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GuideHorseshoe Lake State Park Campground
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Camping near Carlyle, IL
77 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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SUMMARY PRESENTED BY
Carlyle Lake in Illinois offers a significant concentration of campgrounds operated by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Camping near Carlyle ranges from tent sites and RV hookups to cabin rentals, with top-rated campgrounds including Dam West Campground, Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area, and Coles Creek Recreation Area. These developed sites accommodate tent camping, RVs with hookups, and some locations offer cabin rentals. Most campgrounds provide water and electric hookups, with several offering full-service sites including sewer connections.
Reservations are recommended for weekend stays, particularly during the summer months when waterfront sites fill quickly. "We love camping at all the campgrounds on Carlyle Lake. There are plenty of areas to fish, hike, swim, picnic," noted one visitor about the recreational opportunities. The camping season typically runs from April through October, though some facilities like Illini Campground at Eldon Hazlet remain open year-round. Most sites feature paved or graveled pads suitable for RVs, and shaded locations are common throughout the area's campgrounds. Bathroom facilities vary by location, with Dam West receiving consistent praise for its clean, air-conditioned shower houses.
Waterfront access represents a major attraction at Carlyle Lake campgrounds, with fishing and boating opportunities drawing many visitors. Several campgrounds provide direct lake access, boat ramps, and swimming beaches. The sites are generally spacious with good separation between neighbors. A camper described the experience: "Sites are large! Full hookup sites are booked solid so make sure you go online 6 months out or you are out of luck. The campground is perfect for taking long walks and bike riding." Paved bike paths connect many of the recreation areas, making it possible to explore beyond individual campgrounds. Day use areas with picnic facilities complement the overnight camping options, allowing visitors to enjoy lake activities without necessarily staying overnight.
Best Campgrounds near Carlyle (77)
1. Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
"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!"
from $15 - $30 / night
Check Availability2. Coles Creek Recreation Area
"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."
from $20 - $250 / night
Check Availability3. Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground
"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."
from $20 - $40 / night
Check Availability4. Dam West Spillway
"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!"
from $30 / night
Check Availability5. Dam West Campground
"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."
from $20 - $60 / night
Check Availability6. Dam East Recreation Area
"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
"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."
from $20 - $125 / night
Check Availability8. COE Lake Carlyle McNair Campground
"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
10. Carlyle lake
"Fun little trails, boat rentals and a swimming “beach” . On-site store and nicely groomed campgrounds."
Drive Time
- 49 min from St. Louis, MO
- 1 hr 32 min from Springfield, IL
- 1 hr 42 min from Decatur, IL
- 2 hrs from Cape Girardeau, MO
Recent Camping Photos near Carlyle, IL
45 Photos of 77 Carlyle Campgrounds
Sarah J.
Dam West Spillway
Brooke C.
Dam West Campground
Keri B.
Dam East - Mcnair Campground
Jay B.
Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Sam W.
Coles Creek Recreation Area
Molly B.
Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground
Toni S.
Tomahawk Campground
Kelly C.
Harmony Hill Acres
Lisa P.
Rustic Acres Jellystone
Frank H.
Archway RV Park
Lori W.
Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area
Felion
Horseshoe Lake State Park Campground
Recent Reviews near Carlyle, IL
430 Reviews of 77 Carlyle Campgrounds
Matthew M.
TravelerScott AFB FamCamp
No frills
BL, the camp could use a Camp Host or Mayor. Stayed 1 night. We used the bathhouse and walked the grounds- so did a lot of other people; especially in the morning up to lunch. Quiet camp -Aircraft noise held off until 08:00 (bonus). Men’s shower side had great water pressure and temp- water fixtures were dated, dirty and temperamental (2 shower heads-1 working) also, cozy up to your multi-legged friends (spider webs and bugs were in competition for our shower space), Laundry is $1.50/wash&dry. I’ve stayed at a good many FamCamps: Lake Martin Rec -AL Uchee Creek-GA Destin Army Inf CTR-FL Robins AFB FamCamp-GA Round Pond -NY Kings Creek-VA Ellsworth AFB-SD Blue Angel Rec-FL Anniston Army Depot-AL Sigsbee-FL That’s my starter list! So, I’d like to see this one level up. It’s in a good area (we come through every couple years) and I think it could get a few more interested in it, if it were managed just a little bit better.
- BBarbara S.Guide
Archway RV Park
Convenient but pricey for quick stop
Right off the freeway. We were going to overnight park at Loves but had problems with our generator. 93 degrees at 11 pm so we splurged for a site and paid $71 for full hookups. It’s a small campground, more like a parking lot, so easy in and out. They have a handful of cabins and a wash house.
There are two unisex bathrooms, each with multiple toilets and showers, which is weird because you have to lock the outer door for privacy while using the facilities. Good for a parent with small children, I guess, but I felt like I was hogging the bathroom.
There is a small pond at the back of the grounds and a kid was fishing it. They also have a fenced in dog park. No shade in that area, but nice touch!
- WWilliam M.Traveler
Sherwood Forest
Great spot by lake
This place was amazing other than the humidity (mid july). Showed up and the hosts were super nice and helped me to my spot. They have lots of camper spots, most seemed like long term campers. I used a tent and had a great spot near the lake. No other tent campers around. They have a good open spot for tents that you just find a spot and set up. Campers seemed nice and we re quiet.
Tammy S.GuideSouth Marcum Campground
Great
Full hook up. Level. Parked in large trees. Concerned we might not be able to get our slide out, but it was okay. Shaded. Great water views. Lots of boat activity. Gave we “party cove” vibes. But family friend party cove.
- Tammy S.Guide
Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground
Nice place to relax
Great views. Lots of water view sites. Just not a lot to do in the area. Hosts are very kind
- Tammy S.Guide
South Marcum Campground
Great place
Lovely lake. If you have an E-bike, you can ride MILES around the lower portion of the lake.
We were in spot 57. Spectacular views of the lake. Lots of trees. Large spaces. Nice concrete picnic table. But boy oh boy was this space unlevel. We were down 13 inches low in the back. The best we could get it was 6 inches off. A camper may not be as much an issue… but a class A, it’s rough. - WWendy K.
ScoutDraft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park
Sketchy
This is close to the Arch but not well maintained and security is lacking, No staff onsite and the gate is broken. we heard gunshots at 2 AM and left early the next day.
MickandKarla W.
LegendBenton KOA
A Great Overnight Stop Just Off I-57
Benton 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.
Guide to Carlyle
Carlyle Lake Recreation Area spans more than 26,000 acres with 83 miles of shoreline near Carlyle, Illinois. The lake itself covers 15 square miles, making it Illinois' largest man-made lake. Camping options around Carlyle Lake typically open in April and operate through October, with a few select campgrounds offering year-round availability for winter camping experiences.
What to do
Swimming and beaches: Dam West Campground offers close access to swimming areas with a designated beach for campers. "We stayed in site #24. There are a couple of beach areas you can walk or ride a bike to. The campground is close to a walmart and a Mexican restaurant," notes Jacqueline F.
Fishing opportunities: The spillway at Dam East Recreation Area attracts anglers throughout the season. "Lots of fisherman catching lots of fish in the river just after the spillway. The fish cleaning stations seemed to be occupied every-time we passed them," reports Keri B.
Biking and walking trails: The recreation area features extensive paved trails connecting campgrounds. "There's miles and miles of walking and biking trails! Easy bike ride into the town of Carlyle," shares a camper about their experience at McNair Campground.
What campers like
Shaded campsites: Boulder Rec. Area features numerous wooded sites that provide relief from summer heat. "Nice and shady. Sites were very level," reports Lisa M., highlighting the comfortable camping environment.
Lake views: Many sites at Dam West Campground provide direct waterfront placement. "We camped right on the lake with a great view. This site and the site next to it are the best sites in the campground with a pull through layout for a great setup for a lake view," explains Cody S.
Clean facilities: McNair Campground receives consistent praise for its well-maintained bathrooms. "Cleanest bathrooms ever and heated and air conditioned. Quiet and plenty of trees and a walking path," notes one camper about the comfort amenities.
Wildlife viewing: The lake area attracts diverse bird populations. "This campground is heavenly and peaceful. Lots of migrant waterfowl. Pelicans, egrets, blue herons…" describes Shawn about their Dam West Campground experience.
What you should know
Reservation requirements: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially for waterfront sites. "Full hookup sites are booked solid so make sure you go online 6 months out or you are out of luck," advises a camper at Coles Creek Recreation Area.
Water quality concerns: Some campsites report issues with water supplies early in the season. "It was extremely dirty with a lot of copper colored solids. I drained the tank and filled with a spicket next to our site and had the same dirty water. Not sure if this was related to it being early in the season," explains Allen S.
Flooding impacts: Access to some camping areas can be restricted during high water periods. "However when the lake is flooded you cannot access this campground," warns Jake L. about Boulder Recreation Area.
Non-reservable options: Some camping areas operate on a first-come, first-served basis. "We tried to book online, all were taken but saw they had a few sites that were first come. Luckily, we got one of the last two," shares Jacqueline F. about Dam West.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Illini Campground at Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area offers multiple play areas. "There are three playground areas, a basketball court, sand volleyball and a pool during summer months. Lots of families with kids, bike rides and plenty of other lake and outdoor activities," describes Brooke C.
Halloween events: Eldon Hazlet hosts special seasonal activities for families. "They have a huge Halloween event every year where people decorate their sites (pretty extensively) and there's a haunted house, then kids trick or treat from site to site. The campground also provides pumpkin painting contests," explains Aimee T.
Wildlife encounters: Campsites frequently report deer sightings. "Oh and lots of deer bed down in the grassy areas at night, which was a fun thing to see!" notes Chelsea D. about their experience.
Tips from RVers
Site selection: Dam West Campground offers varying site qualities throughout the campground. "Sites that overlook the lake are absolutely gorgeous! We didn't land one but had lots of room where we were in site #24," advises Jacqueline F.
Level sites: Boulder Recreation Area provides properly leveled camping pads. "Sites were very level. Nice and shady," notes one RVer about the ease of setup.
Wind considerations: Waterfront sites experience stronger breezes. "Keep in mind that strong winds can sweep across the lake and pick things up if not secured," warns Cody S. about lakefront camping at Dam West.
Electric options: Most campgrounds offer electric hookups with varying capacities. "Site #7 for one night in the spring. Some sites are spacious, others are pretty cramped. The loop that we stayed on was close to the water with views of Carlyle Lake," reports Allen S. about the variability between sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Carlyle, IL?
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?
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.
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