Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Brussels, IL has a lot to offer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Brussels. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
"We loved our stay at Babler, aside from the snow & wind - the park is great! Review below ⬇️
⛺️ S I T E R E V I E W ⛺️
📍 Dr. Edmund A."
"Nice state park close to St Louis. Good, if short, trails. The campground is used a lot by RV and campers, not so much by tenters. Lots of campsites had electric."
$10 - $65 / night
"There is hiking trails which was wonderful. There is a winery nearby. My campsite was amazing, it was clean and wasn't too far from the restrooms. There is picnic tables and fire rings."
"A few drive up sites and lots of hike in spots around a quarry turned lake. Beautiful and clean setting. We stayed in site 24. There were picnic tables and a fire pit at our site."
$20 - $100 / night
"Super inexpensive for the space that you get. Free firewood. We have only stayed at the largest site as it has good fishing and a place for us to launch our paddleboards and kayaks."
"Great for tent camping and hiking."
"Stayed at a walk-in site for a night and enjoyed it. Some sites are closer to the highway and cars flying down the road can make it hard to sleep but after midnight, they stopped."
"The campground is located in a gym of a park located along the Missouri River. Reservations are required and the sites are in high demand. Tent camping only. There is water available in the park."
"Plenty of tent spots with tree cover and fire pits. Lighting bugs came out at night."
"There are single campsites on both the north and south ends of the conservation area, and none of them have any amenities- no water, no vault toilet or outhouse, no firewood for sale."
GuideWe loved our stay at Babler, aside from the snow & wind - the park is great! Review below ⬇️
⛺️ S I T E R E V I E W ⛺️
📍 Dr. Edmund A. Babler State Park Wildwood, MO
💰 $12-$21/night
🗓 Feb 19-21, 2022
Site 48 ⚡️💧
🦮 Pets Welcome (on leash at all times)
➕Concrete Pads, Quiet, Close to Interstate 40, Paved Roads, Easy to Access, Gated Overnight with access code
➖Small/Close Sites, No Water in Off Season, Only Vault Toilets - No Showers in Off Season
📶 AT&T Service 4 out of 5
🚮 Dump Station located behind bathhouse. NO WATER during off season!
🚻AMENITIES •Playground •Hiking, Biking & Equestrian Trails •Wood & Ice •Interpretive Programs •Visitor Center •Special Use Area •Laundry, Flush Toilets & Showers ON SEASON ONLY!
🏕SITES Reservable 12 Months-FCFS in off season 72 Reservable 8 Accessible sites Basic - Electric Concrete Back In Lantern Hook, Picnic Table & Fire Ring
⏰ HOURS/DATES April - October 7:am - 9:pm Nov - March 7:am - 6:pm
🔺Park Office 8:30am - 4:pm M-F
🔺Visitor Center April - Oct 9:am - 4:30pm W - Sun Nov - March 9:am - 4:pm - Sat-Sun Dec - Feb CLOSED
RangerReally nice place when you get into the woods. There is hiking trails which was wonderful. There is a winery nearby. My campsite was amazing, it was clean and wasn't too far from the restrooms. There is picnic tables and fire rings. I usually bring my own firewood because i believe in the leave no trace rule. I would definitly come back to this site
TravelerI spent a night here camping while on a road trip. The check-in was quick and easy. The host showed me the tent campsites, which are secluded and private from the RV sites. The sites are outfitted with a picnic table and brick fire rings. Some have water spickets. There's a central covered picnic area. Lots of shade and tall trees. You'll want to check them for dead limbs before setting up your site. I didn't ask if hammock camping is allowed. There are at least two sites that would work nicely for a hammock. A portable toilet is available to keep the area sanitary for urgent needs; the flush toilets, laundry, and fitness center at the main entrance are also available for a longer walk or short drive.
LegendThere are 10 or so primitive tent sites and an area that will accommodate about a dozen RV’s. There are no services here and no hook ups, but it’s free. The primitive tent sites are spread out along the main road through the conservation area, which means that in the daytime you will get road noise and dust, but its pretty quiet at night. Only a couple have picnic tables, but all seemed to have at least a level spot for the tent and a fire ring. I noticed some sites had a bit of trash in the fire rings, probably from day use or partiers. There is no trash service, so plan to pack out your trash. The best site (already taken, too bad) was set on the edge of the woods next to a fishing pond. The campers that were there let me take some pics of their site since it was so pretty. The only downside to that site was its proximity to the RV lot and their generators. There are some nice hiking trails here to explore.
LegendThere are single campsites on both the north and south ends of the conservation area, and none of them have any amenities- no water, no vault toilet or outhouse, no firewood for sale. But what the sites are lacking is made up for with scenery and hiking, and it is free. The conservation area is closed to camping during various hunting seasons(I ran into a hunter scoping out his turkey hunting spot for the following week’s hunt). There is a great hike down into a valley with the actual Lost Creek at the bottom, completely worth the hard hike back up out of the valley. The campsite has room for a couple tents(no RV’s here), some great trees for hammocks, a primitive fire ring, and a picnic table. Since you are right next to the parking lot, you will see some traffic during the day with hikers, birders, and others, and there is no privacy for your campsite. Bring everything, including a cat hole shovel, and pack everything out.
LegendBeaver Dam State Park, Il
We did an overnighter here. We arrived in time to get a hike in before dinner meal.
The trail map is very basic and not totally accurate. The trails are poorly marked but with basic knowledge of your compass points you can figure them out. Staff may be limited due to Corona , so the trail maintenance may have suffered, it is overgrown in several areas. The overlook to the marsh is pretty cool. I found no mileage for the trails , there may be a purchasable map with more information or of course a trail App. The lake is picturesque and busy. Lotsa fisher people here. The trail goes all the way around the lake with several fishing spots. Theres a boat ramp near the parking area and several docks to use across the lake. A nice feature is located next to the boat ramp, a fish cleaning pavilion complete with pull down hoses.
The campground had an interesting set up. The sites in the loops are gravel and you have room but not a lot of privacy. I was in site 26 and you have to back between the two other sites into this one. Not difficult in my van but it could get interesting with a camper. I don’t think you would have the room to pull in and circle out. Electric at these sites , no water. There were hydrants spaces throughout for your water needs. The fire “rings” were interesting, with a flat “platform” to set your coals/fire on. Nice campground, I felt like somewhat of an outsider here, the occupants were possibly locals who obviously use the entire 14 day stay limit. Otherwise nice, basic, water activity centered campground. I did not see any swimming areas.
TravelerThe campsites and grounds are well-maintained. However, the campsites did not have designated gravel tent pads. Given that we had to set up in/right after a rain, our tarp was sitting in grass and mud. I never knew how much I appreciated a designated gravel tent pad until then. Having never camped here, we had reserved site 25 and had the whole loop to ourselves (it was a Monday night, though). Our site, though, was the smallest in the loop, tucked away in the weeds, and the only area to pitch our tent was on a slight slope. After walking the loop, I noticed that sites 26 and 29, offered more room and were better maintained. We probably could’ve changed sites had we not arrived so late and in the rain.
Firewood is available for $5. We saw a nice playground at the entrance. There were plenty of showers (water was nice and hot!) and flush toilets in the bathhouse. The bathhouse could use some TLC, but the warm water made up for it. There are laundry facilities, though we didn’t use them.
LegendNice little campground close to down town St Louis (when the leaves are down I bet you can see the Arch). Campsites are nice and flat with the standard picnic tables and fire rings. No showers, but decent toilets. The nice thing is the campground is staffed by rangers in the day, and at night they sometimes take a security swing through the campground. Nice lake for fishing and boating.
GuideCampground is beautiful and very woodsy. We saw bunnies hopping around and when we first arrived to our site a deer was grazing nearby, such a bonus! No electricity but water was conveniently located right across from our site to do dishes and whatnot. Staking the tent wasn’t difficult at all. Our site was fairly spacious and a not super close to others which we liked. The sites by the vault toilet looked closer together so I could see that being a cool spot for multiple families or friend groups. Don’t leave anything out at night or raccoons will scavenge, we accidentally left our trash bag hanging (ugh!) but that was our fault. We stayed only one night passing through on a road trip but would stay again if we end up in the area.
Tent camping near Brussels, Illinois offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from private to public campgrounds, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Brussels, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Brussels, IL is Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 27 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Brussels, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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