22 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Shawnee Forest Campground offers a tranquil glamping experience with various luxury accommodation options nestled on the grounds of a former golf course near Belknap. The property features yurts and upscale canvas accommodations with full hookups, providing comfortable outdoor stays while maintaining modern conveniences. Each site includes picnic tables and fire rings, allowing guests to enjoy the natural surroundings without sacrificing comfort. The campground provides clean, air-conditioned bathroom facilities and showers, alongside laundry amenities for extended stays. "The staff was unbelievably friendly. The sites are great. It's close to parks & food. We had cell phone service, which is a plus for us," noted one guest about their glamping experience.
Luxury outdoor enthusiasts can explore the walking paths throughout the property that follow former golf cart trails, or try catch-and-release fishing in the on-site ponds. The Art Farm Women's Retreat, another glamping destination in the region, provides safari tents and yurt accommodations in a more secluded setting with a focus on eco-friendly practices. Both locations offer convenient access to Shawnee National Forest attractions including Garden of the Gods and Little Grand Canyon. According to a camper, "It has great potential. Located in Vienna, IL near Shawnee National Forest. It has 3 fish & release ponds." The area boasts year-round accessibility for most glamping sites, making it possible to experience luxury outdoor accommodations even in cooler months when traditional camping might be less appealing.
"Burn pit and cooking grill above the pit at every site I visited. Clean Air condition in the bathroom. Showers work great."
"There is no pool or activities for kids but we went out and explored the area Beautiful walking/bike paths around the property
Hosts were very kind and helpful, we felt very welcomed!"
from $40 / night
Check Availability"We stayed as a larger group on a non-electric site. The sites were sort of close together but the trees still helped provide a sense of privacy."
"Next depending on which site you pick it can be a short walk to the lake and direct put in of your water craft. A very cool feature is that several of the sites are double."
"The picnic tables are old and seem to be spread around as camper are moving them around. The main bathhouse is older, but nice and clean! There is a vault only bathroom at the back of the campground."
"The campsites, fire pits and pit toilets were well maintained. The shorter trails in the park were beautiful even in the winter. The Lodge also had excellent food and a very cozy feel."
"They also offer tiny home rentals, yurt-style glamping tents, RV spots with 30 amp, 50 amp and 110 outlets, and The Art Barn for larger groups, retreats or family reunions."
"Laura was quick to reply to questions and was waiting for us when we arrived. Spot was easy to get into. Quiet and peaceful. Hot tub was great! We didn't use the showers but they looked nice."
from $30 - $90 / night
Check Availability"Under new ownership buy many cabins from 40 a night on up nice shower houses electric sewer and water at a lot of sites great trails well marked maps available stalls available store and restaurant to"
from $30 - $200 / night
Check Availability"High lines behind sites. Stalls can be reserved. some sites are full hookup. Primitive camping also available. CALL them for more info at 270-205-7138. Arena and huge event barn on site."
"The staff was amazing. She showed us around with her 4x4 the whole property, the horses, and the pony or a donkey. The showers were pretty decent and cleaned I would recommend this place for everyone"
from $30 / night
"We spent 5 nights on Site A5 at Crab Orchard Campground. All sites are FC/FS. Full hookups are in Loop B & it was full. Overall the campground was full but not very many people around."
"This is a quiet family campground, most spots are lake side. Very spacious and lots of trees. First come first serve, and the park was full most of the time we were here."
"Grand Rivers KY Canal Campground at Barkley Lake COE Site 111 This is a great COE campground located between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, with views of the Barkley Dam."
"I stopped here on my way back home splitting up a 14 hour drive. The campsite was clean and had a good size. Each campsite has fire pit, tent pad and picnic table. The bathrooms were clean."
from $20 - $256 / night
Check Availability"This place is very close to where you need to be. Outpost in between sells food, firewood, ice etc. Very basic campsite for drive up. People were very respectful, very dog friendly."
"We arrived on a Thursday and there were plenty of open spots. Friday they open some of the other loops up for more people to stay and it did fill up for the weekend. "
from $10 / night
Check Availability
ScoutGary and his family are very polite and very happy to be helpful. Great prices. Burn pit and cooking grill above the pit at every site I visited. Clean Air condition in the bathroom. Showers work great. I stayed here twice, my family and I had a great time and met some really nice people.
TravelerRelatively new. Has great potential. Located in Vienna, IL near Shawnee National Forest. It has 3 fish & release ponds. Sites were a bit hilly which stands to reason since it was converted from a golf course in 2016. Some sites are pretty long. It accommodated our 35ft. MH with attached car. Some sites are close together with very little shade. The campground had lots of open sites during our stay (3rd week in Aug), but during our stay 2 other short stay campers came in & they parked them right next to us. -Full hook ups available -Hosts were very friendly & provided insight to area. -Bath house - provided air conditioning. Although new & spacious there were only 4 in the entire campground & the toilet & shower were in same space. Upon arrival only 1 was open near us. Subsequently the 2nd was closed due to a water valve malfunction & wasn’t re-opened during our stay. My husband likes level sites & facilities he could use. He said he wouldn’t come back any time soon.
GuideLots of choice camping spots! Serene and private. Beautiful rolling farmland, just minutes from town. They also offer tiny home rentals, yurt-style glamping tents, RV spots with 30 amp, 50 amp and 110 outlets, and The Art Barn for larger groups, retreats or family reunions.
LegendBenton KOA Journey is an easy overnight stop just off I-57. Since we were already familiar with the campground layout, we called ahead to ask if we could go directly to our site on the opposite side of the road from the office and check in afterward. The staff gladly accommodated our request. We stayed in Deluxe Full-Hookup Pull-Through Patio Site 65, which made it easy to center our 40-foot fifth wheel on the utilities. The site was slightly off level, but we did not need to use blocks. The gravel patio featured a huge wheelchair-accessible picnic table, fire pit with cooking grate, stand-up charcoal grill, wooden swing, and bench. We received one bar on Verizon and two bars on T-Mobile. There are mature trees around the seven pull-through sites across the road from the main campground, but Starlink should work in most of them if you're able to position the dish around the trees. For this overnight stay, we used our T-Mobile Home Internet, which averaged 358 Mbps download and 2.7 Mbps upload. The campground Wi-Fi was adequate for light browsing. A fenced dog park was conveniently located near our site, and being across the road from the main campground helped reduce interstate noise. Overall, this is a clean, well-run KOA with exceptionally friendly and helpful staff, and a good overnight stop returning to our home base in southern Illinois to rest and dump tanks.
GuideSouth Sandusky is a very nice campground with lots of trees, concrete pad, fire pit, playground, and bathroom facilities. It is wheelchair accessible and walking distance from the lake where you can swim, fish, boat, go tubing or just walk the trails.
TravelerWe stayed as a larger group on a non-electric site. The sites were sort of close together but the trees still helped provide a sense of privacy. There were clean bathrooms with running water a short walk away, didn’t attempt to use the showers. We could easily walk to the trails and we went fishing in the lake. It was mild and quiet the days we went in Mid-May 2020. 🙂 Beautiful scenery.
LegendWe stayed Easter Weekend here in the campground and had a great time. The campground is clean and maintained. Some sites are gravel and some are asphalt. Not sure if they are upgrading a little at a time?? There are plenty of trees for shade. Some sites are close together and some have more room in between them. The picnic tables are old and seem to be spread around as camper are moving them around. The main bathhouse is older, but nice and clean! There is a vault only bathroom at the back of the campground. No water hook up at each site, only electricity. . While you are here, check out the Lodge for dinner one night and climb to the top of the water tower observation deck for some amazing views! Make the quick drive to Makanda and explore the little hippy town. Don’t forget to take a stroll through the secret garden! . The Giant City Nature Trail and Devils Standtable were really pretty, easy strolls. The Trillium Trail is a little more rugged for those who prefer less crowded, slightly tougher trails.
TravelerWe love tent camping at South Sandusky. many of the site are right on the lake and the sunrise and sunsets are always gorgeous. they have quiet hours from 10-6 and the bathrooms and showers are always really clean (but there are still usually lots of small insects). It’s also just a short drive from the South Sandusky swimming beach. It’s sometimes pretty rocky in the water so we usually wear water shoes. If you camp for the hiking though this isn’t my favorite site. There are lots of bike trails but for just hiking there are much better places.
RangerThis campground is very clean! Large open sites- shade is minimal for most sites but we had a beautiful large site with some shade (site 51). They have new trees planted.
There is no pool or activities for kids but we went out and explored the area
Beautiful walking/bike paths around the property
Hosts were very kind and helpful, we felt very welcomed!
There is some freeway noise but didn’t bother us at all
Laundry and bathroom facilities were very clean - was great to do a laundry mid trip!
Belknap sits near the heart of Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois at approximately 400 feet above sea level. The area features a mix of hardwood forests, sandstone formations, and recreational lakes that remain accessible through most seasons. Winter temperatures rarely dip below 20°F, allowing for extended camping seasons at most sites compared to northern Illinois locations.
Hiking trails near Lake Glendale: Oak Point Campground provides access to a scenic lake trail that circles the entire shoreline. "We could easily walk to the trails and we went fishing in the lake. It was mild and quiet the days we went in Mid-May," notes a visitor to Oak Point Campground.
Rock climbing opportunities: Giant City State Park offers trad and sport climbing routes for experienced climbers. "For climbers, there is a ton of nearby trad and sport climbing. The main wall stays wet for a while so if it has recently rained you may need to find somewhere else," explains a visitor to Giant City State Park Campground.
Fishing in multiple locations: Several campgrounds feature on-site fishing options. "There is a small lake and two ponds for fishing. There's no formal dog area, but there are paved trails around the large CG area, which made it nice to walk our dogs," mentions a camper at Shawnee Forest Campground.
Spacious sites with shade: Pine Ridge campground offers well-spaced campsites with natural cover. "The rustic sites are well spread out so they feel very private. The hookup sites were closer together and did not look as well spaced. There is a 2 mile loop road that goes around the whole campground and down to a beach access point for a gorgeous lake," shares a visitor to Pounds Hollow Recreation Area.
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds maintain high standards for bathrooms and shower houses. "Bath houses are kept clean, but as of this posting, they need some maintenance work. All in all, this is a must stop if you want to enjoy what the area has to offer," notes a camper at Crab Orchard Lake.
Affordable pricing: Campgrounds in the region offer good value compared to other destinations. "We stayed at site 6 in May. It was a roomy, wooded site with water and electric for $22/night," explains a visitor to Oak Point Campground, while another camper at Pine Ridge mentions, "And it was only $10 a night!!!"
First-come, first-served policies: Several campgrounds don't accept reservations. "Sites are first come and there are no reservations taken. During the week, no problem. Weekends would be iffy," advises a camper about Oak Point Campground.
Seasonal considerations: Glamping close to Belknap, Illinois requires planning around specific seasons. "We were driving south on I24 towards Nashville and needed a spot to stop for the night. We booked online and were pleasantly surprised when we arrived," notes a visitor to Shawnee Forest Campground.
Cell service variability: Connectivity varies throughout the area. "We got two bars on Verizon," mentions a Shawnee Forest Campground visitor, providing useful information for those needing to stay connected while enjoying luxury camping near Belknap.
Playground access: Some campgrounds offer dedicated play areas. "They have a small playground, beach, several bath houses, a group camping 'pad', boat ramp, boat dock and easy roads for cycling," shares a visitor to Canal Campground.
Beach amenities: Swimming options exist but may have associated costs. "There is also a beach, but you have to pay $5/person which felt excessive for what it was," notes a camper at Oak Point Campground.
Trail difficulty considerations: Assess hiking options based on children's abilities. "The Giant City Nature Trail and Devils Standtable were really pretty, easy strolls. The Trillium Trail is a little more rugged for those who prefer less crowded, slightly tougher trails," explains a visitor to Giant City State Park.
Site leveling challenges: Many campgrounds require adjustments for comfortable parking. "Our site was not level and with all the rain we had, there were water puddles at the steps. There are some nice sites in this CG but we were not offered one of the better ones," advises an RVer at Shawnee Forest Campground.
Hookup locations: Utility connections vary by campground. "The water and electric (50/30/20 AMP) are at the back of the gravel pad. There are two sewer hookups, which was nice," notes a Shawnee Forest Campground visitor.
Access for larger rigs: Some campgrounds have limitations for big RVs. "Very large rigs (35+) will be challenging, but I've seen them - more towards the front," advises a camper about Oak Point Campground, providing valuable information for those seeking glamping accommodations near Belknap with larger vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Belknap, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Belknap, IL is Shawnee Forest Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 37 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Belknap, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 glamping camping locations near Belknap, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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