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Best Tent Camping near Alto Pass, IL

516 Reviews

Tent campsites near Alto Pass, Illinois include several options within the Shawnee National Forest region. Ferne Clyffe State Park offers two distinct tent camping areas: the Backpack Campground with walk-in primitive sites and Turkey Ridge Campground with more developed facilities. Dutchman Lake Camp provides dispersed tent camping opportunities approximately 8 miles southeast of Alto Pass, featuring more secluded sites in a natural setting. These campgrounds serve as gateways to the rolling hills and dramatic rock formations that characterize southern Illinois.

Most tent sites at Ferne Clyffe State Park include fire rings and picnic tables, though amenities vary between campgrounds. The Backpack Campground offers walk-in tent sites with nearby access to pit toilets and water sources. Turkey Ridge provides more facilities including showers, drinking water, and trash collection. Sites are typically situated on natural surfaces with partial tree cover. Campers should check seasonal availability as some areas close during winter months, particularly December through March. Dutchman Lake Camp offers primitive tent camping with minimal facilities, requiring campers to pack in their own water and pack out all waste.

The tent camping experience in this region provides excellent access to hiking trails and natural features. Ferne Clyffe State Park contains numerous hiking paths leading to limestone bluffs, cliff caves, and seasonal waterfalls that become particularly impressive after spring rains. The Backpack Campground offers more seclusion than other areas, with sites nestled among wooded areas. A review mentioned, "The walk-up primitive sites are secluded, wooded, and within reach of a pit toilet and water source." Another camper noted that sites at Turkey Ridge are "well-separated by a lot of shady trees," providing privacy even when the campground is busy. Fall camping is particularly popular when the deciduous forests display vibrant colors.

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Best Tent Sites Near Alto Pass, Illinois (16)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Alto Pass, IL

6 Photos of 16 Alto Pass Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Alto Pass, IL

516 Reviews of 16 Alto Pass Campgrounds

  • S
    Oct. 7, 2020

    Giant City State Park Campground

    No privacy at tent camp, hike amazing!

    So first of all- I think it’s fair to state before I leave a review that my husband and I prefer primitive and private camping. The fewer people we see while we’re out, the better. We live in a city so when we camp, we want the opposite. If you enjoy RV camping or don’t mind not so Private spots, this is a decent spot to spend the night. If you like primitive/private camping- il fill you in below!

    We do tent camping and Saw there were walk-in sites and hike in sites at this campground. Usually walk-in sites are pretty private and dispersed well - atleast where we’ve been before. The 14 “primitive” camping sites were right next to eachothwr with little to no privacy at all. Good tree cover for shade but otherwise you’re basically setting up your tent and area in an open field. That was a little disappointing to us because it wasn’t what we thought we would find. The RV spots also seem super close together but again- we like things spread out so maybe it would be an OK place for some.

    The vault toilets near the tent sites were...as clean as vault toilets get! And we did not use tje shower facilities so can’t speak on that.

    If we had been just the 2 of us, we would’ve hiked in to do our camping along one of the hiking paths but we were meeting two other friends and were unsure if they would want to hike miles to a spot so we opted for the tent spots just after the RV campground. If you want more privacy for an evening of camping, you’ll need to come with your gear packed up decently enough to hike it out atleast a mile onto the trails. There is camping allowed along the trails as long as you are 100 ft from the trail so that was an option, but in certain spots along the trail it’s challenging to find a clearing (hammocks would be great along the trail). There is also an official primitive camping site halfway through the 12 mile loop of the Red Ceder Trail. We day hiked almost the whole loop but made a Weird little detour so we didn’t get to check these spots out.

    We were hoping to find a campsite that- as get as difficulty of accessibility level- was in between a 6 mile hike and the tent spots in the field but there isn’t any official spot like that even tho there’s tons of space and potential for it. Rant over about the campground. Let’s talk about the hiking! The hiking was truly awesome and felt like it balanced out my disappointment with the campground. Doing the whole 12 mile loop of tje Red Cedar Trail was a challenge for us! We really enjoyed it. In some spots, the trail markers are a little confusing, but overall it’s decently marked and the map is somewhat helpful just to kindve know vaguely where you are. The 2nd day, we went back and did about half rhe loop and also checked out the more popular section of the trails back there that include Giant City Nature Trail, Devils Stand Table, and a few others. Very cool rock formations. Pretty busy in the weekend over there but the test of the trails away from that area with those big landmarks was completely deserted and there are some super cool rock formations not on the map at all.

    Over all, this was a fun 4 days. We would return and plan on hiking out into the trails to camp for our evenings. If you like privacy around your campfire at night, I can’t recommend the campground.

  • Napunani
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Trail of Tears State Park Campground

    Back-up to the Mississippi River

    PRO 

    Senior discount saving $6 

    Able to reserve on-line 365 days prior to arriving 

    Very friendly and helpful camp host 

    Unobstructed view of the Mississippi River 

    Great dark sky viewing 

    No highway/road noise, but... 

    Asphalt parking pad surrounded by grass 

    Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

    One hook lantern pole 

    Moveable wooden picnic table in the grass 

    Toilet/shower building.35 miles from campground very nice and very clean with ample TP and hand soap 

    Firewood for sale by camp host $5 

    Mississippi River Scenic Overlook was very nice V

    Visitor Center has small museum (no admission fee) on the Trail of Tears Native American tribal migration 

    Coin-operated laundromat on South Hope Street Jackson after the roundabout 12 miles from campground 

    Tractors Restaurant Main Street Jackson very good diner type restaurant 

    CONS

    $8.50 reservation fee for online self made reservation 

    Sites that back to the river very close to each other. We stepped out our door onto the neighbors stinky slinky. Insufficient space to deploy awning. 

    Electrical utility connection is on passenger side of the campsite#6 

    Sewer connection was high above ground so drainage was up hill. Camp host warned us upon arrival we may need to use dump station to get tanks totally drained. 

    Site 6 not level side-to-side 

    Lots of trains, day and night with train horn blaring due to road crossing at campground Lots of river barge noise 

    Only one single unisex pit toilet in campground 

    No park headquarters or entrance gate office for check-in. Sign in campground informing how to conduct virtual check in. 

    No security gate closed overnight 

    No ranger patrolling campground

    No WiFi 

    2 bars Verizon LTE

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 13, 2020

    Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs

    Fun swimming holes and good hiking

    21 campsites with a fire ring/barrel, lantern post and picnic table. A couple of the campsites had damaged fire rings. Most sites should be able to fit medium size trailers, other sites have trees in the way. Vault toilets and a water station. Very quiet, clean and peaceful. Trail system is about 8 miles and has great views. Don’t forget to bring your swimming suit!

  • AC
    May. 16, 2021

    Washington County State Recreation Area

    Shady Rest campground

    Really great campground. Good mix of tents and RVs. Bath house was very well kept and clean. Showers ran cold at first but after a few mins it gets warmer! There were plenty of pit toliets through out the campground and trash cans. My tent site was clean, good flat spot for tent, picnic table and fire pit with attached grill.

    The Concession building in the park is closing. No boat rentals, selling everything he has on the shelf.

    Caught a few bass and and good amount of hiking. Large trail around the whole lake, smaller trails lead to sites around the different campgrounds.

  • Cameron
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Bean Ridge Pond Campground

    Free, primitive campground, loud partiers

    Got here on a Saturday night in late September and both of the campsites were available. Campsites consist of a clearing with a fire pit and a picnic table. No litter. No toilets. Very slow and spotty AT&T service: I was able to text but not access the Internet. The area is very pretty. Soft ground for staking a tent. Bugs were alright, no need for bug spray. There’s water access at the pond, but it’s obviously stagnant and very brackish. Big downside was a convoy of Jeeps full of partiers rolled down to the pond at 12:30am and hung out down there blasting music for an hour, which is a real sleep ruiner. This might be a local party spot, so be aware and maybe pack earplugs if you’re coming on a weekend. Upside is that it’s in a National Forest, so if both sites are taken, you can always dispersed camp

  • Katie B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 3, 2025

    Dutchman Lake Camp

    Great stop for the night

    We pulled in around midnight and left at 8 am. There’s a large turnaround that could fit many vehicles, but someone was already parked there and we didn’t want to disturb them and also wanted our privacy. There a space for a vehicle to pull off and walk around some boulders to set up a camp, complete with a fire ring. Some bike-packers were already set up there. Close to the lake there is another spot for one or two vehicles. The lake surface had a lot of bug activity - no thanks! We ended up choosing a grassy space next to the curve in the road in between our neighbors. Very peaceful! No bugs.

  • Chelsea D.
    Apr. 23, 2020

    Pine Hills

    Beautiful new Picnic shelter, quiet campground

    This is a very basic campground with some shade. No hookups, really good for tent camping. The new picnic shelter is beautiful and there is seating around a fire pit. This forest does a great job of keeping restrooms very clean.

  • Brennan M.
    Jul. 26, 2020

    Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Very RV heavy

    I actually didn't end up camping here because it looked like a rock site. I maybe saw two tents, everyone else in big RV's. If you are doing tent camping I would look elsewhere. I might've missed an area that was more tent friendly but I didn't see it. I would do primitive with a tent probably.

  • Jessica R.
    May. 18, 2020

    Shawnee Forest Campground

    Quiet

    The sites are nice and level. Quiet in the area. Picnic table and fire ring at every site. Park offers firewood. Pond for fishing so bring your poles. It's catch and release. Manager is very friendly and accommodates you as possible.

Guide to Alto Pass

Tent camping near Alto Pass, Illinois offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and relaxation.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • Turkey Ridge Campground provides essential amenities like drinking water, picnic tables, and showers, making it a comfortable choice for tent campers.
  • Backpack Campground features secluded, wooded sites with easy access to water and toilets, perfect for those looking for a more primitive experience.
  • Dutchman Lake Camp allows campfires and pets, creating a welcoming atmosphere for families and friends.

Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $30

  • At Turkey Ridge Campground, the cost is around $20 per night, offering a great value for the amenities provided.
  • Backpack Campground typically charges about $25 per night, making it an affordable option for those seeking a rustic camping experience.
  • Buck Ridge - Lake Of Egypt has a nightly rate of approximately $30, which includes access to drinking water and picnic tables.

Explore local activities

  • Ferne Clyffe State Park is known for its stunning hiking trails, including paths that lead to beautiful waterfalls and scenic bluffs.
  • Adventurers can enjoy rock climbing and exploring limestone bluffs at Backpack Campground, which is situated near some of the best climbing spots in the area.
  • Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate the chance to spot deer and other animals while camping at Turkey Ridge Campground, especially during the quieter months of fall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Alto Pass, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Alto Pass, IL is Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Alto Pass, IL?

TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Alto Pass, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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