. I mean, this was big time in my drab dull little life. I want the reader to know how important this trip was, and that I would never have another oppurtunity like this again in my life. It was that IMPORTANT/I had to cancel my truck getting worked on, call the school, re arrange my whole agenda. and it was ok because this was SO read more

Beware what's in the water!!! There are so many baby leeches in the water, they are all over our feet and look so disgusting. The camp is really hot during day time, dry but it was cool at night time. The water for regular usage is very dirty so make sure to bring your own water for cooking or shower. The only good thing about this place is the campground is large but not flat! read more

Recommended camp site. Clean, safe and easily accessible. Would definitely return! -Pet friendly -Paved driveways -Bathrooms with toilet paper -Coined showers ($0.50 for 5 min, you can add more quarters for longer time) This is the only place you will find any info about the showers, so take note of it and bring your own quarters. -Park rangers are always around- I see one every 10-15 min. -Different hiking trail options -Clean and well maintained amenities- grill, fire pit, table, benches... -Parking (this is also probably the only place you will find info about parking an additional car): some reserved camp sites allow 1 or 2 car parking, additional car is $8, up to 1 to 2 cars, depending on the size of your reserved site. It can get very hot and dry in the summer, 100s during the day and 60s at night. The lake was dry when we got there- drought :( so we couldn't take advantage of any water activities. The lake was very low and depressing to see, another reminder we need to work harder on conserving water. Had a great and relaxing experience, would definitely return. read more

The drive there (from Oakland) was fun, lots if curves and open road. We reserved campground 151 and from the map we assumed we would be ideally close to the lake. Wrong. Lake is pretty much dried up, as the other reviewers mentioned. It was in a sad state. For the most part the heat was the main complaint. Then night time came - raccoons, fire ants, tarantulas, and more! The whole campground was basically a fire ant hill and/or spider den. Not the most scenic or ideal, but still camp worthy. read more

We spent the weekend at the Oak Knoll Group Site. There was about 30 of us with plenty of space for more. Way bigger than I anticipated. Everyone loved their freedom of movement. At night, deer would walk into our campsite which was a big plus for the kids. No problems with noise at night or any part of the day for that matter. Restrooms were descent, flush toilets, very hot water in the showers. Staff were very polite and welcoming. The only complaint we had were the sharp rocks in camp and at the day use lake front. Beware of the bats at night near the restrooms. Weather was beautiful as well as the scenery. We will definitely be back in the future. read more

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Crazy hot in July and not enough shady spots for tent...it gets suffocating in the tent come 7am in the morning. Coin operated showers and flushable toilets, but can be a walk if your campsite is not close. There is a porta potty but it's nasty. Location is otherwise is ok, but close to Natural Bridges for nice hike down to the caves for a swim or a drive to another beach/lake (w/o boats) for swimming. read more

The worst campground I've ever been to no showers no water bathrooms don't work and the government charges you money to stay here there should be a law against these people read more

I stayed in the Tuttletown Acorn campsite #65, 66, and 67, but preferred 67 and 68 due to more lakeview. #60 is pretty nice too. Problems I have: -Restroom by campsite is non-flushable. However, if you walk down the slope for 4-5 minutes, you will get to a restroom with coin-operated shower and flushing toilets. -Each site is relatively small. It may fit up to two small tents. Some may only fit one. -Running water is not clean enough for cooking. What I enjoyed: -Sites I stayed at are well-shaded. -There's enough activities you could do during the day such as swimming, hiking,and fishing. Natural Bridges is a must-do hiking activity, but you would have to drive for 30 minutes from the campsite to the trailhead (ask the ranger at the gate for hiking maps). The hike itself is rated moderate. 1.5 miles roundtrip. It is a beautiful trail that would take you to water and cave. read more

This is your typical dry lands campgrounds near a lake. Unfortunately, the 'lake' is now around 38% capacity, so there wasn't much to swim in. It was very muddy and there were too many sharp rocks. You can literally see how high the lake used to be and well, the lake is in a sad, sad state. It was 102 degrees around 2 PM when we checked in, but it cooled down at night, which we expected it to. Lots of tiny bugs and weird creepy crawlies, all typical of such campgrounds. Some camp spots do not have any shade whatsoever. So if you reserve, make sure your spot has trees! Our spot was fairly close to the restrooms which had showers in them. The toilets there flushes and the showers are .50 cents for 5 minutes. We also visited a small museum nearby since we were getting tired of the heat. The museum had a bunch of interesting brochures on the cities nearby and historical information of the area, such as once being home to the Miwok people, popular place to find gold and the different kinds of animals the areas are home to. There was also a telescope looking outside a glass door so visitors can view a nest of one of the type of birds in the area. We saw two giant birds! Anyhow, this was an 'ok' campground. Just wish there were more water! read more

Wow !! I live less than 15 minutes away over in Columbia for the past 20 +- years ! Fish here regularly camp occasionally ,Never knew It was such a sh#t hole !! The reviews here are the bad ones that can happen at any camp site anywhere !! People are quick to post a bad review because there still upset ! I`m not saying it`s the best camping ground in the world ,But it`s not as bad as it has been made to sound !! Fishing can be great ! There are some huge Bass , Catfish and trout in there !! A boat is a big help ! But you can do good from the shore !! Give it a chance !! Thanks ! Pops read more

Really nice place, great place for dogs. Bathrooms were clean and the showers as well. We stayed at manzanita loop. We check out other areas but manzanita was the closest to the water. Do keep in mind to bring a canopy a lot of the sites don't get shade. Also, bringing water shoes is a good idea the path to the water is a little rocky and sandals were not the best for walking. A lot of reviews warn people about leeches in the water, luckily we didn't have this problem, no sure if is a seasonal thing or certain areas do have them but at least the area we were at did not have them. Very calm and great getaway place. All park ranger that came around were super nice and helpful. We went during weekdays right before this 4th July holiday and it wasn't too crowded as we were leaving on friday all the campsite were filling up. read more

Absolute worst camping experience I have ever had. Only thing that kept me there after the first night was the time I wanted to spend with friends and family. The rangers were not on the same page at all as to where our trailers could be setup on our group campsite. they were rude and just down right unprofessional. They made us move numerous times at ridiculous hours, too. The lake water was absolutely disgusting and riddled with leeches. Bathrooms were poorly kept and very inconvenient. I will not be back and neither will the other 30 people we camped with. read more

Positive things: Clean, large sites, Water was warm, and pretty views Negative:If swimming is part of your ideal camping experience DO NOT GO IF you have small kids, pregnant, disabled, have bad knees, hips or back. There is no camp site that has easy access to the lake, extreme steep walk, jagged rocks. If you make it down to the swimming area and you have not broken your leg. swimming is your only option because there is zero place to put a chair or even to lay out a towel to sit on. I was not a fan. read more

We are camping in spot 17. This is our first time here and I did not do a ton of research. This is a party campground. We arrived on Wednesday and stayed through Sunday, and from the first moment, we could tell, it was loud. Drunk people everywhere, parties at every site. Generators running all day and night. Music thumping all day and night. There is no camp host on site, so no one to enforce rules. People stumbling around yelling and screaming was very common. At one point, 1 am, the thumping music and yelling got so bad from one site my husband walked all the way across the campground to ask them to mellow it out. I definitely do not recommend this spot, especially if you have kids. For some reason, in this campground, people love to run their generators nonstop as well. For all the time we were here, they were running non stop, 24/7. If you are looking for a nice quiet camping spot, this is not it. read more

Was referred to this area because Glory Hole did not have running water. The sink/toilet/shower water had a tint of brown. Is that normal? Is it dirty? Recycled? Or added chemicals? Area was clean. Park ranger and sheriff were present/friendly. Spent 3 days and 2 nights. The last 1 hour and a half of our check out time we were approached by the park host (an elderly man) saying he saw an adult with a hatchet/axe break a gate lock and throw it in the bush from our group. My friend actually has a picture of the gate while taking pics of the kids the day BEFORE and it visibly showed a ziptie and not a "lock". With multiple people passing by the gate we don't know who he was referring to, but it certainly was not from our group. When he approached us, we were eating an hour in, and he said he saw the individual that did it 30 mins ago. He didn't threaten us. He did say he was going to get the Park Ranger and Sheriff to sort it out with us. That's understandable, but please don't automatically assume it's us just because we're next to the gate. From now on I'll try as much as possible to book away from gates, and I'll be taking pictures of the camp site and my surroundings upon arrival to protect ourselves from being falsely accused of "damages." read more

The campsites we stayed in were beautiful. The staff didn't know what the hell they were doing or how to organize anything. They gave away our campsite. Told us to share with our group and that we could still park in that campsites designated spot. Next day, give out warnings to move cars-mine was one of them. Complained and they didn't even know how to handle the situation and were really confused but let me park their anyway. Our lovely neighbors that were given our campsite decided it was a great idea to wake up at 6:30 am Saturday and Sunday to start up their jet ski...no rangers came around to either day to site them (quiet hours are 10pm-8am). Too bad the administrative side sucks because the area was beautiful. read more

I stayed at the Fiddleneck group site in July. It was super hot but everyone had a great time. The group site, near the Lupine day use area, is located in its own little area with a restroom a short walk away. No other campsites were near so we were able to be as noisy or as quiet as we wanted to be. Plenty of trees, plenty of space, with an overflow lot nearby. The ranger came by Saturday and Sunday to make sure we were okay and well taken care of. As for the water, we had jet skis and boats so we drove down to the boat launch. The beach is more rocks and mud but we found a dry patch to set up. Fun was had by all. We were able to drive to nearby Angels Camp to get more ice and other things we needed. There were no negatives about this place and I will definitely return. read more

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE CAMPGROUND FOR FAMILIES, PEACE-LOVING PEOPLE, OR ANYONE WHO EXPECTS TO SLEEP AT NIGHT!!! We booked Tuttletown for a special occasion; it wasn't just Labor Day, it was my girlfriend's birthday. She wanted to camp somewhere quiet & peaceful, right on the waters edge. Tuttletown Rec Area turned out to be neither. We booked 3 nights, but stayed only for 2. IT WAS PURE HELL !!! Here is our story. FRIDAY NIGHT, AUG 31st We arrived at 8:30 p.m. & were tired after working all day and then driving, so we made camp and went to bed at 10:30. This camp has a rule-no loud noise after 10:00 pm-so I expected it to be quiet. Instead, we heard a big group (2 or 3 sites combined) of LOUD, EXTREMELY DRUNK ADULTS across the parking lot raising hell--loud laughing, cussing, women frequently screaming, etc. These rude drunken idiots kept this crap up until 1:30 a.m. Earlier we saw rangers drive by & the camp host drove by in his little cart. Since they were patrolling we *thought* they would do their jobs & enforce the rules and handle these loud obnoxious jerks. But instead NOBODY patrolled our area after 10:00 p.m.--if they had they no doubt would have heard them! I have no idea what the park employees were doing instead, but I had hoped they would feel *some* sense of obligation to patrol *all* areas of the camp periodically after 10 to make sure all was quiet. Clearly, they don't. SATURDAY MORNING, SEPT 1st The next morning I went to the guard shack at the park entry & reported all this to 2 rangers. They apologized and asked where the offenders were camped. I told them & they said they'd tell them no loud noise after 10:00 p.m. I thanked them & we left. I trusted them to take care of it and looked forward to an evening of peaceful, quiet sleep. I couldn't have been more wrong. SATURDAY AFTERNOON We came back that afternoon & noticed 3 nearby campsites (which were empty earlier) were now full teens, maybe 15 of them or more. THIS WAS A DIFFERENT GROUP THAN THE LOUD DRUNKS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE. It was only 5 p.m., but once they started talking I could tell they might get noisy later that night. The bearded camp host drove up at around 6:00. I told him my concerns and asked who I should complain to if things go bad. He said he couldn't take complaints (uhh...excuse me??), but he assured me the camp was well patrolled. I asked him if he heard my complaint about the people last night. He said he had & said park staff & rangers *had their eyes on them*. I felt good about that & thought if there's any problem tonight with the previous group OR with these teens, this time the staff of rangers & hosts who patrol this campground will be on top of it and will quell any such problem instantly. Yep, that's what I thought. *sigh* Once again we went to bed at around 10:30 p.m. The camp was quiet. I could hear crickets. We slept. This place boasts they lock the entry gate at 11:00 p.m, but these kids just lay a plank over the exit lane spikes and drive in anytime they want (what idiot designed THAT security measure??) So at 1:30 a.m. we hear about 20 car doors slam, then a nonstop stream of shouting, cursing, and, just like the previous night, the party was on but now it was these teens instead - we couldn't believe it! These underaged kids with ice chests full of beer & NO concern for anyone around them owned that campground & kept carrying on, screaming obscenities, etc. By 2:00 a.m. I'd had enough, and I yelled out a very loud "QUIET!!* They yelled back "F--- YOU, IT'S LABOR DAY, SO SHUT THE F--- UP!!" (there were sites with families nearby with small children who no doubt heard all this, I feel sorry for them) SUNDAY MORNING At 2:15 a.m I called the Toulumne County sheriff's dept. & they assured me they'd send someone out--THE SHERIFF IGNORED MY CALL & NEVER SHOWED UP!!! The obnoxious teens finally fell asleep by 3:30 a.m. By then I was so angry I couldn't sleep (wouldn't you be too??) The next morning out of sleepless frustration, at 7:00 a.m. we packed & left a day earlier than we had planned. In extreme anger I reported everything-first at the entry booth, then again to ranger Deborah, & again to chief ranger Billy. They apologized & Billy actually offered me a complimentary stay if we wanted to return. I almost laughed -- WHY THE HELL WOULD WE COME BACK TO A CAMP WHERE THE RANGERS, HOSTS & SHERIFFS OFFICE ARE ALL POWERLESS & CAN'T EVEN STOP A GROUP OF DRUNK TEENS WHO BREAK INTO THEIR CAMP AFTER 1:30 A.M & SCREAM OBSCENITIES ALL NIGHT?? This disaster ruined my girlfriends birthday & what should have been a nice Labor Day weekend for us both. I've camped in hundreds of campgrounds over the last 30 years & have NEVER had such a bad experience as I did at this horrid place! To be perfectly clear: THOSE MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FIASCO ARE RANGERS & HOSTS AT TUTTLETOWN REC & THE TOULUMNE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE. read more

If the website says the gates close at 11 make sure they close at 11 and not 10 which leaves you stranded in the middle of no where for the night with no help from the phone numbers listed. read more

Surprised by the negative reviews. I've camped in many places over the years because I used to ride dirt bikes a lot and have to camp in really off the beaten path places. Tuttletown is the nicest place I've ever camped at. The roads are well groomed and campsites are clean. And as far as the porta-potty complaints, I've actually never used one here. They have actual bathrooms on site and showers. They've always been clean and well stocked with toilet paper. Maybe I'm the only one who knows where they are located? I have a fear of porta-potties myself and wouldn't have camped here over a dozen times already. Sure there are areas were there are no plumbing and you have to use those bathrooms that goes straight into a large septic tank, but they aren't exactly porta-potties. Location wise Tuttletown is super convenient. So much so that you can actually just set up your tent and some chairs and not cook at all the entire weekend. Town is really close by with lots of food, even fast food, Walmart, Big 5, you name it. You literally could just show up with no gear. The heat? That part is definitely true. The entire area is in the 100's during the summer. Even with shade you are slugging around and barely moving in that heat. Most people just bring a 10'x10' pop up shade/canopy and that does the trick. Many campsites do not have trees particularly the drive up sites but the tent only ones usually do. I usually come here in off seasons it's just more pleasant. Also just an fyi, many sites do have a bit of a hill and aren't flat. Kind of cool if you need privacy but sort of a pain for unloading cars/parking, or setting up huge tents. Also the map is misleading. It looks like you are close to water or have a view on some sites but you really have to see it in person to judge. Fishing...I tried it once here and no luck. By the camping areas you sort of have to get through rocks and stuff to get to the water. Once there there isn't really a bank for you to set up a chair and hang out. While it is possible to do so the surface is rocky and uneven and sitting in a chair is difficult (we tried). There are however other places to fish such as by the boat launch and by the roads running around the edge of lake. Noise? Ugh. It's so unavoidable in these places. In an open area especially with less trees you can hear the toilet flush or a car door from across the camp. I've been fortunate to come only when it was off-season and very quite. People are friendly, we make friends with the current camp host, and wave to the sheriff as they make their rounds about half a dozen times a day. They really do make a LOT of rounds. I only had a bad noise problem once from a party across the camp but they shut up around 1am. It's rare, and a problem in any camp you go to. Particularly on holidays. As a matter of fact, we came here once with our family (large family) and were playing board games around 9pm. We weren't loud or drunk but occasionally would laugh playing the game. A sheriff did come and tell us we needed to keep it down. Seriously, we weren't a bunch of partiers or anything we even thought it was ridiculous. How happy you'd be will likely depend on your own experience camping. If you're used to the camping "resorts" with pools and cabins and general stores, this might not be for you. This place is pretty basic and simple which I like. Most people that come here are older people or during holidays mostly families. Only on holidays do I see more of a younger crowd. Now compared to the many other places I've camped, where there is no awesome view such as this lake (it really is amazing at dawn and dusk!), no camp hosts, no sheriffs patrolling, dirty campsites, etc., this campsite is the top of my list and I highly recommend. read more

It's a nice enough campground. When you book, keep in mind you're paying $20... your money is covering patrol, signs, and porta potties, you aren't paying for ideal scenery and access to sandy white beaches; the rules are clearly posted, the grounds are clean, there's ample parking, and they're pet friendly without any breed restrictions. Water access was a bit rough, but we're barely out of the drought. Also, please note... it's in Calaveras county (which is HOT and the heat gets caught between the hills) so consider booking well before mid June unless you have n RV. Otherwise, I like this campground for last minute camping. read more

Stay away. Lake has leeches in it. The park rangers and the staff DO NOT COMMUNICATE. We had to move our rigs 3 times after the staff said it was fine where they were as long as we were being safe. Then a we gotta hot to Trot ranger that came and made us move our trailers on our own camp ground. the first time it was around 5 pm and 100 degrees out side and our baby was sleeping in it. Then again at 10 pm pitch black I told him the spots where we parked were the only level parking spins in this group site every where else had such steep inclines or such poor uneven pavement even our tent campers couldn't get a even dirt spot, so it had been a long day and asked if we could do it early morning since the new melones staff didn't know how to properly communicate with patrons who spent 600$ on a camp site. After we tried to explain to him he threatened to call the sheriffs department. The BBQ was supposed to have a wood covering over it, that was gone the bbqs were full of soot and the grates were so beat up there was no cooking food evenly. The dump station on the busiest camping Holliday weekend was out of order so every time we had to dump we had to hook all our trailers up and drive Across the lake to the other camp site. For campers to pay 600$ to enjoy a weekend away from home is a lot but I'd say a homeless camp would have been an upgrade. It's to bad we were treated so poorly and the site was in such bad shape. This will be our first and last stint at new melones. I do have one nice thing to say, the water fountains had very nice clean cool water At our site read more

This place is an ok for the price we stayed in spot 36&37 kinda far away from each other. Also the water was very far away we had to drive to it. the water is very dirty and muddy a lot of clay when you get in the water there's a lot of rocks and it cuts your feet if your not wearing water shoes. The bathrooms and showers are in the same place although the bathrooms weren't totally horrible the showers were. Be aware of bobcats and rattle snakes we stayed two night and did not see any but they do have signs that say they're more active from sundown to sunrise. read more

Well...this campsite isn't all that bad, from July 12th -14th we took the family here, little did we know as we were staying here our campsite in the Manzanita section was pretty decent, but there was no running water for the bathrooms, they only had porter johns which I can tell were not maintained and had accumulated quite the messy buildup. However, throughout the weekend we also learned within this section, that water was released from a dam further up the hill in the mountains during the drought season. Unfortunately as that water made its way down to Melones it actually backed up the water infrastructure in the Manzanita section. This was the only section within Tuttletown that the campsite that didn't have running water because of that (same with Glory Hole Recreation Area), all the other campsites did such as Chamise. I would give two more stars for the Manzanita section until they have running water, also call and ask about the recreation area if you do have questions and concerns. Anyways, If you need some decent services like a shower especially for basic hygiene I guess you're better off going into the lake and drying out under the sun, keep in mind if you do use the showers in other sections of the campsite bring some quarters if you need to use the shower or get one of those outdoor showers you have to establish and save yourself the trouble (don't forget rubber slippers). We also had to bring three 5 gallon jugs of water specifically for cleaning and whatnot, so keep a supply reserve in mind, not to mention it was really hot, so ice is very essential. Other than that issue, the lake is great, boat launch is no problem, campsite could've been cleaner but the last party whoever stayed were definitely bunch of city folks who have no respect for nature, had to clean up after them. For all others who aren't used to camping please keep the site clean until the next party comes for use. Also we did see another campsite within the Manzanita section that we were supposed to get, possibly it might have been available but there are signs that it is unavailable, really nice too. But the Park Ranger's reasoning is that was a flooded area affected from the dam discharge, and it's possible water might make its way to the campsite. It wasn't really that high, and it looked fine, but from observation I can see what he means. I would come back here sometime in the future until they fix their water issues. If you're looking for a decent campsite I would check out Big Trees State Park further up the hill in Calaveras County or Kennedy Meadows also further up the hill in Tuolumne County, only difference is there is no boat launch, just nature. Enjoy your stay! read more

Spent two nights at Tuttletown Campgrounds in late June 2015 and had a great time. We made our reservation online with no trouble and enjoyed the quick drive from Modesto on Friday night. Our spot was in the Manzanita loop and was easy to find. Had a large group of guys right next to us, which we were initially a little worried about, but they turned out to be great neighbors. The camp host stopped within minutes of our arrival to get us set up with appropriate paperwork and made us feel welcome. Saw him again every few hours during our stay. Our site was clean and had ample space to set up our big family tent and awning, and our little dog had plenty of room to explore on her lead. Grill, fire pit, and picnic table were all in great shape. Lots of trees around our site, but you have to be diligent in choosing where you book to avoid being too exposed. **Yes, there are ants and other insects on the ground. This is their house and you have no business to expect that they will change their behavior to suit your unrealistic expectations.** Had a nice view of what's left of the lake, but no real access from the campground. **After four years of severe drought, some people are still surprised that the water levels are so low. Duh.** Bathroom and shower facilities were very clean and remained so for the duration of our stay. **For campground facilities, they were immaculate. It's $22/night, so if you're expecting a Hilton or Embassy Suites, you're fooling yourself.** Spent some time at the railroad museum in Jamestown, then came back to escape the heat (102F) in the water. A friendly ranger told us just where to go (turn off at the Mark Twain information center, go past it, park, and walk 20 yards to the lake), and we had a blast with some other folks trying to cool off as well. **It's California. It's summer. It gets really freakin' hot. Seriously, some of these reviewers are hilariously spoiled.** Tuttletown earned five stars this time around. We'll definitely be back. read more

I wish I could give this place -10!! AWFUL!! Dirty, very RUDE campers. Do not be fooled by the photos. All the campsites here are not even near the water. They have a CURFEW of 11pm if you want to spend the evening out on the town then that could be a problem. It isn't the type of campsite where you will have privacy. So if you are planning on having sex with your partner this isn't the place for it. lol. There are no big pretty trees and pine cones. It just feels like your homeless and living in a tent!! Does not give you that warm fuzzy camping in the woods feeling. And forget about police protection! If you were to be attacked by a lion,tiger, bear or drunk person and you call the police they will not come to help you. If you want to go down to the reservoir be prepared for a steep hike down and when and if you get down to the reservoir you might not want to stick your toes in the water because it is simply gross. This place is just EWWW your better off sleeping in your car. read more

Omg! This has to be the nastiest campground I have ever been to!. The bathrooms are porto pottys and they are disgusting!. The sites are small and on hills. Will never be returning here again. But the nastiest thing, when we went to the lake for a day by the lake we found that THERE WAS LEECHES IN THE LAKE MY KIDS WERE COVERED IN LEECHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BE AWARE... WE ENDED UP LEAVING AND GOING TO TULLOCH LAKE RESORT FOR THE DAY.... read more

Good small location for camping. However, it gets super hot here and campsites for tent only barely has shades. I stayed at site 120. Omg it was hot from 8am-1am. I do like the lake view from the site but i hated how there are no trees for shade. This site is literally off a cliff. Lots of rocks everywhere. The site is a little hilly so when you set up your tent you are not leveled. It is walking distance to the clean bathroom. It has a firepit, table, trash nearby, and water faucet. It is also really closed to site 121. I think by far site 122 is the best. It has a good amount of shades. During the day it's really hot to stay at the site or go hiking. So i spend most of my time in the towns or at the glory hole. There's not much activity to do here but overall i like the place. Ps, this place is so dry. Cant even swim because there's not water access. read more