Glory Hole Recreation Area
New Melones Lake · California · 143 sites
Imagery: USGS The National Map
Overview
Glory Hole Recreation Area is a Bureau of Reclamation campground in New Melones Lake, California, with 143 sites in 6 loops. Mostly open: only a few shady sites. T-Mobile and Verizon report coverage at every site; AT&T at 134 of 139.
22 of 139 sites shaded
107 of 139 sites in full sun
136 of 139 sites with clear sky
Map of the campground
Every site from the Recreation.gov listing. Choose a layer to see it across the campground; tap a site to open it in Roam.
Layers
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Questions
Which sites at Glory Hole Recreation Area are the shadiest?
Only a few. 22 of 139 sites have good shade; most sit in the open.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Glory Hole Recreation Area get the most sun?
Plenty. 107 of 139 sites are open to the south and the sky — easy for solar panels, and warm on cool mornings.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Glory Hole Recreation Area?
Easy here. About 136 of 139 sites have open sky for a Starlink dish, and 2 more have a partial gap. Satellite texting on a phone needs less open sky, but still works best from the most open spot you can find. This is our estimate from tree heights — check with the Starlink app's obstruction check when you arrive.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Glory Hole Recreation Area are the most level?
5 of 139 sites are flat, and 9 more have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 125 are steeper, better for tents. Sites that take RVs or trailers fit rigs up to 80 ft.
See the slope at each site in RoamDoes Glory Hole Recreation Area have cell service?
Mostly. T-Mobile and Verizon report coverage at every site; AT&T at 134 of 139 (it's missing in Big Oak 113-132). That's the coverage each carrier reports to the FCC, not a measured signal, so under trees or below a ridge it can be weaker.
See the coverage map in RoamWhat’s the weather like at Glory Hole Recreation Area in October?
In October, expect highs around 78°F and lows around 47°F, with about 1.4 inches of rain over the month. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Glory Hole Recreation Area in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 143 in 6 loops
- Kinds
- 121 for RVs or trailers · 22 tent-only
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 80 ft
- Accessible
- 11 sites
- Elevation
- 1,097–1,209 ft
- Amenities
- Water spigots
- Every site
- Picnic table · Pets allowed · Campfires allowed · Check-in 3 PM, check-out 2 PM
- Managed by
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Booking
- Reserve on Recreation.gov
How we know Sources and limits
Shade, sun and Starlink are our estimates from Meta and the World Resources Institute’s canopy-height model (about 2 m pixels, from satellite imagery calibrated with space lidar; CC BY 4.0). From 2 m above each site we trace 72 lines out to 60 m and note the tallest tree in each direction. Shade counts trees overhead, the canopy within 30 m and how much of the afternoon sky is blocked. Sun counts how open the southern sky is. Starlink needs open sky above 35°, with the northern half counted twice because US dishes tilt north, and we keep the best spot within 8 m of the site’s post. The model sees tree heights only, not trunks, buildings or hills, so check with the Starlink app when you arrive.
Slope is the ground at each site’s post over about 4 m, from USGS 3DEP 1 m lidar: level under 2%, gentle to 4% (most rigs level on blocks), sloped to 8% (fine for a tent), steep beyond.
Cell coverage is from the FCC Broadband Data Collection (carrier filings as downloaded May 2026): each site is tested against each carrier’s modelled outdoor 4G/5G coverage. It is what the carriers report, not a measured signal.
Weather is NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the campground. Sites and facts are from Recreation.gov’s open data (July 2026). Map imagery: USGS The National Map.
From the campground’s Recreation.gov listing: “The campground provides modern amenities like flush toilets, showers and drinking water. Visitors will also find a full-service marina, boat launch, day-use areas, barbeque grills and a fish cleaning station. There is an amphitheater for Ranger programs and horseshoe pits in the Ironhorse campground. Picnic tables and fire rings are provided at each campsite. Recreation Area entrance gates close at 9:00 PM, and open at 4:00 AM. Exit gates are never closed. New Melones Lake is located in Northern California between the historic gold rush towns of Sonora and Angels Camp. The terrain varies from rolling hills to steep marble cliffs, and the vegetation consists of oaks, Ponderosa pines, chamise and buckbrush shrubs. Visitors can experience the beauty of New Melones by hiking the many trails in the Tuttletown and Glory Hole Recreation Areas. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.