Best Campgrounds near Carlyle, IL

Carlyle, IL is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Carlyle, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Carlyle and user-submitted reviews.

Best Camping Sites Near Carlyle, Illinois (74)

    1. Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area

    26 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-3015

    $15 - $30 / night

    "This State Park is located outside Carlyle,Illinois. This park offers playground areas and more. Cabins, campsites with power or no power the choice is yours."

    "while there are many full service sites available, this campground offers dozens of rustic tent sites right next to Carlyle Lake as well!"

    2. Coles Creek Recreation Area

    14 Reviews
    Keyesport, IL
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 226-3211

    $20 - $250 / night

    "Coles Creek is a nice, large campground located on Carlyle Lake in Illinois. It has full hook up, 50 amp sites with many located right on the water!"

    "Coles Creek Campground on Carlyle Lake has 219 sites, most with full hookups, and shade. (There is 30 & 50 a as no service). Internet is spotty. There are also 2 group campsites with cabins."

    3. Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground

    13 Reviews
    Keyesport, IL
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 226-3586

    $20 - $40 / night

    "Boulder is a lovely campground tucked away on Carlyle Lake. It has it's own marina where you can rent a slip for your boat. The sites are well spaced and have a beautiful view of the lake and sunsets!"

    "Boulder Rec is a quiet, clean, COE camp on Lake Carlyle. Well kept, well tended. Site was relatively level (w/in couple inches) and had fire ring and picnic table. Stayed at Site 35."

    4. Dam West Spillway

    10 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-5253

    $30 / night

    "It is directly on Carlyle Lake, ,the largest lake in Illinois. It has activities for children on the weekends."

    "Ranger Review Primus LiTech Trek Kettle at Dam West Campground

    Campground Review

    What a great campground on the shore of Carlyle Lake!"

    5. Dam West Campground

    9 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-4410

    $20 - $60 / night

    "We love Lake Carlyle and Dam West is a great place to camp. CLEAN (and air conditioned) bath houses. The sites are beautiful and well maintained! Great place to bike, hike, and swim at the beach."

    "Full hookups, reservable sites, walk up sites, and all sites are large! Full hookup sites are booked solid so make sure you go online 6 months out or you are out of luck."

    6. Dam East Recreation Area

    6 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-4410

    "We love camping at all the campgrounds on Carlyle Lake. It’s always a good time. There are plenty of areas to fish, hike, swim, picnic."

    "Overall Rating: 4 for cleanliness and location for travels on nearby highway. Spillway is not particularly pretty."

    7. Dam East - Mcnair Campground

    5 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-5253

    $20 - $125 / night

    "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.)"

    "Bathroom close by and very clean. Shower house only available at the main campground, which was a distance away and not reasonable to walk with a little one."

    8. COE Lake Carlyle McNair Campground

    4 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-2484

    "There's miles and miles of walking and biking trails! The sites are pretty generously sized. The host was nice and the price was fantastic! I paid $42 for 4 nights."

    "Quiet and plenty of trees and a walking path. A beach to swim at and a dock to fish off. A playground for kids. You can tent camp in a.few places but mai.ly for electric campers and.RV's."

    9. Carlyle Lake Campgrounds

    2 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (618) 226-3586

    10. Carlyle lake

    2 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    1 mile
    Website

    "Fun little trails, boat rentals and a swimming “beach” . On-site store and nicely groomed campgrounds."

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Recent Reviews near Carlyle, IL

415 Reviews of 74 Carlyle Campgrounds


  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2025

    Dam West Campground

    Beautiful campground at a minimum $

    This campground is heavenly and peaceful. Lots of migrant waterfowl. Pelicans, egrets, blue herons….

  • Chip
    Sep. 2, 2025

    World Shooting and Recreational Complex

    Lot's of full hookups

    This was our first camp in our new to us travel trailer. Not many trees.  Site has tons of camping sites so finding a spot should not be an issue.  This is the site of the American Trap Shooters Association "Grand" Event.  During that event the first couple weeks in August the campground is full.  We were here last weekend in August. Only one other camper within sight of our spot Friday night and they were gone Saturday morning.  There is a shower house I believe but could not access a couple of the doors I tried.  I imagine they had some unlocked but I didn't try all the doors when I was there.

  • Mickie S.
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Okaw Valley Kampground

    Great experience

    This is a great campground and the owners are awesome! My husband and I are riding our bicycles cross country. The day we checked into the campground,he had a Crohn's flare/bowel block and went to the hospital for 4 days. The owners stored our bikes, watched our tent, and even picked us up from the hospital! Such nice people! The campground is clean, has a great showerhouse, lots of trees, and even has recliners in the laundry room. I highly recommend staying here!

  • Lisa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 27, 2025

    Dam East - Mcnair Campground

    Peaceful and quiet

    Another really nice COE campground. With our pass for seniors, we only paid $10 for electric. The sites were a little closer together than normal COE’s but still plenty of room. Water spicket’s were placed throughout the park but not at each site. There was a lake with a swim beach and two playgrounds. Sites were very level. Nice and shady. Close to town. Well maintained showers.

  • Natasha T.
    Aug. 21, 2025

    Cahokia RV Parque

    Very clean place with reasonable prices. price

    They were so accommodating. Even on the phone I didnt feel like a burden

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 18, 2025

    Gun Creek

    Nice!

    Nice, large, well thought out campground. Lots of trees, paved sites, bathrooms, showers, and well maintained. Offers full hookups, partial or none. Convenient to I64. Only stayed 1 nite, but would definitely come back.

  • R
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Okaw Valley Kampground

    Great place to stay overnight

    The owner, Barb, was very friendly and helpful. We had a pull through just for overnight, and it was perfect.
    The park appeared well taken care of, and the pool looked clean.

  • Julie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Love's RV Hookup-Hamel IL 578

    Good for a truck stop, busy and loud

    Easy reservation system online. $60 is a bit pricey for one night. Electricity and water at each spot which are concrete slabs. Typical super busy truck stop with bright lights and lots of action but safe and convenient.

  • Stephanie S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2025

    Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground

    Spacious and clean

    Campground was well maintained with spacious campsites. I tried to get a spot on the water but they were all reserved, they looked really nice so I would try to get it in the future. Showers were nice with air conditioning. I would say this is more of a campsite for RVs but it worked fine with our tent. Host was nice and helpful.


Guide to Carlyle

Camping near Carlyle, Illinois, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and family-friendly activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun-filled adventure, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Fishing and Boating: Carlyle Lake is a prime spot for fishing and boating. Many campers enjoy the peaceful waters and the chance to catch some fish. One visitor at Coles Creek Recreation Area mentioned, "The lake is a prime fishing and boating lake, and is recognized as one of the nation's top ten inland sailing lakes."
  • Hiking: There are several trails around the campgrounds, perfect for hiking and exploring nature. A camper at South Sandusky Campground noted, "Nice trails through the woods to hike. Access to River for kayaking."
  • Playgrounds and Sports: Many campgrounds have playgrounds and sports facilities. One family at Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area shared, "There are three playground areas, a basketball court, sand volleyball, and a pool during summer months."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms and showers. A visitor at Okaw Valley Kampground said, "Clean restrooms and showers with hot water."
  • Friendly Hosts: Many campgrounds have welcoming staff. A camper at Gun Creek remarked, "Very well kept, friendly staff, very convenient from interstate."
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy having enough room to spread out. One reviewer at South Marcum Campground mentioned, "The sites are set up to provide some privacy, and are not right on top of each other."

What you should know:

  • Seasonal Availability: Some campgrounds are only open during certain months. For example, South Sandusky Campground is open from March 28 to November 2.
  • Limited Amenities: Not all campgrounds have full amenities. A camper at Illinois Gun Creek noted, "Not all sites have water, septic. Clean facilities."
  • Noise Levels: Some campgrounds can be noisy due to nearby highways or other campers. A visitor at Cahokia RV Parque mentioned, "Nights are noisy!!! About 3am sounded like a dump truck was driving through camp."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Activities for Kids: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds and sports facilities. A family at Camp Lakewood said, "The playground is adorable and retro."
  • Safety: Choose campgrounds that feel safe and have friendly staff. A camper at Draft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park noted, "Even though this RV park is in a city, we felt safe."
  • Plan for Meals: Some campgrounds have stores or nearby restaurants. A visitor at Okaw Valley Kampground mentioned, "Family owned with a nice little fishing area... and a camp store."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Levels: Some sites may not be level, so bring leveling blocks. A camper at South Marcum Campground advised, "Only issue that I have is that site 49 is very hard to get level."
  • Book Early: Popular campgrounds can fill up quickly, especially on weekends. A visitor at Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area mentioned, "The campground filled up by 11am on Friday."
  • Use Online Reservations: Many campgrounds offer easy online booking. A camper at Cahokia RV Parque said, "The online reservations were easy to make."

Camping near Carlyle, Illinois, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. With a variety of campgrounds and activities, you're sure to find the perfect spot for your next getaway!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular campground near Carlyle, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Carlyle, IL is Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 26 reviews.

What parks are near Carlyle, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 12 parks near Carlyle, IL that allow camping, notably Carlyle Lake and Rend Lake.