04/14/2026
Shady Lake Recreation Area Now on National Reservation System
HOT SPRINGS, Ark., April 13, 2026 — Shady Lake Recreation Area will open for the 2026 season on April 15, and visitors can now reserve campsites ahead of their trip.
Twenty-eight sites on the Mena-Oden Ranger District are available through the national reservation system. All other sites will remain first come, first served.
Reservations can be made at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. Campsites can be booked up to six months in advance.
Shady Lake recently received several upgrades funded through the Great American Outdoors Act. The Loop A Reconstruction Project, completed in 2026, added nine fully accessible ADA campsites with full-service hookups. Crews also restored the historic Civilian Conservation Corps bathhouse, repaired structural damage and installed a new vault toilet for day-use visitors.
The recreation area features a 25-acre lake in a quiet mountain setting. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937, it provides access to the Shady Lake Trail, which crosses Saline Creek, passes the historic dam and follows the eastern edge of the campground.
The campground includes four loops with 54 total sites, ranging from basic campsites to those with electric, water and some sewer hookups. Amenities include bathhouses with warm showers, flush toilets, a designated swim area, picnic pavilions, grills, and a three-mile shoreline trail. Campsites can accommodate RVs up to 32 feet long.
As part of the Forest Service’s effort to expand access to outdoor recreation and improve visitor services, these upgrades support safer, more reliable experiences for visitors while maintaining the site’s historic character.
Shady Lake Recreation Area is about 40 miles west of Glenwood, Arkansas, and 45 miles southeast of Mena, Arkansas.
For more information, contact the Mena-Oden Ranger District at 479-394-2382.
4-13-26
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