Nine new ADA-accessible campsites and a restored CCC bathhouse headline a freshly upgraded mountain retreat in the Ouachita National Forest.
One of the Ouachita National Forest’s most beloved mountain retreats is back open and better than ever. Shady Lake Recreation Area officially opened for the 2026 season on April 15, and for the first time, campers can now lock in their spots ahead of time through the national reservation system.
The U.S. Forest Service announced that 28 of the campground’s 54 sites on the Mena-Oden Ranger District are now available through Recreation.gov, with the option to book up to six months in advance. Remaining sites will continue to operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations can also be made by calling 877-444-6777.
The opening comes after the completion of major infrastructure improvements funded through the Great American Outdoors Act. The Loop A Reconstruction Project, finished earlier this year, added nine fully accessible ADA campsites with full-service hookups. Crews also restored the campground’s historic Civilian Conservation Corps bathhouse, repaired structural damage, and installed a new vault toilet for day-use visitors.
“The campground is made up of four camping loops, with amenities ranging from basic sites to those with electric, water, and sewer hookups, all within earshot of a babbling mountain creek.”
A Brief History: Built by the CCC
Shady Lake’s story begins in the summer of 1933, when 200 young men with the Civilian Conservation Corps set up tents in the mountains of what is now Polk County and began building a camp. The 742nd Company, the second CCC camp ever organized in Arkansas, was located forty-five miles southeast of Mena and named “Shady” after a community that once existed two miles to the west.
The crescent-shaped lake was created beginning in 1935, primarily by members of CCC Company 742 stationed at Camp F-4. The dam they built measures 130 feet long and 40 feet high across the South Fork of the Saline River. Corps workers also constructed a bathhouse in 1936, a dam and picnic pavilion in 1938, and a caretaker’s house in 1940.
The Shady Lake CCC Bridges, completed in December 1936, were built as part of the Shady Lake Dam project to carry a road that would encircle the newly formed lake and service its recreational facilities. The dam, along with seven other CCC-built structures at Shady Lake, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The stone bridges were added to the National Register in 2010.
That heritage is still visible throughout the campground today, and the Forest Service’s recent restoration work was specifically designed to preserve it. The Loop A bathhouse that just received structural repairs is the same one the CCC built nearly 90 years ago, and it’s open again for a new generation of campers.
What to Expect When You Arrive
Shady Lake is nestled in the Ouachita National Forest at the base of Tall Peak and Raspberry Mountains, with the Caney Creek Wilderness forming part of its boundary. The campground’s four loops offer a range of site types, from no-frills tent pads to full-hookup sites with water, electric, and sewer connections. Bathhouses in Loops C and D feature warm showers and flush toilets, while the day-use area offers picnic pavilions, BBQ grills, a designated swim area, and access to the shoreline trail.
The Shady Lake Trail traverses Saline Creek, passes the historic Shady Lake Dam, and continues along the eastern edge of the campground. The trail is ideal for day hiking, and mountain bikers may also use it. The surrounding Ouachita National Forest also provides access to the nearby Caney Creek Wilderness and the Athens Big Fork Trail for those looking to extend their adventure.
No gasoline-powered motors are permitted on the lake, making it a quiet haven for fishing, kayaking, and canoe paddling. Cell service is essentially nonexistent out here, which, if you ask the regulars, is exactly the point.
For more information, contact the Mena-Oden Ranger District at 479-394-2382.
GETTING THERE
Take Arkansas Hwy. 84 west of Glenwood, AR; turn northwest on Arkansas Hwy. 246 at Athens, AR; turn right (north) at sign, then drive 3 miles on Forest Service Road 38.
Approximately 40 miles west of Glenwood and 45 miles southeast of Mena.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
