2 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Illini Campground at Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area features spacious, level sites with electric hookups for tent campers and RV enthusiasts traveling with pets. The campground provides clean, air-conditioned shower houses and multiple playgrounds across its extensive first-come, first-served section. Coles Creek Recreation Area, another pet-friendly option on Carlyle Lake, offers full hookup sites with many located directly on the waterfront. Both campgrounds maintain well-kept grounds with plenty of shade trees and easy lake access for dogs and their owners. Campers can choose from various accommodation types including tent sites, RV spots with water and electric connections, and even pet-friendly cabin options at select locations. The campground hosts are notably friendly and accommodating to pet owners. Several sites near Carlyle Lake, Illinois are featured on The Dyrt.
Dog owners appreciate the numerous hiking trails and shoreline areas where pets can explore while leashed. The campgrounds feature large, open spaces between sites, giving pets room to relax without crowding neighboring campers. Carlyle Lake itself provides excellent swimming and fishing opportunities, though pets should remain leashed when outside designated areas. Multiple recreation areas surrounding the lake offer additional pet-friendly options including Boulder Recreation Area and Dam West Campground. The campground areas are kept remarkably clean, with regularly maintained bathroom facilities and plenty of space for walking dogs. Walmart and other supplies are just a 5-10 minute drive away in the town of Carlyle, making it convenient to pick up any forgotten pet supplies. The level terrain throughout most camping areas makes for comfortable walks with dogs of all sizes and ages.
"Right next to Carlyle Lake. Clean campground with electric sites only. Reservations available on line at Reserve America."
"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."
from $15 - $30 / 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."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $20 - $250 / 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!"
"The bathrooms, showers, and laundry all close by. Good hot water in the showers. The host was friendly and helpful. I’d go back again!"
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $20 - $40 / 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!"
from $30 / night
"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."
"We camped right on the lake with a great view. "
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $20 - $60 / night
"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."
"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."
Available next weekend
from $20 - $125 / night
"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."
"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."
"Fun little trails, boat rentals and a swimming “beach” . On-site store and nicely groomed campgrounds."
TravelerThis is a 100 site campground on Rend Lake in Illinois. Lots of trees. Level paved sites unless you book right by the lake. Some are very steep. Bring lots to level with! We are in site 92. Away from the lake but beautiful sunshine.
GuideGreat place easy on off the hyw sites are old so you may need to block up your RV to level it . Some sites only have electric so be careful when you book it. Heard some road noise from the HYW but the campsite had plenty of room
TravelerCamp Host is very friendly and brought firewood to our site. Bath/shower house was clean. We were in the equestrian campground due to our 73 foot overall length. It was a great stay for visiting family. There are a lot of outdoor activities at the lake area, but no pool.
LegendWe had never stayed at Whittington Woods, but several of our camping friends have stayed here over the years while traveling through the area. At a recent RV open house, we talked with the campground (CG) owners and decided to switch our reservation from another private CG to Whittington Woods to check it out. The owners suggested sites 92 or 97, and we were able to reserve back-in site 92 with FHUs for our two-night stay. Site 92 is one of the better sites, with a large yard and good separation from neighboring sites. The CG was easy to find off I-57—follow your GPS or the signs. Check-in was quick, and we were escorted to our site. Unfortunately, one of the CG’s regular guests had set up in our reserved site 92 instead of site 93. After a brief discussion between our owner/escort and the guest, moving him was clearly not going to be a quick process. We were offered a couple of other available sites and decided to take site 93. Site 93 was a significant downgrade, with only a sliver of yard and very little separation from site 94. The sewer and electrical connections are near the center of the gravel pad, while the electrical breaker is on the opposite side of site 94. The water connection is at the very back, requiring more than 30 feet of hose for our rig. The owners were very nice, probably too nice when dealing with their“regulars,” and made the situation more tolerable by giving us a good discount for site 93. We received two bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. We normally get good performance from our T-Mobile internet with two bars, but download speed was only 41.2 Mbps. The CG Wi-Fi was better at 69.3 Mbps download. There are a lot of mature trees, so satellite/Starlink reception could be iffy depending on the site. The CG is conveniently located near I-57 and right off IL-37, although there was quite a bit of highway noise that was manageable for us. The property provides plenty of room for walking, especially with a dog, and has a decent-sized dog park. There are quite a few full-timers and regulars, with some keeping their sites well maintained and others not so much. We also saw some of the same latitude given to“regulars” when it came to keeping dogs on a leash and picking up after them. They have 5 pull throughs that are mainly used for overnighters that are handy but close together. We understand why several of our friends regularly stay here for a night or two while traveling to and from Florida. Whittington Woods is conveniently located off I-57 and offers FHUs, making the CG a practical overnight stop. Our home base is only about an hour and a half away, however, and we have better options in the area when we need a final stop to flush tanks before heading home.
TravelerThe campsite is nice plenty of spaces spaced out nicely, but there’s absolutely no signage. took us forever to decide where we could park and what to do. tiny little sign on the Rangers house. Led us to a website and then charged us $50. Not what we were expecting. Plan ahead on this one.
GuideGreat campsite very large easy to get in and additional parking for your truck right next to your trailer
GuideWhat started as a one-night camping trip quickly turned into a three-night stay—I just didn't want to leave! Most of the campsites feature beautiful lake views and are well-shaded by tall trees. Each spot is equipped with an electric hookup, a fire pit, and a picnic table, plus having access to hot showers made the stay super comfortable. To top it off, our cats loved taking walks with us around the campground!
GuideThis was a beautiful place to spend an evening on our cross country trip. We were able to secure site B7 -a nice level and shady spot on a beautiful tree lined lake. The site was dusty but there was a picnic table and electricity. It was 90 degrees in early October so I can imagine the open spots are really hot during the heat of the summer. Signs tell you to check in with camp host before parking but there was no one at their camper. I called the phone number and a helpful gentleman explained that the sites were first come, first served and someone would be around to collect our $20 fee. One large bathhouse for the campground was a good walk away but was spotless. I would have given this campground a 5 rating but after walking around, we realized that most of the sites by the lake were hard packed dirt, small and not level. However there is a new section I that has 10 long back in gravel pads with electric & water. They are away from the water but close to the shower house. Finally, google coordinates directed us to a private residence just short of the marina. Follow directions to the marina and find the road to the campground at the end of the parking lot.
ScoutRend Lake, in Whittington, Il is just a great place to camp. From primitive to full hook ups they have what you need for a Corps of Engineers campground.
Carlyle Lake offers camping experiences around Illinois' largest man-made reservoir spanning 26,000 acres with 83 miles of shoreline. The lake sits at 445 feet elevation with generally flat terrain surrounding the water. Summer temperatures typically range from 75-90°F, making spring and fall particularly popular for pet friendly camping near Carlyle Lake when temperatures are milder and campgrounds less crowded.
Beach swimming access: Boulder Recreation Area features a dedicated swimming beach where campers can cool off during hot Illinois summers. "This campground offers many sites that are right on the lake. Beautiful views. Also boasts the best shower house/bathrooms around. They are air conditioned and cleaned regularly," notes Phil W. about Boulder Rec. Area.
Fishing opportunities: Fish for crappie, bass, and catfish from shorelines or boat docks throughout the area. "We woke up to hear the lake lapping at the shoreline. We had a nearly private cove to fish as well," says Julie M. about the lake access at Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
Bike trail exploration: Paved trails connect several campgrounds around Carlyle Lake. "There is a bike path that goes right past the campground that was busy all weekend with bikers, runners, and walkers, and takes you from the shower house to the marina in just a short walk," explains Annie C., describing the trails near Dam West.
Privacy between sites: Many campgrounds offer spacious arrangements for quiet camping. "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 from the side of your camper," writes Cody S. about Dam West Campground.
Clean shower facilities: Air-conditioned shower houses stand out as a highlight. "The bathroom and shower facilities are FABULOUS, and super clean. They smell like the laundry facilities as well, so great all around there," says Heather S. about the amenities at Dam West Spillway.
Responsive camp hosts: Staff help solve problems quickly and make stays comfortable. "When our electric wasn't working, they sent a tech over right away and he has us up and running in no time," reports Brooke C. about her experience with the camp hosts at Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Water quality concerns: Some campers report issues with water at certain facilities. "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," notes Allen S. from Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Timing for first-come sites: Campgrounds fill quickly, especially during summer weekends. "We arrived at this campground at 11am on a Friday only to find that that the first-come, first-serve sites were already full," warns Brooke C. about Dam West Campground.
Campground closures: Seasonal flooding can affect access. "This is one State Park i enjoy visiting. However there are times this park cannot be accessed because of flooding," cautions Jake L. about Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Halloween festivities: October camping offers special activities for children. "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 and other fun activities," describes Aimee T. from Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Multiple playgrounds: Several campgrounds offer play areas throughout the grounds. "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 in the area," shares Brooke C. about recreational options.
Beach and pool options: Coles Creek Recreation Area offers both lake swimming and dedicated facilities. "There is a beach for campers to use, and a really nice playground. Their bathrooms and showerhouse were impeccably clean, and many sites are right next to the lake," mentions Chelsea D. about this dog-friendly camping option.
Site reservation timing: For full hookup sites, advance planning is essential. "Full hookup sites are booked solid so make sure you go online 6 months out or you are out of luck," advises Rhonda B. about COE Lake Carlyle McNair Campground.
Level sites: Most pads are well-maintained for easy setup. "Nice level sites next to the lake. Reminds me of when I was a kid and there were camp clubs," describes StaceeQ Q. about the camping areas at Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Weather considerations: Lake winds can affect camping gear and comfort. "Keep in mind that strong winds can sweep across the lake and pick things up if not secured," warns Cody S. about lakefront sites at Dam West Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Carlyle Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Carlyle Lake is Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 26 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Carlyle Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 66 dog-friendly camping locations near Carlyle Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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