Little Grassy Lake Campground, near Carbondale, Illinois, is a fantastic base for exploring the stunning landscapes of southern Illinois. With its proximity to Giant City State Park and other local attractions, it’s an ideal spot for those looking to dive into outdoor adventures.

The campground offers a variety of sites, many of which are shaded and provide easy access to the lake. Visitors rave about the clean facilities, including spacious bathrooms and hot showers, making it a comfortable place to unwind after a day of activities. As one camper noted, “The staff was great and the marina store provided the snacks and bait we needed.”

For water lovers, the campground features a marina with boat rentals, perfect for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. There’s even a nice beach area for swimming, which adds to the fun. Some campers appreciated the sense of community, noting that while the sites are close together, it fosters a friendly atmosphere.

If you’re up for some exploration, the surrounding area is rich with hiking trails and unique attractions like the Shawnee Canopy zip-line tours. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a longer stay, Little Grassy Lake Campground has plenty to offer for a memorable outdoor experience.

Little Grassy Lake Campground

Looking for the best campgrounds near Makanda, IL? Makanda is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Makanda. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.

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The Best Camping Near Makanda, Illinois

A little hilly and the gravel sites are close together, but it has full hookup options, as well as just electric. The marina shop also provides kayak and canoe rentals. Little Grassy is a beautiful lake to explore!

A hidden gem in southern IL

Turtle is great. She runs the campground and loves kids. 
Campground is on the lake.  Has a beach for swimming and you can rent all the fun items like paddle boards, kayaks, and boats.  
Some of the sites are a bit close together, would have liked a bit more space but it worked out very well.   
Good place to fish.  
Shower had hot water!!  😋

Great campground 

Friendly and helpful staff. The lake is quiet and clean. A nice hidden gem located a short drive from beautiful hiking trails. We will definitely be back.

Quick weekend trip

We stayed in this beautiful park in a travel trailer. The sites were shady and clean. The staff was great and the marina store provided the snacks and bait we needed. We loved the clean beach area. Perfect spot for kayaking. Boats and kayaks were available to rent. We camped at Little Grassy Lake Campground and Marina in a Travel Trailer

Nice spot 

Great views and lots of waterfront sites. Stayed with family members who have a camper, some sites are on a hill so it makes it difficult to park an RV of camper. Tent sites around too. Lots of boats and fishing. 

Beautiful lake area! 

 We've been wanting to explore southern Illinois for a long time, but it's a six hour (min)  drive from our home. Our first choice was Giant City state park, but this was recommended to us as a cozier, more manageable alternative. It's close to Giant City so you can take advantage of the trails there and eat at the magnificent old Lodge. The campground is on little Grassy lake, it has a marina with boat rentals of all types and a free launch. The lake is too small for speedboats, and is great for fishing (there's a hatchery with tours close by), canoeing &amp; kayaking. there's also a beach, separate form the marina that's quite nice and secluded. Sites are big and shady. but open to each other. Our host, a fun lady named Turtle, let us take a double site to give us room to spread out.  
Our site had a nice firepit slightly downhill with western view of the lake. We were able to tie up our canoe there too. Water &amp; electric are available most sites, with more 50amp sites to be added soon.  
Bathrooms and showers are spacious and clean with good hot water.  
There's a general store with the usual camp things and fishing supplies at the marina, though there's a great one 9 miles east at Grassy Rd. &amp; Rt 148 with an amazing selection of local snacks, sodas, beer &amp; liquor.  
While we enjoyed staying here, we used it as our base camp for the ten days we were there to visit places as far east as Cave In Rock state park, and south to Paducah KY &amp; Metropolis, and all the places in Shawnee national Forest, like Garden of the Gods and the Cache River Bayou (very different canoeing from anywhere else north of Louisiana).  
The nearest town is Makanda, voted "Hippiest town in Illinois" cool shops and funky vibe, but very limited hours &amp; services. like, no gas station.  

For an activity that's on the unusual side, we recommend Shawnee Canopy zip-line tours.

A great base camp for the area

We loved the location of this campground. It's really close to Giant City State Park and other local attractions. It's not even too far from Cave-in-Rock State Park and Garden of the Gods. I agree with the other reviewer who said this is a great base camp for exploring the area.

  

The restrooms and showers are pretty centrally located. They were clean but basic. No complaints, but not exactly a standout in that regard.

  

The sites are kind of close together in my opinion, and most don't have trees or other dividing features between them. Not so great if you want privacy, but fantastic if you like a sense of community.

  

The staff was very friendly and helpful. Boat rentals are available on site, along with other items in a small general store at the camp office.

  

We're planning to come back in April of 2024 for the eclipse. Hoping for clear skies and a great view!

Photos of Little Grassy Lake Campground

Real photos from real campers