Benton is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Benton is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Benton. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, 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. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern Illinois.
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 you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.
Gun Creek sits along the Eastern banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois.
Rend Lake Golf Complex, which includes a 27-hole golf course, restuarant, and lodge.
$30 / night
Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, 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. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change througout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern illinois.
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 you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.
South Sandusky Campground is situated around Sandusky cove on Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. With nicely spaced campsites and plenty of activities easily accessible from the campground, South Sandusky is an excellent destination for camping at Rend Lake. Wildlife in the area includes white tailed deer, wild turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year.
South Sandusky Beach Rend Lake Visitors Center Rend Lake Project Office
$18 / night
Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, 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. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossu, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern Illinois.
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 you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.
South Marcum Campground sits along the banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. With plenty of unobstructed views of the water, campers are able to take in scenic sunsets as well as enjoy activities such as bank fishing, right from the campground.
Rend Lake Dam
$26 / night
We also have a basketball court, propane, dump station and our laundry room has brand new machines. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available throughout the park. We have added a new activity/meeting room with central ac/heat, pictures are located on our Facebook page.
Laundry
Pull-Thru Sites
30 & 50 Amp Service
Big Rig Friendly
Pet Friendly
Playground
Ice
Clean Restrooms/Hot Showers
Activity/Meeting Room
Dump Station
Pool
Grocery Store
Basketball
Pavilion
One of the most photographed locations in the state, Garden of the Gods' scenic beauty is extraordinary. In the recreation area you can hike, camp, nature watch or picnic.
The Observation Trail features unique sandstone rock formations and panoramic views of the surrounding Garden of the God Wilderness. Interpretive signs explain the geological history. The 1/4-mile trail is made of natural sandstone and takes about an hour to walk. It contains short, steep grades and steps; benches are located along the trail and as a whole the trail is not tiring. Caution should be used due to the high cliffs in the area.
Overnight parking allowed at Backpacker's Parking Lot only (Indian Point Trailhead). Pets are allowed only on a leash. Picnic areas and Observation Trail are open 6am-10pm. Use trash receptacles where available. Pack It In, Pack It Out while on trails. Camp only at designated sites in the campground. Disposable food and beverage containers are not permitted on the Observation Trail. Stay on the designated trail and leave the beauty of the rocks and plants for others to enjoy.
$10 / night
Open year-round, Archway RV Park is easy to get to from the Interstate. Level, full-hookup pull through sites that are big-rig friendly. We love pets. You’ll love that we sell propane. Visit our Amenities page to see photos of our facility. We also have cabins, super fun glamper pods and on-site rental campers. Visit our Lodging page to learn more.
Come on in, you’re gonna love it.
$60 / night
Bell Smith Springs is one of the most beautiful recreation areas the Shawnee National Forest has to offer. It contains a series of clear, rocky streams and scenic canyons bordered by high sandstone cliffs and an abundance of vegetation unique to Illinois. The trail system consists of eight miles of interconnected trails featuring strange and wonderful rock formations, such as Devil's Backbone, Boulder Falls and a natural rock bridge. Hiking this system of trails is a favorite activity because of the rock features, scenic overlooks, hidden springs and lush flora and fauna.
$15 / night
Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, 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. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern Illinois.
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 you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.
Gun Creek sits along the Eastern banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois.
Rend Lake Golf Complex, which includes a 27-hole golf course, restuarant, and lodge.
$30 / night
Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, 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. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change througout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern illinois.
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 you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.
South Sandusky Campground is situated around Sandusky cove on Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. With nicely spaced campsites and plenty of activities easily accessible from the campground, South Sandusky is an excellent destination for camping at Rend Lake. Wildlife in the area includes white tailed deer, wild turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year.
South Sandusky Beach Rend Lake Visitors Center Rend Lake Project Office
$18 / night
Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, 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. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossu, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern Illinois.
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 you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.
South Marcum Campground sits along the banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. With plenty of unobstructed views of the water, campers are able to take in scenic sunsets as well as enjoy activities such as bank fishing, right from the campground.
Rend Lake Dam
$26 / night
We also have a basketball court, propane, dump station and our laundry room has brand new machines. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available throughout the park. We have added a new activity/meeting room with central ac/heat, pictures are located on our Facebook page.
Laundry
Pull-Thru Sites
30 & 50 Amp Service
Big Rig Friendly
Pet Friendly
Playground
Ice
Clean Restrooms/Hot Showers
Activity/Meeting Room
Dump Station
Pool
Grocery Store
Basketball
Pavilion
Legend
We’d seen signs for Shawnee Forest Campground (CG) many times as we headed out and back from our St. Louis home base and wanted to check this CG out. We followed our GPS to the clearly marked CG entrance but our GPS showed we still had about a half mile to go. We checked in at the little office and were given the choice of pull through sites with FHUs 12 or 21. We chose site 21. The gravel roads are slightly narrow with some trees but we did not have any issues getting to site 21. The water and electric(50/30/20 AMP) are at the back of the gravel pad. There are two sewer hookups, which was nice. The water pressure was good around 50 psi. Their WiFi was very good. There are mature trees here and there in the CG, so satellite should not be an issue. We got two bars on Verizon. Each of the bath houses have a washer and dryer. 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 even though there were plenty of sites open in the upper 26- 50 site area. If we come back, we’ll know where to ask for a site. They have 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.
Traveler
What a beautiful campground, it’s our second time here. Some spots do have a fairly good slope to them
Traveler
Plenty of space and nicely maintained Porto potty
Scout
Be free camp sites listings for state parks
Scout
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.
Traveler
Love this spot! It's easily accessible by all rig types. Backs up to the open forest and you pull right back onto the highway.
Guide
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
Scout
Right next to a huge reserve for fishing and boating. Campsites are very spaced out. We had 30 amp electric but no water on the campsite. Wasn't a problem for us we just filled our water tank. Bathrooms and showers were very clean. Look forward to coming back
Guide
Our site was on the shore and had good spacing from others. The bathrooms, showers, and laundry all close by. Good hot water in the showers. The host was friendly and helpful. I’d go back again!
Legend
McNair ACE: Tate 4 for cleanliness and stopover location for travels on nearby highway. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 4 Price 2024: $ 9w interagency pass Security: no Usage during visit: 1/3 Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: no Site Spacing: closer Pad surface: blacktop Reservations: Required Campground Noise: No Outside Road Noise: no Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: yes Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: Nice flush Showers: small private Cell Service (AT&T): 2-3 bars Setting: near lake Recent Weather: 80s Insects: no Host: yes Rig Size: large Sites: Outside sites are by far the best. 16,17,18 are favorites .
Legend
East Dam ACE, IL: Not an interesting view from here, but well maintained campground . Quiet.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 4 for cleanliness and location for travels on nearby highway. Spillway is not particularly pretty. Price 2024: $9 w interagency pass Security: No gate Usage during visit: 60% during the week Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: No Site Spacing: Good Pad surface: Blacktop Reservations: Required. Can be made upon arrival through rec.gov Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: No Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: At nearby ACE campground Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: In adjacent day use area Showers: No. Nearby - check w host. Pull Throughs: Some Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars Setting: along Kaskasia River/ spillway Recent Weather: 80s Insects: no Host: yes Rig Size: large Sites: Some sites are along the spillway.
Scout
Great little spot right off the interstate. Lots of nice scenery and decent fishing.
Scout
Very quiet and secluded. Campsites are roomy and some firewood is supplied.
Scout
Campground was quiet and well kept. Foliage was well trimmed. There was a spot from previous campers that needed cleaned up, but that's more of a reflection of the previous campers and less the camp ground, in my opinion, as it was not an overall theme.
Ranger
This is a little gem of a refuge within the Shawnee NF - about 30min from Marion, down a beautiful country road before nestling among the trees around the lake. The drive is paved/gravel the whole way, so very easily drivable for anyone in anything. Plenty of camp sites, both with electric and non-electric, double and single. Bring bug spray - horseflies and ticks. Beautiful lake, beautiful biking trails, etc. Firepits w/ grates are spacious and nice, fees are online. 1 bar verizon at camp, can get up to 3 bars within the area.
Scout
Great overnight stop. We make it our must stop spot. Super easy in and out. Trees and lovely grounds.
GuideNobody here. Bring a fishing pole. No services except a porta potty.
RangerStopped here for the night driving through the area. Nice campground, clean, safe, and right off the interstate.
Ranger
Easy to find. Affordable overnight stay with electric. Beautiful lake. Friendly campers and hosts. Pit toilets. Spotty Verizon.
GuideMy sister and I stopped here on our way to wisconsin, We were surprised how lovely it was! Birds everywhere and the lake was so huge. The camp sites were big and many of them, the bathrooms were always clean and had AC!
GuideFirst off, a bang for you buck compared to some surrounding camp sites. They have PLENTY of sites, most with some view of the water. They have a boat launch, bathrooms, and showers. We stayed here 3 nights. The shores are quite rocky so it can be difficult to access the water just to swim. Overall, it was great. My only complaint is there is only one trash located in the beginning on the park & it was full, full, full!!!
ScoutWe 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!
Guide
We were on electric only. Wish we had known we could have gotten a senior discount. Very nice campground.
GuideWe stayed for 1 night, had a spot in the back with a perfect view of the lake. Lots of room for dogs.
TravelerBeautiful spot with easy access and not far off the highway
Scout
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
TravelerArrived just after a terrible storm so parts of the park were closed for clean up. The parts that were open were all cleaned up, spacious sites, easy access, with fantastic hosts. An absolutely beautiful evening in gorgeous surroundings…we’ll be back and so glad we stumbled upon this place. Didn’t use the showers so can’t report on the facilities….
Camping near Benton, IL, offers a variety of beautiful spots for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a family-friendly adventure, there are plenty of campgrounds to explore.
Camping near Benton, IL, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Benton, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, Benton, IL offers a wide range of camping options, with 103 campgrounds and RV parks near Benton, IL and 6 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Benton, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Benton, IL is Gun Creek with a 4.7-star rating from 20 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Benton, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 free dispersed camping spots near Benton, IL.
What parks are near Benton, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 16 parks near Benton, IL that allow camping, notably Rend Lake and Shawnee National Forest.