Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground

I got a primitive tent site in an area all to myself, with a shower house just down the road, in a beautiful and quiet campground for $10 cash. You really can’t beat that. Campground is separate from the park so you don’t have to pay a park entrance fee to stay here.

This is a great campground! The trails are well kept, clean bathrooms, nice campsites sand the best camp hosts ever!!!

First time visiting this park, we stayed for 4 nights. Very clean park and it was incredibly quiet. No alcohol was allowed on the grounds but it didn’t seem like it would be enforced unless there was a campsite causing issues which is fair. Clean bathrooms and showers. We showed up around 11am and saw our site was not occupied so we decided to set up and then checked in at the front at 4:00 when the host arrived. Overall very positive experience. I will absolutely go back.

Something worth noting. There is no store on site, they do sell wood but it is cash only.

We had no cell service but the hiking was beautiful and the scenery was stunning. At night the stars where so close it was amazing. All and all great family fun and relaxing.

Very nice campground with an immense variety of sites available. We did a first come first serve (site 38) and thought we got a pretty good spot with lots of room and a nice open field with pavilion across from us. We found some nice trails with amazing views as well.

Only downfall was the gnats, but managed them most of the time. We went over Memorial Day weekend after they had some flooding so that did not help.

It was a very clean campground with some fairly nice shower houses.

We’ll probably be back when the bugs die off.

The campground staff was very friendly and helpful. The campsites were spacious.

Sadly, the campsites are in a valley, so there isn’t much wind, and the terrain is quite swampy. The mosquitos are abundant and aggressive. Bring the best bug repellant you have and apply generously! Even on our morning hike they swarmed us.

There was also quite a bit of light, both in the park and from our neighbors. Plus our neighbors brought their dogs. Again, that’s a luck of the draw and you can’t blame the campground. I’d love to check out one of the three primitive sites some day.

The bathrooms and showers were clean and well maintained.

Overall, an amazing value. We’ll check it out again in the fall when the bugs have died off.

Cheap, spacious site. Clean(a little bit old) bathrooms. Easy/medium trails with magnificent views of the Mississippi River. Train is a little bit loud at night. There is sign for ticks but my dog didn’t catch any during a 3-day stay.

We spent a lovely spring weekend at the Mississippi Palisades! It’s a huge nicely laid out camp ground nestled among the scenic wooded area overlooking the Mississippi. The sites were well spaced, large, and clean. We had electrical hook up, a fire pit/cooking grate, and picnic table. Site 120 was right across from one of the modern shower/bathroom houses and it was at the back of the campground. We were impressed with how well kept the grounds were and with how well monitored it was. There are two dump stations and numerous shower houses, modern bathrooms and pit toilets. There were also several spots for pottable water. There are many scenic look outs to drive to on the campground as well as many trails to hike. Right across from the campground there was a boat launch area. Galena shopping and dining is within 25 minutes away. There’s also a McDonald’s, gas station and Sullivan’s grocery store in Savanna which is less than 10 minutes away. We enjoyed our weekend away. It was very peaceful and a beautiful setting!

All sites were spacious. Bathrooms were very clean. Very large CG. Plenty of water spickets. Beautiful area on the Mississippi rivers, Mile's of trails, breathtaking bluffs with views of the river and valley.

We stayed for a long weekend at the end of June when the campground was almost completely full.  The camp hosts were lovely!  Since we did not have reservations ahead of time, we chose from the walk-in sites, which I believe are the first two loops closest to the entrance.  Those sites, 5-46E, are very different from the rest of the campground.  They're shaded by huge (by Illinois standards) pine trees and there is no privacy screen of vegetation between the sites, although they're nicely spaced out.  The middle part of the campground has smaller trees and grassy lawns, still pretty open, while the outer loops are closely packed.  With the outer loops, you won't have any cell signal, but you probably won't hear the trains, either.  

The park: beautiful area with lots of interesting wildlife (quite a few snakes so be aware if that's not your thing) and great views of the river.  I found the hiking trails to be significantly harder than advertised as they all start with a steep climb up the bluffs, but the views at the top were rewarding.  Some viewing areas are accessible by car.  There's not much to do in the surrounding towns, but this is a great stopping point if you're on a trip.

Site 11: electric with water nearby, close to the (very clean) pit toilets.  Although there is a camp store and parking lot directly behind this site, the store was closed and looked like it was going to stay that way, so there was no additional noise.  Being up front in the campground, you're closer to both the road and the train tracks, so be prepared for noise from that - but at least the AT&T cell signal was good!  The tall pines were great for providing shade and still allowing a nice breeze, but you WILL get sap on everything.  

The shower houses:  the shower houses were some of the nicest we've encountered while camping - hot water immediately, hooks to hang your things, very clean, flush toilets and real mirrors.  There are several shower houses throughout the campground.

A note about the pit toilets - the ones closest to the camp store (and I assume the rest, but did not verify) had the type of light that turns on VERY slowly, so if you're going at night definitely bring a flashlight! In addition, there was always some sort of critter in there - toad, fox snake, etc.  I found it entertaining but my mother in law probably would have straight up died had she come along!

Great hiking, beautiful views. The bathhouse were a little dated but clean and got the job done. We loved our time there and had a great time exploring. Our site #80 was a little sunny but great for spring or fall.

Had a pretty private site and most around us were empty. Great bird watching - saw a hummingbird within 20 minutes of arriving, orioles, a tanager and heard a wild turkey on the woods while we were there. Hiked the bluffs along the trail system at the south end of the park. Would gladly stay again.

Nice campground, with lots of sites, $10 or $20 with electric. Lots of trails, and the Mississippi River is across the road. If you come this way, be sure to check out the historic towns of Mount Carroll and Galena. I'd give this 5 stars, but the bathrooms are a bit dirty and have quite a few cobwebs. Otherwise it's well maintained, plenty of private sites, and quiet.

Enjoyed a week of beautiful nature. Had an RV with electric hookup, but had to drive to area for filling water tank and flushing the black and grey tanks. They had many nice areas for that so no waiting. They had very nice bath houses with shower stalls and toilets. I wish they had laundry and a store for a few things. There’s a building for it but sadly it looks to be going into ruin. There’s a very close town for groceries. Go to Savanna and look for Sullivan’s grocery. It is huge for a small town. Good prices on most things. The help here is very friendly at the park. Get ready for a straight up hike for the three overlooks. It’s so worth it. We are in our 60s and have a son with special needs. Bad knees, but he was glad he pushed himself. The views from Oak, Louis, and Ozzie’s points.

So many great views! Tons of short, fun hikes to try out. Some sites are close together in open fields, but most are spread out and nice! Our site, 42, was a great tent site near the entrance but away from heavy traffic. Spacious and only one close neighbor. Will definitely be back!

Compound is large and clean with decent bathroom facilities. As of June 2020, only part of the campground was reopened.

Can walk to hiking as well as the Mississippi. Drive into town to pick up dinner or enjoy live music outside. No additional entrance fee for the park beyond the camping fees.

This might be one of our favorite campgrounds in the area. It has trails for walking and lots of concrete for riding bikes. We did both. The park is close to the River and has plenty of places to put your boat in across the highway. Hiking trails range from super short and easy with amazing views, to winding around the forest for a mile or so. 

We stayed on the weekend and it was not full, but that could be because there are close to 250 sites. When booking it was hard to pick to be honest as there are so many choices. Some sites are massive...as in .25 an acre that you drive over the grass to get too your site bc it is situated away from the road. Other sides are just simple drive through. We saw lots of families doing many different types of camping which was awesome. 

Bathrooms/shower houses are located in a couple locations, but they also have pit toilets for individuals to use as well. Either way you are not far from whatever your needs. We chose a site with electric and some shade that was not too far off the street. We went way back into the campground in site 193. It was perfect to be honest. 

We have a scamp and there was plenty of shade to keep it cool and we also saw fellow scampers as well. 

We will certainly be back!

There are 241 Class A and B sites at the Mississippi Palisades. Electrical hookups are available at 110 sites. Showers and flush toilets are situated in three buildings and are in operation from May 1 until Oct 31. You can pick up supplies at a camp convenience store, open during the summer. The campground also features water and two sanitary dump stations. Only campers with permits are allowed in the campground, with admittance prohibited from 10 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Reservations are no longer being taken for the Class A and B sites at Mississippi Palisades.

The camping fees are different for motor homes and tents, depending on your needs. Fees for tent camping are $6-$8 per day.

This campground was a nice new campers test. The site was flat and there was some hiking and we definitely took advantage of being able to walk down to the park by the river. The river was separated from the campground by a major road which was a shame and I felt like more could be done so people can enjoy the riverside. 

There was a nice firepit and it was a peaceful area. 

I wouldn't come back here again just because I feel we saw everything there was to see. But it was great for a weekend!

My wife and I tent camped here last weekend... the tent sites are relatively close together leaving little room to feel secluded but nice flat ground and each site has its own fire pit. restrooms and showers 1/8 mile walk away which isn’t bad! Not the best but also not the worst. We try and here whenever we rock climb in the area as it allows us to get to the climbing sites earlier.

Ok park and campground but not much to do unless you drive up to galena. We were eaten alive by chiggers when we sat out for awhile to relax

I loved this state park growing up. I remember lovely hikes here in hardwood forests. Sandstone bluffs speckled the landscape. There are a couple fun hike and picnic areas on the bluffs overlooking the river. It's a great stop on your way to Savanna or Galena.

Located near the town of Savanna, IL, and the Mississippi River, this state park is a nice place to visit. Large sites with the usual amenities can be found among the tall trees. I camped here with a large group spread out among the sites and we were able to use the shelter for meals. Camping here on my own, I discovered helpful people and rangers who found a place out of the flooded areas (during a rainy year) with a free night from somebody who had to leave early. Hiking trails are available with varying difficulties. This is a nice stop if you are bicycling along the Mississippi River.

Very well set up campgrounds with plenty of electrical, non-electric sites. Very few primitive sites, if that's what you're looking for.

Trail system is divided into North and South. North trails are scenic, with a casual non-technical difficulty to them. South trail system is challenging, especially because of the varied terrain it traverses, however they (N&S) systems are prone to serious erosion that needs to be addressed. Campsites are ample, and plenty to choose from.

I'd go back a few more times during the year.