1. Shawnee National Forest: Garden of the Gods Recreation Area-Pharaoh Campground
The Shawnee National Forest has 5 different Recreation Areas including the Garden of the Gods. This is one of the best places to camp in Illinois because of the unique rock formations, amazing hiking trails. The ¼ mile Observation Trail has bridges and walkways through the forest and takes around an hour to complete. Keep your eyes open on the trail for chipmunks, groundhogs, deer and there are even armadillo that live in the park. Camping at the Pharaoh Campground is very economical with campsites only $10/night. Reservations are not required and include the campsite with picnic table and fire pit. Vault toilets and drinking water are available on site. After hiking through the sandstone trails settle in for a night under the stars!
2. Carlyle Lake Dam West Campground
The largest man-made lake in Illinois is Right on Carlyle Lake, located about 50 miles east of St. Louis, MO. This is a popular lake for sailing and holds races and regattas hosted by the Carlyle Sailing Association and Carlyle Yacht Club. Even if you don’t sail, the races are fun to watch. You can also kayak, canoe, SUP and boat. There are six Watchable Wildlife Sites located around the lake with tall lookouts for bird watching and other wildlife. Mallard, snow geese and Canadian geese are frequent visitors to the lakes edges. The Carlyle Lake Dam West Campground sits at the far SE corner of the lake with 109 campsites, all with electricity. Many of the sites are lakeside sites with the beautiful lake just outside your RV or tent. Sit in your camp chair sipping a cup of coffee while you watch the sunrise over the lake. Nice!
3. Illinois Beach State Park
If you want to stay right on Lake Michigan then Illinois Beach State Park is one of the best places to camp in Illinois this summer. The park has 6.5 miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan providing a beach for swimming, sunbathing, boating and fishing. Some of the best fishing for walleye, pike and largemouth bass is right off the shores of Lake Michigan. Walk the shoreline and look for some of the native waterfowl like warblers, flycatchers and sandhill cranes. The campground has several loops with 241 campsites for both RV and Tent camping. The sites have electrical hookups, picnic tables and a fire pit. Drinking water is available in the campground but not at each site. Take some time to visit the Nature Center, let the kids run around on the playground and then head to the beach. A fun camping adventure for all!
4. Starved Rock State Park Campground
For some of the best hiking in Illinois you have to visit Starved Rock State Park. There are 13 miles of hiking trails that bend and wind through the forest along the rocky landscape and seasonal waterfalls. With 18 different canyons to visit you might want to take one of the Free guided tours in the summer. The guide will know the best places to spot grey fox, red fox, turkeys, bald eagles or maybe a raccoon on a night hike. The campground has 133 sites with a some having full hookups for your RV and others more primitive for tent camping. There are restrooms, a shower house, camp store and playground right on-site. The state park is on the Illinois river so bring your fishing poles for some shore fishing. Maybe you will catch something to fry up over your campfire for dinner!
5. Burden Falls: Hayes Canyon Campground and Cabins
Another great place to camp in the Shawnee National Forest is at the Hayes Canyon Campground and Cabins. This is near the Burden Falls Wilderness area where you can hike to the waterfall to take some amazing pictures. If you are into horseback riding the trails at Burden Falls are great for riding and the campground accommodates riders with pens and covered stalls for your horse. The Hayes Canyon Campground is one of the best places to camp in Illinois this summer because you can have your horse stay at your site. You can ride the many trails right at the park. If you prefer to hike the trails there are lots of visitors that stay at Hayes Canyon just to hike to the caves, like Peter Cave and Sand Cave. There might be bats at night near the campground with caves that close!
