| Central Camp | |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Pushpin Map: | California#USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in California |
| Pushpin Image: | California Locator Map with US.PNG |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | California |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Madera County |
| Coordinates: | 37.3494°N -119.4836°W |
| Elevation M: | 1651 |
| Elevation Ft: | 5417 |
Central Camp is an unincorporated community in Madera County, California. It is located 3miles west of Shuteye Peak, at an elevation of 5417 feet (1651 m) from the sea-level.
The Sugar Pine Lumber Company established Central Camp, which became the premier and most expensive logging camp in the Sierra Nevada. Home to about 500 people, it housed both single and family lumberjacks, as well as a variety of other staff. The camp, hidden in a grove of towering trees, featured modern buildings designed to withstand harsh winters. The Fresno Republican praised its modernity at the 1923 grand opening.[1]
The camp boasted an investment of $600,000, making it elaborate for a temporary work site. It featured a hydroelectric plant for electricity, a central boiler for heating, and a well-staffed kitchen serving fresh produce brought in by refrigerator car. The site also provided entertainment facilities, including a theater, recreation hall, and boxing ring.[2] Despite operating during the Prohibition era, whiskey occasionally made its way into the camp.