Tuolumne, CA — The local passes and campgrounds are all open and there are boat restrictions on several lakes. Here is a review of the news that may impact your Memorial Day plans.
All of the local passes; Highway 4, 49, 108 and 120 are open. As reported here May 15 was the earliest opening in 16 years of Tioga Road the extension of Highway 120 through Yosemite. Glacier Point Road is also open. The CHP is targeting seatbelt use during the Holiday Enforcement Period as detailed here.
All Yosemite front-country campgrounds will be open this summer and 16 campgrounds are available for reservation at Recreation.gov. Yosemite digital site passes and the America the Beautiful pass are also available in advance on Recreation.gov. Parking in Yosemite Valley fills early and services may be limited in some areas. The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) summer schedule is here. Yosemite reopened a climbing section of the Valley Loop Trail near Royal Arches and several popular climbing routes that were previously closed for safety monitoring. The Ice Cut section of the John Muir Trail is not expected to reopen until July following visitor safety and trail improvements. Half Dome daily lottery permits for two days in advance of the desired hiking date opened May 13.
An overview of weekend and Memorial Day events are in the news story here.
Stanislaus National Forest offers many hiking trails including Columns of the Giants, Donnell Vista, and the Pinecrest Peak Trail. Pinecrest Lake is open with no boating restrictions. Kennedy Meadows Pack Station and Aspen Meadow Pack Station offer guided horseback tours through the region. The Carson-Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness areas are open for backpacking and backcountry hiking. For overnight stays, Dodge Ridge states eleven campgrounds are available including Fraser Flat, Meadowview, Clark Fork, and Eureka Valley. There are over 100 sites for camping on a first-come, first-served basis, or, book ahead of time at Pinecrest, Meadowview, Pioneer Group Campground and for any overnight wilderness trip via Recreation.gov.
As detailed here Beardsley Lake Boat Ramp was closed by Stanislaus National Forest as requested by the Tri-Dam Project who uses the water for customers downstream.
New Melones is 76% full, which is 124% percent of average as of May 20, 2026. The Glory Hole Recreation Area entrance gate is open from 4 AM to 9 PM and day use areas are open sunrise to sunset. The campgrounds are reservable at Recreation.gov but all campgrounds in the Tuttletown are currently closed. The New Melones Visitor Center and Museum is also currently closed. The Tuttletown Recreation Area entrance gate is open from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. with day use areas open sunrise to sunset. Natural Bridges and other outlying day use areas are also open sunrise to sunset with very limited parking. Visitors are asked to follow all posted signage and pack out all waste. More details are in the news story “BOR Updates New Melones Lake Spring And Summer Operations” here.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) who manages the public lands in the foothills around New Melones implemented a fire ban and other restrictions today as reported here. The BLM coordinates with the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) who manages water and shoreline activities. The ROR can be contacted at the New Melones administration building located by the Stevenot Bridge, off Highway 49 at 6850 Studhorse Flat Road in Sonora for America the Beautiful Interagency passes, and New Melones Lake annual day-use and boat launch passes from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except federal holidays like Memorial Day. The BOR requires all boats launching at New Melones Lake participate in a 30 day seal/banding program related to preventing the golden mussel from spreading. Details about boat decontamination are here.
The Calaveras side of Lake Tulloch has no public access, as detailed by the Tri-Dam Project access to the lake should only be from specific home owners association (HOA) boat ramps. All boats need a Tri-Dam sticker in addition to the DMV mussel fee payment sticker to prove they are certified to access the lake. All non-motorized items must be inspected by users and they must complete a Self-Inspection Permit Form prior to launching, details are here.
The Tuolumne side of Lake Tulloch at the marina remains closed with the possibility of opening for Fourth of July. Details are here.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park opened all campsites May 15. The park is open on holidays like Memorial Day with a day use fee increase from $10 to the holiday fee of $12.
Don Pedro Lake Camping, Boating and Fishing summer hours started May 15. The Visitor Center is open daily from 8 AM to 4 PM. The Don Pedro Recreation Agency (DPRA) asks boaters to self-inspect their craft before entering the lake and fill out a form. Details about boat decontamination are here.
