New Shady Rest Campground: Your Mammoth Lakes Camping Retreat

New Shady Rest Campground Introduce

Nestled within the picturesque Eastern Sierra landscape, New Shady Rest Campground in Mammoth Lakes, California, offers a welcoming haven for outdoor enthusiasts across the Golden State. For California locals seeking an accessible and amenity-rich camping experience, this campground provides a compelling blend of natural beauty and practical conveniences. Whether you're planning a family getaway, a solo adventure, or a trip with friends, New Shady Rest is designed to accommodate a variety of camping styles, from traditional tents to modern RVs.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through what makes New Shady Rest Campground a popular choice, emphasizing its prime location, the services it offers, and the unique features that enhance the camping experience. We aim to provide a factual yet engaging overview, helping you envision your next memorable outdoor escape amidst the stunning alpine scenery of Mammoth Lakes. Our goal is to highlight why New Shady Rest Campground is not just a place to stay, but a basecamp for exploring the unparalleled natural wonders that California's high country has to offer.

New Shady Rest Campground is ideally situated on Sawmill Cutoff, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, USA. This location is one of its most significant advantages, offering campers a convenient base for exploring the vast recreational opportunities of the Mammoth Lakes area. Its position provides a desirable balance: you're immersed in a serene wooded environment while still being just a few miles from the vibrant town of Mammoth Lakes and numerous points of interest. This means easy access to amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, and outdoor gear shops, which can be a huge benefit for planning and executing a comfortable camping trip.

Accessibility to New Shady Rest Campground is straightforward for those traveling from various parts of California. Major state highways lead directly to Mammoth Lakes, and from there, Sawmill Cutoff provides clear access to the campground. This ease of navigation minimizes travel stress and maximizes the time you can spend enjoying your destination. While the campground offers a feeling of being "in the woods," its proximity to Highway 203 means that some road noise can be present, especially for certain sites. However, this trade-off often comes with the benefit of excellent accessibility to the wider Mammoth Lakes area.

A significant highlight of New Shady Rest is its excellent network of pedestrian and bike paths that connect not only throughout the campground but also extend across Mammoth Lakes. This feature is a huge draw for active campers who enjoy cycling or strolling directly from their campsite to explore the surrounding area without needing to drive. Furthermore, the campground's location puts you within a few miles of "all sorts of beautiful alpine lakes," making it an ideal staging point for day trips to these pristine natural wonders, whether for fishing, paddleboarding, or simply enjoying the breathtaking views. The convenience of booking through Recreation.gov also streamlines the planning process, making it easy for California locals to secure their spot.

New Shady Rest Campground offers a range of services designed to enhance the comfort and convenience of its campers, catering to both tent and RV users.

Full RV Hookups: A major draw for RV and trailer owners, many sites at New Shady Rest offer full RV hookups. This amenity provides access to water, electricity, and sewer connections, offering a higher level of convenience and comfort, making it a home away from home.
Fire Pits: Each campsite is equipped with a fire pit, allowing campers to enjoy classic campfires for cooking, warmth, and evening gatherings. This traditional camping element adds significantly to the outdoor experience. (Always check for current fire restrictions before lighting a fire.)
Picnic Tables: Every site also includes a picnic table, providing a dedicated and convenient surface for meal preparation, dining, or simply resting and enjoying the campsite ambiance.
Ample Shade from Pine Trees: The campground benefits from numerous tall pine trees that provide abundant shade. This is particularly valuable during sunny California days, helping to keep campsites cooler and more comfortable.
Friendly Camp Host (when present): While reviews mention that a host or ranger may not always be present (and booking is through Recreation.gov), when a camp host is on-site, they are noted for being friendly and helpful, often selling firewood which is a great convenience for campers.
Boat Ramp Access: The mention of a boat ramp nearby suggests convenient access for those looking to launch boats onto one of the adjacent lakes, enhancing recreational opportunities for water sports enthusiasts.

New Shady Rest Campground boasts several features and highlights that make it a desirable camping destination in Mammoth Lakes.

Convenient Location: Situated close to town and with easy access to major roads, the campground offers a blend of natural setting and urban convenience. This means quick trips to stores, restaurants, and other local services.
Good Size and Spacing of Sites: Campers appreciate the generous size and spacing of the campsites, which contributes to a feeling of semi-privacy and allows for comfortable setup of tents or RVs.
Extensive Pedestrian/Bike Path Network: A significant highlight is the excellent network of pedestrian and bike paths that are accessible directly from the campground. This allows campers to explore Mammoth Lakes and its scenic surroundings on foot or by bike without needing to drive.
Suitability for RVs and Vans: With approximately 70% of sites accommodating RVs and vans, and the availability of full hookups, the campground is particularly well-suited for vehicle-based camping, though tent sites are also available.
Proximity to Alpine Lakes: The campground is within a few miles of numerous beautiful alpine lakes, providing easy access to stunning natural attractions for fishing, boating, hiking, and scenic enjoyment.
Booking via Recreation.gov: The streamlined booking process through Recreation.gov offers convenience for campers to reserve their sites in advance, ensuring a spot during busy seasons.
Quiet Hours: The enforcement of quiet hours, typically starting at 10 PM, helps ensure a peaceful environment for all campers, although occasional generator noise from neighbors has been noted.

For inquiries regarding New Shady Rest Campground, please use the following contact information. Remember that bookings are primarily handled through Recreation.gov.

Address: Sawmill Cutoff, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, USA

Phone: (760) 873-2400

Mobile Phone: +1 760-873-2400

New Shady Rest Campground is an excellent choice for California locals seeking a convenient, amenity-rich, and beautifully situated camping experience in the Eastern Sierra. Its prime location in Mammoth Lakes offers easy accessibility from various parts of the state, minimizing travel time and maximizing recreational opportunities. For Californians who appreciate both the rugged beauty of the mountains and the comforts of modern amenities, the presence of full RV hookups, clean facilities, fire pits, and shaded sites makes for a highly enjoyable stay.

The true appeal for locals lies in the campground's integration with the broader Mammoth Lakes recreational infrastructure. Direct access to an extensive network of bike and pedestrian paths encourages active exploration right from your campsite, a feature highly valued by outdoor-loving Californians. Furthermore, being just a short drive from numerous pristine alpine lakes ensures that fishing, boating, and scenic enjoyment are always within reach. While some road noise or generator use might be part of the experience, these are minor considerations given the overall convenience, beauty, and recreational access offered. New Shady Rest provides a fantastic basecamp for California residents eager to immerse themselves in the natural splendor of the Eastern Sierra.

New Shady Rest Campground Photos

New Shady Rest Campground Location

New Shady Rest Campground

California Mono County Mammoth Lakes Sawmill Cutoff

Sawmill Cutoff, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, USA

New Shady Rest Campground Reviews

A fine campground with a convenient location. We liked the size and spacing of the sites, the ample shade from pine trees and the friendly camp host selling firewood.There’s a great network of pedestrian/bike paths here and throughout Mammoth.There were a lot of RV’s here, probably 70% of sites, we were in our van. Unfortunately our neighbors ran their generator most of the evening until 10 quiet hours. There’s also a bit of road noise from Hwy 203.But all in all it’s a nice spot in the woods to camp within a few miles of all sorts of beautiful alpine lakes.
Jun 23, 2025 · Jeff Meyer
Although not the Shady Rest from the old Beverly Hillbillies tv show, it’s a nice camp for tents or RVs. Full RV hookups. Highlight is the adjoining hiking trail. There is also a boat ramp Campsites are semi-private. There was no host or ranger. Book on Recreation.gov.
Jul 04, 2025 · Brian Karnofsky
Quiet and unassuming, this campground offers a nice contrast, as you have plenty of trees around you and can walk across the street to town for anything you want. The spots can be tight, so check ahead of time to see if your trailer will fit. Some sites were only big enough for trailers, while others could hold several cars. It is also tight navigating through some parts of the campground. The hosts were friendly and keep the campground in good order. There is a dump station on premises that you can use and freshwater fill up as well.
Aug 03, 2024 · Robert Prescott
Staff are All-StarsStacie, Rob, Mike and all are fantasticCamp Hosts!Best host's I've ever met!Our families come here annually!Beautiful location.Thanks for all you do 💕Papa Dan & Patti BernsteinSoCal
Aug 25, 2024 · DAN-PATTI BERNSTEIN
I brought two families with boys to spot #88. It was easy distance from a lot of tourist/site-seeing destinations. The spot allowed for 6 people. The site had plenty of places to pitch tents, a bear box, one picnic table, and a large fire ring with flip over grill. The site was relatively flat and kinda in a valley so it had shade most of the day... except when the sun was directly overhead. There were flushing toilets at an easy walking distance, potable water faucet was right by the site, and bear safe trash cans and recycling boxes were by the bathrooms. The trash's bear proof door needed to be pushed a little extra to ensure it was closed. The top of the recycling boxes had small round holes, but if you opened the lower door, you could place larger plastic bottles directly into the recycle bin. They even provide buckets at the potable water stations so you can douse your fires for safety. The driveway at #88 is slanted so make sure to put the trailer tires up on blocks. The length of the driveway fit a 22 foot trailer and the pull vehicle just fine. Our main issues were the lack of showers, firewood, distance of picnic table from bear box, and the dump station. If you want to shower, you need to go to the RV park across the road, only between the hours of 10am and 5pm to buy a $10 shower ticket and if their line was too long and you arrive at the desk at 5:10pm, then you cannot shower. If the campground has flushing toilets, they should have paid showers somewhere between the three adjoined campgrounds... maybe up by the entrance. Firewood bundles were sold for $9-11 and you cannot bring your own wood to prevent the spread of insects and disease... you are allowed to harvest fallen pinecones and wood to use, but most was too green and smoked terribly. The worst thing for us about site #88 was that the picnic table was not next to the bear box but like 20 feet away. So every time you had trash or needed a supply or wanted an ingredient, you have to walk 20 feet to it. This got old very fast especially when you had hiked all day and were exhausted & sore. They should move the picnic table to beside the bear box. Now, I will talk about the dump station, which was ridiculous. You pay $10 for 1 minute of dumping. You have to be 100% ready before paying and pray all the stuff comes out in less than 45 seconds as it counts down. It was so stressful and unreasonable. I don't know a single trailer who can drain fast enough for a 1 minute limit. We should have found somewhere else to dump. Overall, I would come back here for a vacation, but would rely more on a propane stove to cook than the fire pit, would bring extra money to take one shower during the trip, would make sure we arrived to the showers early, and would find somewhere to dumping station that did not have a 1 minute timer beeping at you!
Jun 27, 2024 · Mark & Rebecca Holmes