Escape into nature and disconnect from your daily life with cabin camping near Carlyle Lake. Finding a cozy cabin in Illinois has never been easier. You're sure to find the perfect cabin rental for your Carlyle Lake camping adventure.
$15 - $30 / night
Dam West Campground is a recreation area situated on the southern shore of Carlyle Lake, a prime getaway for city-dwellers and families. Located 50 miles east of St. Louis, the area offers the peaceful retreat of a small town combined with the grandeur of Illinois' largest man-made lake.
Dam West Campground provides fun both on the water and on shore. Boat ramps and courtesy docks are provided, and the vast lake allows for plenty of water sports. Fishing is a popular pastime, and the lake offers year-round varieties of fish such as bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass, largemouth bass, freshwater drum, carp and walleye. There is an on-site playground and plenty of open space for children to play, as well as an amphitheater for educational programs. A multi-use biking and walking trail is located a short drive away at the dam.
Created in 1967, the 26,000-acre lake is recognized as one of the nation's top ten inland sailing lakes and hosts several annual races and regattas. Carlyle Lake is home to an array of wildlife that can be seen throughout the year. Its waters and shores are a resting spot for migratory waterfowl and other birds. There are six established Watchable Wildlife Sites with viewing towers open to the public around the lake.
The Carlyle Lake Visitor Center, located in the Dam West Recreation Area, has information available and nature exhibits on display, including a 215-gallon aquarium with native fish.
Camping No Show - Camping no-show customers who do not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by check out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date will be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit their reservation. If the no-show service fee is greater than the reservation amount, the customer will not be charged any additional service fees. Cancellations - A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
$20 - $60 / 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
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.
$18 - $30 / night
Guide
Not very well maintained by the State of Illinois. Restrooms are horrible! So many better places to camp in the Carlyle Lake area.
GuideRight next to Carlyle Lake. Clean campground with electric sites only. Reservations available on line at Reserve America.
Traveler“Hazlet” has over 300 sites with electric hook-ups and 30+ tent sites. It is a popular destination for locals and those nearby during the summer and fall, but if you are able to choose your site early, there are quite a few options that will offer more privacy. Some sites sit directly on Carlyle Lake.
There are many walking trails in and around the campground, plus a pool and campground store at the entrance. The bathrooms and showers are pretty well maintained and spread out well throughout the large campground.
TravelerWe stayed in 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.
There is a swimming pool and campground store. The pool was closed when we were there but looked nice.
Only complaint that I have was the potable water supply. I filled by trailer’s tank at the drinking water supply when you enter the campground. 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 but was not impressed at all.
Travelerwhile there are many full service sites available, this campground offers dozens of rustic tent sites right next to Carlyle Lake as well! Our tent site was shaded and our one neighbor was quiet and friendly. We felt secluded yet had easy access to the campground shower house, swimming pool, wooded nature trail, campground hosts and camp store. We were within a few minutes drive of the main lake beach and facilities that include a restaraunt and visitors center. A 7 minute drive gets you into the town of Carlyle which has all the necessities- food, gas and Walmart.
We were incredibly pleased with the quiet tranquility of this site and the views were fantastic. We woke up to hear the lake lapping at the shoreline. We had a nearly private cove to fish as well.
This is a wonderful campground and we will certainly Be back again!
TravelerThis 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. This is one State Park i enjoy visiting. However there are times this park cannot be accessed because of flooding.
Traveler
Family friendly atmosphere, big inground pool, 18 hole putt putt, lots of outdoor games, planned activities on the weekends, shaded sites, and air conditioned cabins! This place is a campers dream with great staff always happy to see you.
Scout
My family and I are new to the RV World. We are currently renting a Class A Motorhome(33ft; double slide) and traveling to the 48 contiguous states. Our trip originated in Columbus, OH(our home), and we made our way to St. Louis for our second-night stay.
When we arrived, we checked-in at the office, and the customer service was amiable and accommodating. Our site was across from campground cabins where the occupants of the cabin street-parked their trucks. The campsites are so tight; we couldn't back-in and park. Fortunately, management was responsive to our needs and asked the cabin occupants to move. Sadly, our location was next door to smokers, which necessitated we keep our windows shut during our stay.
Full hook-up was relatively clean and easy to use. The campsite is off a hectic road, but we didn't mind as we only stayed one night(if you are looking to sleep under the stars surrounded by trees and squirrels, this place is not for you). The proximity to the Gateway Arch was terrific. We parked our RV, summoned an Uber, and were at the top of the arch in an hour!
Our favorite part of this park is the onsite Sawmill BBQ restaurant. While we prepare most of our meals, we were so tired; we decided to give the joint a try and, wow, are we glad we did! Delicious food for a reasonable price!
Legend
Anything you’d ever want to enjoy on the water is all at your finger tips! Hundreds of campsites, marinas with boat rentals, beaches and stores nearby in case you need something. This area is truly a southern Illinois gem!
Scout
Family owned with a nice little fishing area (no license required catch and release) paddle boats and camp store. A nice pool with a big covered pavilion, clean restrooms and showers with hot water. We had a level pull thru gravel site with a picnic table and small fire ring and didn’t have to unhook for our overnight. Walking/hiking wooded trails 2 cabins available- several seasonal folks. We were there on a Sunday evening and didn’t really see anyone. Little bit of road noise but so convenient! Thanks Barb!
TravelerBig things happening at Country Bend Campgrounds in Montrgromy Co, IL. This beautiful campground has many things to offer and is only a few minutes from the local drive in movie theater in Litchfield Illinois. It has a pool, swing sets, playground, cabins, ponds with stocked fish, beautiful walking trails, camping, welcome center, baseball field, volleyball, games, horseshoes, paddle boats, miniature golf, and so much more. This family run business is under new management and is welcoming new seasonal campers and day campers with competitive pricing. This beautiful campground is nestled in a scenic area in the country and is pet friendly. It has clean shower houses with warm water. We just purchased our seasonal campsite earlier in the season. Come check out this amazing campground and all it has to offer! Our rough collies will be joining us at this dog friendly campground! There is always something to do here and the owners strive to make it a family place by providing many activities on the weekends. The owners have done an amazing job on this campground and have made it one of the best campgrounds around to create that lasting experience with our children before they grow up!!!
Scout
An almost every weekend getaway for our family!
GuideAwesome campground, fill hoses available for your rig, 30 amp power. Fun little trails, boat rentals and a swimming “beach” . On-site store and nicely groomed campgrounds.
Guide
We did a little weekend getaway to do some geocaching near Utica, IL. Nice pool and great owners!
Scout
It is overcrowded all through the week in the RV area with no great views of the lake, sadly. 2. cabins.but overpriced due to no running water or nearby ttoilet but more private and great lake views Awesome fishing here and boat rentals
LegendIf you live in the St. Louis area and are looking for a great park for a weekend getaway near the water then look no further. Tons of reservable and walk up sites for primitive and RV. Most sites have plenty of shade and room in between so you were not right on top of your neighbors The only thing that would be a complaint about the sites is that many of them have a metal culvert running under the entrance to each campsite so if you’re not careful backing your camper out you can run over those and possibly cut a tire Other than that it is a great campground that boasts the only swimming pool in an Illinois state park. There is also a small store that has all of the basics and even has a built-in laundry mat The only other small complaint is that there is only one fill station to fill your freshwater tanks. So during busier times there can sometimes be a line of people waiting to fill their freshwater tanks so if you can do that at home I highly advise it
GuideReally great campground. Good mix of tents and RVs. Bath house was very well kept and clean. Showers ran cold at first but after a few mins it gets warmer! There were plenty of pit toliets through out the campground and trash cans. My tent site was clean, good flat spot for tent, picnic table and fire pit with attached grill.
The Concession building in the park is closing. No boat rentals, selling everything he has on the shelf.
Caught a few bass and and good amount of hiking. Large trail around the whole lake, smaller trails lead to sites around the different campgrounds.
ScoutHas electric sites only. Water and dump at the entrance. Shower houses. Very nice pool and camp store. Hosts scattered and occasionally hard to find to pay for your spot. Wildlife galore. Next to largest lake in Illinois. Fishing good with a boat. Worth the trip.
TravelerThis is a nice little park in southern Illinois. It is surrounded by cornfields, however the park is wooded. The park surrounds a very pretty lake and I have attached a picture.
The host was very nice and helpful. The bathhouse was clean and had hot water for the showers.
GuideThese sites are pretty run of the mill average camping sites. They're very close to the Illinois state fair grounds. There are tent sites as well as RV sites that are very close to the lake.
ScoutThis campground has changed owners multiple times, and is sorely in need of renovation. The sites are sunk down, poorly rocked and extremely narrow. The majority of sites are backup only, which is a recipe for disaster with all of the rain central Illinois has had this Spring. Be prepared for mud and standing water. 4wd a must
LegendThis is a small lake management by the state of Illinois. The campground is usually not crowded, but some weekends do get busy. There is a shower/bathroom that was clean each time we were there. Water and electric is available at most sites. The campground is pretty far from any big metro area, so the sky was real dark, great for picking out constellations. We listened o Whip-por-will calls around the campfire.
LegendThis is hands-down the nicest campground on Rend Lake. With hundreds of sites to choose from with some being tucked into the woods and others sitting right on the lake including some walking intense fights this campground is one of the nicest that you’ll find in Illinois. Plenty of bathrooms and bath houses as well as playgrounds and spacious campsites for larger RVs and plenty of access to the lake.
Guide
Grounds were nice enough. There was a slight sewer smell throughout the park. Staff didn’t talk much. The water spigot was broken at our sight. Couldn’t get the water to turn off. Pool was in good enough Out caching with 2AussieDad. From Alaska. Got our Illinois cache. Headed to the St.Louis Arch. TFTC shape. Busy with families. The tiny pens in the back for the dogs were a little more muddy. Not enough room to play, just poop. The waste receptacle was full.
Scout
Most of the sites are large and a good distance from the next one. Shower house is alright. The store/restaurant has been closed for a year or two now because of the Illinois budget. There's a dollar store in Farina and a grocery store in Kinmundy; both towns are less than 10 miles away. The lake is big enough for ski boats but nice for kayaks also. Swim beach is not well maintained due to the budget but also doesn't cost anything since they can't pay anyone to man the gate, but it's not horrible.
LegendSouth Marcum Campground is a Corp of Engineers campground just of I-57 in southern Illinois with over 100 reservable campsites. Sites have 30 & 50 amp Electric hookups. There is a dump station, hot showers, flush toilets, and drinking. Also a playground in the Whispering Pines loop. The campground is on Rend Lake with swimming, fishing and boating. Most sites are level. Some are pull-through. The sites are set up to provide some privacy, and are not right on top of each other.
Legend
Wayne Fitzgerald State Park is on Rend Lake, just off I-57 in Southern Illinois. It’s a great place for camping, fishing and bikes. It’s convenient for a short stop if you are traveling through, or as a destination. Although it’s right off the interstate there is no traffic noise. The campground has 40 tent sites and over 240 modern campsites, which offer electrical hookups, water and sewer facilities. Modern sites are $20/night, with 30/50 amp service. Primitive sites are $6. There is no internet. There are a few pull through sites.. there is lots of room and the sites appear to be level. There are 3 shower buildings. Many sites can be reserved online. There is a playground, and boat ramp. The park has hunting, fishing, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, hiking and boating. there is a golf course nearby and a lodge. Rend Lake is well-known for crappie, particularly in the early spring, as well as largemouth bass, channel catfish and bluegill.
Cabin camping near Carlyle Lake, Illinois, offers a perfect blend of nature and comfort, making it an ideal getaway for families and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Carlyle Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Carlyle Lake is Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area with a 4.1-star rating from 25 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Carlyle Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 21 cabin camping locations near Carlyle Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
