Located along the banks of the Ohio River, Tower Rock Campground offers beautiful scenery and close proximity to water activities like fishing and boating. The 1/4 mile trail can be accessed near the boat launch. Be aware this area is prone to flooding when river levels fluctuate.

Tower Rock Campground

**Tower Rock Campground**, _Shawnee National Forest_, Il is ideal for fishermen.

Coming off the ferry from Marion, Kentucky there were no signs pointing the way. ( side note: lots of Amish in the Marion area, some very good products for sale and scenery to see)

No or spotty signal in this area so have your directions on paper. In Cave in Rock ( this is where the ferry crosses to) you take W Clay St to the left. It turns into Cave in Rock Rd which will get you there. Cave in Rock has some food and fuel, you might want to fill up here if you haven’t already. Cave in Rock State Park is with in a mile to the right.

Once on Cave in Rock Rd. watch for the sign (near 280 “block” of street addresses) because if you miss the turn it will be a minute before you can turn around to come back on the country road. On the road in stay to the left.

Tower Rock is boonyville like most of the Shawnee NF sites in this area. Perfect for a get away from the hustle and electronics of city life. 

The actual campground is basically a mowed area in the woods close to the river. There is a pit toilet but otherwise pick your area and settle in, there was plenty of room for a group gathering or to just string up your hammock next to your vehicle. We continued down to the boatramp which is a cement pad into the river. Parking is in an overgrown dirt lot. Dark and quiet at night unless you have loud fellow campers. No camp host to speak of, just you and the woods and river (and bugs and snakes ;)

I don’t kayak on the Ohio River so we did not put in, it was a nice quiet no frills stay with only two other campers while I was there.

Cricket, cricket

Beautifu scene..the Tower Rock Camp ground is by the Ohio river..and is very open. Doesn't have many sites so you'd have to get there at an earlier time.. but it has a great view of the Ohio river and across you can see Kentucky 

On the river 

We drove down to camp here and found this campground closed. We walked in past the locked gate to scout it out and there was a line of debris left behind from when the river was higher. 

  

There is a vault toilet and a simple loop setup to the campground. The road continues past camp to a marina where you can launch your boat into the river. We found a family camping in that lot and enjoying the area on their four wheelers.

  

We drove in through Shawnee national forest. The road went through some small towns with gas and food but not much else. Farms surround the area. We enjoyed the creative decorations - especially the bikes people used as sculptures.

  

This looks like a simple, no-frills camp right along the water line. It is wonderful to know that this is here if other campgrounds fill up but it is a bit of a drive from the main part of Shawnee. We had time to continue on to another campground (Camp Cadiz) which was another simple, rustic campground.

Riverside rustic camping - check if open

Campground is smaller but the sites are spread out well, most have fire ring with grill stand and table, firewood available to gather onsite when I was there, vault toilets, right on the river so may be closed during flood seasons. Will be staying here again!

Clean, quiet, and great river views!

I have camped there 2-3 times.  It has been a while now, but I believe there are 4 sites with tables and fire pits.  There is a pit toilet, but no water.  But if you drive a few miles North East there is a Illinois State Park, Cave in the Rock I think, and you can refill your water jugs/bladders there by the showers/bathrooms, and there are garbage dumsters.  The Cave off the Ohio River is definitely worth seeing, and free, so why not.

  

A short walk from the campground is Tower Rock that was an old CCC path and over look of the Ohio River.  Last time I was there it is a bit of a pain to find the old path, but basically from the boat landing go UP... follow the terrain and you will find it.  It is a rock cliff that is, I don't know 100 feet above the river.  In my opinion it is worth a look.

  

There is a Ferry that goes between Illinois and Kentucky right by the park too.  Free.  I went over once, never been on a Ferry.. and the gas tax in Kentucky is cheaper...