Best Tent Camping near Ava, IL

Looking for an adventure where you can explore Ava and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent camping near Ava, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Illinois camping adventure.

Best Tent Sites Near Ava, IL (12)

    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    1. Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    16 Reviews
    47 Photos
    9 Saves
    Goreville, Illinois

    Turkey Ridge is for campers who want a serene outdoor experience. It is a Class C walk-in campground that includes camp pads, picnic tables, cooking grills and showers. Drinking water and toilets are located near the parking lots.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents
    • Trash

    $18 / night

    • No image available

      2. Apple Creek Conservation Area

      1 Review
      1 Save
      Altenburg, Missouri

      Apple Creek Conservation Area is located in northeast Cape Girardeau County, three miles east of New Wells on Route CC. The Missouri Department of Conservation created Apple Creek Conservation Area in 1986 with the purchase of 2,100 acres from several landowners.

      Steep hills and narrow valleys characterize this area, and approximately 2.5 miles of Apple Creek stream frontage forms its northern border.

      The Conservation Department has created watering ponds and planted food plots and agricultural crops within the forest to provide additional food sources for wildlife.

      • Pets
      • Fires
      • Tents
      • Equestrian
      • Standard (Tent/RV)
      • Dispersed
      Camper-submitted photo from North Marcum Day Use Area

      3. North Marcum Day Use Area

      2 Reviews
      1 Photo
      11 Saves
      Rend Lake, Illinois

      Overview

      Congratulations! Youve just discovered the perfect place to enjoy a wide variety of activities, events and nature at its best. Even a short visit to Rend Lake will impress you with the versatility of this magnificent area. Whether youre looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, youll find it here.

      Natural Features:

      North Marcum Day Use Area sits along the banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. Plenty of shade and a large sandy boat in are, make this day use area desirable for a day on scenic Rend Lake. Rend Lake is made up of 18,900 acres of water and 20,000 acres of land.

      Wildlife in the area includes white tailed deer, wild turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year.

      Recreation:

      Take a leisurely morning stroll, ski or sail lake waters, spend the afternoon viewing inspiring art exhibits and end your day by the warm glow of a campfire under starry night skies. The fields, forests and waters of Rend Lake provide a natural haven for wildlife and an outdoor wonderland for you. Boat, hike, fish, hunt, swim, and explore at your leisure. If you prefer a little less nature, visit one of the resorts around the lake and delight in superb lodging and dining. Just minutes away youll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.

      Facilities:

      North Marcum Day Use Area features two large picnic shelters with tables, grills, and drinking water. The shelters can accommodate up to 75 guests each, and the area has a boat ramp, playground, and dock all within walking distance.

      • Pets
      • Fires
      • Electric Hookups
      • Reservable
      • Tents
      • Group
      Camper-submitted photo from Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
      Camper-submitted photo from Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
      Camper-submitted photo from Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
      Camper-submitted photo from Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
      Camper-submitted photo from Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
      Camper-submitted photo from Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

      4. Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

      3 Reviews
      10 Photos
      2 Saves
      Goreville, Illinois

      Backpackers enjoying their commune with nature will appreciate the solitude of the individual campsites in the Class C Backpack campground. Located a half-mile from the Turkey Ridge primitive campground parking lot, these woodland sites have cooking grills, toilets and showers. Water and trash receptacles are available at the Turkey Ridge parking lot. You're reminded to be careful with your fires and to pack out what you pack in.

      • Pets
      • Fires
      • Phone Service
      • Tents
      • Trash
      • Drinking Water
      Camper-submitted photo from Dutchman Lake Camp
      Camper-submitted photo from Dutchman Lake Camp
      Camper-submitted photo from Dutchman Lake Camp
      Camper-submitted photo from Dutchman Lake Camp
      Camper-submitted photo from Dutchman Lake Camp
      Camper-submitted photo from Dutchman Lake Camp
      Camper-submitted photo from Buck Ridge - Lake Of Egypt
      • No image available

        7. Mandolin Grove

        1 Review
        Mason, Illinois
        • Pets
        • Fires
        • Phone Service
        • Reservable
        • Tents
        • Tent Cabin
        Camper-submitted photo from Willow Springs Campground
        Camper-submitted photo from Willow Springs Campground
        Camper-submitted photo from Willow Springs Campground
        Camper-submitted photo from Willow Springs Campground

        8. Willow Springs Campground

        1 Review
        4 Photos
        2 Saves
        McClure, Illinois

        Private property sunken into the Shawnee National Forest.

        • Fires
        • Reservable
        • Tents
        • Trash
        • Firewood Available
        • Showers

        $20 - $125 / night

        Camper-submitted photo from Buck Ridge Campground
        Camper-submitted photo from Buck Ridge Campground
        Camper-submitted photo from Buck Ridge Campground
        Camper-submitted photo from Buck Ridge Campground
        Camper-submitted photo from Buck Ridge Campground
        • No image available

          10. Lake Girardeau Conservation Area

          2 Reviews
          11 Saves
          Whitewater, Missouri
          • Pets
          • Fires
          • Phone Service
          • ADA Access
          • Tents
          • Standard (Tent/RV)
        Showing results 1-10 of 12 campgrounds

        Recent Tent Reviews in Ava

        413 Reviews of 12 Ava Campgrounds


        • J
          Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
          Nov. 8, 2024

          Gun Creek

          Beautiful Sunsets over the Lake

          What a beautiful campground, it’s our second time here. Some spots do have a fairly good slope to them

        • GB N.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from DD Hwy Campground
          Oct. 22, 2024

          DD Hwy Campground

          October tent camping

          Tent camping back away from the RVs & we were the only people. Gorgeous river to view just a few steps away & the night sky view was fantastic. LOVED the bathroom & shower facilities!

        • Tabitha R.
          Camper-submitted photo from Johnson Creek
          Oct. 12, 2024

          Johnson Creek

          Nice!

          This campground provides large spots, drinking water, vault toliets, dumpsters, picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and contactless check in. I also appreciate the value of these sites. It really is a reasonable rate for forest camping.

        • Greg D.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Hilltop Campground
          Oct. 4, 2024

          Hilltop Campground

          Decent overnight stop

          Hosts were friendly, but didn’t brief us on information such as where is the trash bin, what is the WiFi password. Restroom was old but relatively clean. There’s only one valve in the showers so all you get is lukewarm water. Not good on a cool or cold day. Some of the long term people have too many dogs, one had 6 little yippers, kind of annoying. And I’m not against dogs

        • Cecilia
          Camper-submitted photo from Pine Hills
          Aug. 15, 2024

          Pine Hills

          Very nice

          Very quiet and secluded. Campsites are roomy and some firewood is supplied.

        • Scott B.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Hilltop Campground
          Jul. 22, 2024

          Hilltop Campground

          Nice stop

          Stopped here for the night driving through the area. Nice campground, clean, safe, and right off the interstate.

        • Kevin C.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Bean Ridge Pond Campground
          Jul. 14, 2024

          Bean Ridge Pond Campground

          Nice private locationl

          There are only two camp site at this location and they are very close to each other. The camp sites are also very narrow. We camped in the lower site and had a difficult time getting everything out of the road.

          On the positive side, the site was clean, there was nobody there over the weekend and there was a humming bird. The pond had lots of frogs and and a few fish.

        • EThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
          Jun. 16, 2024

          Shawnee Forest Campground

          Great place to camp!

          We stayed 4 days and had a great time. The camp was clean and well maintained. The staff are very friendly and helpful and was more than happy to offer places to visit in the area, places to eat and provide assistance as needed. The trails are paved so we had a nice area to walk (twice around the lake from our site was 3 miles). :) We plan to visit again!

        • Wil V.
          Camper-submitted photo from Benton KOA
          May. 30, 2024

          Benton KOA

          Loud

          1 side is directly on the freeway VERY loud, the other is in between the sewer treatment plant and municipal airport. If you're a light sleeper might want to stay away Full video review on YouTube https://youtu.be/QpuNpA7UVZI

        • JThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from South Marcum Campground
          May. 13, 2024

          South Marcum Campground

          Great Campground

          Only $26 a night for full-hookups is amazing. Cell service for AT&T is marginal at 2 bars LTE. Only issue that I have is that site 49 is very hard to get level in, make sure that you bring extra leveling blocks if possible

        • Lucy P.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Campground
          May. 9, 2024

          Crab Orchard Lake Campground

          Probably nice in a big rig, sucks otherwise

          This campground was essentially an RV park. Only big rigs, some sites well spaced physically but no privacy in between so feels like everyone staring at each other. Some of the waterfront sites okay privacy-wise, but not most. Hookups work well, but bathrooms in terrible condition - especially showers.

          The whole place also smells like dead fish. We saw a raccoon go right through our campsite so be careful what you leave out, also tons of geese and saw two baby copperheads.

          The lake is at least really pretty and there’s a small beach area.

        • JThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Archway RV Park
          May. 8, 2024

          Archway RV Park

          Great campground

          Sites are nice, although all sites face each other meaning you will be 5-10 feet from your neighbors if you are sitting out front. Full-hookups with only a 50amp connection so if you are using 30 make sure you have a 50/30 adapter. Overall very nice campground, well maintained.

        • Barb N.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
          Apr. 30, 2024

          Gun Creek

          Blue Jay #49 Water site

          Love this state park! Clean, quiet, water views and lots of bike paths to ride.

        • Steve G.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Campground
          Apr. 24, 2024

          Crab Orchard Lake Campground

          Excellent Lakeside Campgrouind

          Getting there: Easy access off Illinois 13 East of Carbondale 

          Check in and staff: Campground is now under the egis of recreation.gov& reservations through them are a must. This is new& when planning the trip the website said“first come first serve” so we arrived on a Friday evening(4pm) with no reservation. The sign said RV sites all taken. The host was wonderful! He has been here 9 years and steered us to a nice site for the one night we will be here. The online experience with recreation.gov was not pleasant, impossible in fact. So I had to call. This took quite awhile. Once I got a real live person it was great, and we got our site with no problems. 

          Amenities: Bathrooms: clean, paper towels& air dryers. 

          Site: A-35. In the middle of the A loop and therefore not on the water. Still, very nice. After all, beggars can’t be choosers! Sites are somewhat spacious, but not terribly private.

        • Michelle K.
          Camper-submitted photo from Sharp Rock Falls Recreation
          Apr. 4, 2024

          Sharp Rock Falls Recreation

          Longbranch Shooting House And Saloon

          You're welcome to at longbranch! Please make your reservations.
          Only 16 spots left!

          Ava Illinois +1 618-318-6734 Text your name and number of people on your campsite to reserve your spot.

          The Solar Eclipse Event "PARK @ THE MOON"

          Extended or early arrivals welcome. Just simply request more information in the text. We will get ahold of asap with a more information and a confirmation number.

          #ShareThisPost #solareclipse2024

        • Katrin M.
          Camper-submitted photo from Hawn State Park Campground
          Mar. 24, 2024

          Hawn State Park Campground

          Nice campground in the woods.

          We camped at site 39 over the weekend. The park was very clean and family friendly. There are several hiking trails and an overlook. The restrooms and showers are still closed for the season, but there are primitive vault toilets. The sites are very close together, so there is not much privacy. Also, some have electricity and some not. The firewood was wet und would not burn. The landscape around the park was very nice. We camped here to visit the Gateway National Park and Mastodon Natural Site.

        • Tonya B.
          Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
          Mar. 18, 2024

          Shawnee Forest Campground

          Great Place!

          Stayed here on the way to and from Florida (home in Minnesota). Very nice campground. Well maintained, big sites for our 40ft fifth wheel, great sunrise/sunset views, and the bathrooms are very clean and well lite. The gentleman/host that greeted us at the office upon arrival was polite and helpful. Will definitely stay again!

        • Jake C.The Dyrt ADMIN User
          Camper-submitted photo from Willow Springs Campground
          Mar. 1, 2024

          Willow Springs Campground

          New to the Dyrt!

          Jake from the Dyrt here! We're excited to have this campground on the Dyrt and ready for you to book, check them out and make sure to leave a review!



        Frequently Asked Questions

        • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ava, IL?

          According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ava, 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 Ava, IL?

          TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Ava, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.