24 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Shawnee Forest Campground and Little Lusk Trail Lodge provide upscale glamping accommodations near Buncombe, Illinois. Shawnee Forest houses comfortable yurts equipped with electrical hookups, drinking water, and modern bathrooms with showers. Little Lusk Trail Lodge offers luxury cabin-style glamping units with full hookups including sewer, water, and electric. Both locations feature picnic tables, fire rings, and trash service for a comfortable outdoor experience while maintaining modern conveniences. The sites are well-maintained with level pads and spacious layouts. One guest noted, "The sites are nice and level with picnic table and fire ring at every site. The bathrooms were very clean and grounds generally well kept."
Giant City State Park and Bear Branch Campground round out the glamping options within driving distance of Buncombe. Bear Branch provides both cabin accommodations and yurt rentals with fifty-amp hookups, showers, and full-service amenities. Located on former golf course property, Shawnee Forest Campground includes well-maintained walking trails on paved cart paths, perfect for morning strolls and bike rides. Fishing opportunities are available at multiple locations, with catch-and-release ponds on site. According to a camper, "We had a beautiful large site with some shade. There are beautiful walking/bike paths around the property, and the hosts were very kind and helpful." Proximity to Garden of the Gods, Little Grand Canyon, and other Shawnee National Forest attractions makes these glamping locations ideal base camps for exploring southern Illinois.
"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"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."
"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."
"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."
"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
"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"This is hands-down the nicest campground on Rend Lake."
"Bathrooms are nice and clean. Didn’t use the shower facilities. The lake has a lot of boats flying around, but it’s placid after dark. Bugs weren’t bad at all."
from $16 - $44 / night
Check Availability"South Sandusky is a very nice campground with lots of trees, concrete pad, fire pit, playground, and bathroom facilities."
"many of the site are right on the lake and the sunrise and sunsets are always gorgeous."
from $16 - $28 / night
Check Availability"Electric on most but not all have water. Campfire area and picnic table provided. Bathhouse is clean and park areas are all clean, dump station on site."
"Arrived just as the sun was setting which was beautiful over the lake. We were in Eagle 81. Large wooded site next to the lake."
from $20 - $30 / 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.
RangerRV or tent, book online at Recreation.Gov not all spots are level. Electric on most but not all have water. Campfire area and picnic table provided. Bathhouse is clean and park areas are all clean, dump station on site. We will be back and book closer to the lake in a level site.
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.
Glamping options near Buncombe, Illinois range from basic tent sites to full-hookup RV spaces. Located in the Shawnee Hills at approximately 500 feet elevation, this region experiences moderate winters and warm, humid summers. The area sits within the unglaciated section of Illinois, creating more varied terrain than typically found in the midwest with sandstone formations and cypress swamps.
Trail exploration along old cart paths: Shawnee Forest Campground offers unique hiking opportunities on former golf course pathways. "This campground is on a former golf course. Has the old golf cart paths as walking/biking paths! The sites are spacious and have picnic tables and fire rings," notes Greg S.
Fishing at multiple lakes: Rend Lake at Gun Creek Campground provides ample fishing opportunities with boat access. "We got there late and had no problems finding a great campsite right next to the lake," reports Jonathan W. The campground is equipped for anglers with "sites with water and sewage dump" according to Dave S.
Hiking at Giant City: The trails at Giant City State Park offer geological features resembling mountain terrain. "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," shares Shana D.
Privacy options: Some glamping sites near Buncombe provide secluded spots. At South Marcum Campground, "The campground gives campers plenty of room to spread out, lots of open space for the kids to play, and not crowded when we stopped by late July," according to Chris B.
Lake views and access: Many campers appreciate sites directly on water. "What a beautiful campground, it's our second time here. Some spots do have a fairly good slope to them," notes Jeff F. about Gun Creek Campground. The access to Rend Lake makes these locations popular for water activities.
Convenient location: Proximity to highways makes glamping close to Buncombe ideal for travelers. Scott B. from Shawnee Forest Campground comments, "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. The campground is really nice and had a great paved walking trail to stretch our legs and walk the dog."
Site variations: Not all sites are created equal. At South Sandusky Campground, "Most sites are wooded with space between them, and many have lake views. They are not very level so some adjustments were needed," advises Joel R.
Limited privacy at some locations: Some campgrounds have closely positioned sites. At Gun Creek, one camper noted, "Site 29 is very close and the picnic bench is literally 8 feet away from the back of the pad of site 30... Don't expect much in the way of privacy."
Seasonal considerations: Weather impacts the camping experience. During dry periods, some sites develop drainage issues. One visitor at Shawnee Forest noted, "Our site was not level and with all the rain we had, there were water puddles at the steps."
Playground access: Several campgrounds offer play areas for children. At South Sandusky Campground, families appreciate the "playground in the non-electric area" with "plenty of fishing, swimming, hiking, boating" according to Rhonda M.
Beach options: Oak Point Campground has lake swimming areas. "A short jont down the road you have a boat loading area to go out on the lake, a public picnic area, and a beach where you can swim (for a small fee) or rent paddle boats," shares Claudia L.
Nature encounters: Wildlife viewing opportunities abound. At South Marcum Campground, a camper reported, "Lots of deer and turkey!" These natural encounters can make glamping near Buncombe, Illinois especially memorable for children.
Hookup details: For those seeking luxury glamping in RVs, know which utilities are available. At Shawnee Forest 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. The water pressure was good around 50 psi. Their WiFi was very good," reports MickandKarla W.
Leveling challenges: Many sites require adjustments. At Gun Creek, "Absolutely must check how level the spots are before you book, as lots of sites are over 4 inch incline, which seems ok for Smaller rigs," advises a reviewer.
Site selection strategy: When booking, research the specific layout. A visitor at Shawnee Forest noted, "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."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Buncombe, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Buncombe, IL is Shawnee Forest Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 37 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Buncombe, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 glamping camping locations near Buncombe, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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