We just returned from spending a few days at New Melones Lake, which is near Angels Camp, CA. We seem to have picked the perfect time to visit, as the hillsides are still green and the lake is full from all the rain we have been getting this year. In another month, the grass will be dry and it will be too hot for us, although it will be fine for the water skiers.
We picked a spot without any hookups in a federal campground close to the lake. The campground was about half full and the views of the lake were great; just what we hoped for when we took up Airstreaming.
Full hookups are available nearby in Angels Camp, but in crowded facilities with no views. Not what we had in mind.
New Melones Lake is huge. There is no one spot where you can really get a good idea of the size of it. It meanders here and there with inlets and coves for miles and miles. Fishing is generally good; without trying very hard I caught our dinner from the shore. There were sites where we could have tied up our boat within 20 yards of our camp, had we the boat or the inclination to do so.
There are lots of things to do and see close to Angels Camp. Of course, there are lots of historical places having to do with the gold rush. There is Calaveras Big Trees state park. There are the interesting towns of Arnold and Murphys nearby. Highway 4 winds up from Angels Camp over Ebbets pass over the Sierras, past Bear Valley and Alpine Lake. People were still skiing at Bear Valley yesterday, and probably will be for some weeks to come. There is Moaning Caverns, where you can zipline and explore.
All told, a worthwhile place to put on your list to visit. The window for us, given our desire for cool, but not cold, temps is limited, maybe a month in the spring and a month in the fall.