Best Glamping near Cave-In-Rock, IL

Quiet campground. Nice shower house. Quick walk to cave in rock or the cave in rock restaurant. Very few campers. Large open grassy areas. Lots of deer…and ticks. Campground host is really nice but the ranger is a pain

We drove up through the Amish Country. Saw a lady mowing her lawn barefoot with a horse. We made it up to the ferry which is a quick fun ride. By the time we got to Cave-in Rock, we were hungry. There is a little diner right inside the park that I cannot say enough great things about! We all thought we would grab something light before we hiked but once we saw the menu and the prices we could not pass on some hearty comfort food and a beer served in an ice cold mug! The waitress was so sweet and took our picture for us and gave us directions to get to Garden of the Gods on our way out. We did not actually camp here but the cabins looked really nice and with a view of the river. I would definitely go back and recommend!

Cave in Rock State Park, Il is sorta out in the middle of nowhere. That being said it is an adventure worth the trip. Weekday visits will supply you with more things to do but weekend adventures are just as fun. 

If your coming from the Kentucky side first there is Amish country to visit. Check in Marion for what’s available and where (fill your gas tank up!)

Next there is the ferry ride across. If you’ve done it a lot no big deal, but my kids used to love it every time.

Write your directions down for this whole area, the cell phone coverage is spotty and it will keep frustration down.

Signage will greet you as soon as you exit the ferry and Cave in Rock city has several small businesses you might want to visit. Plus a bunch of painted bikes...

To the right down the road a bit and your in the park.

The RV area is spread throughout a hilly, tree’d area, after being in Army Corp of Engineers last week which uses every foot of area available this campground seems huge and vacant. There were many sites occupied they are spread out across a huge area which is awesome. There is a playground near the showerhouse and a pond back in behind the playground.

The primitive area is up another hill back in the woods, my favorite. Two handicap accessible spots next to the pit toilet let’s everyone have some fun. 

If you want a shower you have to return to the RV area. These basic sites have a grill, fire pit and picnic table. Some are pretty level some not so much ;) Best of all there are several options if you have a Tentstile. 

We took a 2 mile loop hike across to the lodge, along the cliff face and down to the cave. A lot of history here and some nice views. 

This was our second outing with our new to us EVAC Trailer (www.evactrailer.com) I added some metal poles and a tarp and bam! we have an impromptu sitting area. The tool box made a nice meal prep and cooking area. Still looking at other ideas, but it’s a sturdy little trailer that is serving its purpose well!

Very beautiful campground and park. Very spacious sites, and there was hardly anyone there , so it seemed like we had the campground to ourselves. So peaceful. The shower house was very nice and clean and had flush toilets. However the other restrooms were not so nice (pit toilets with spiders and mosquitoes everywhere). The campground host was really nice. Also note that there is no place to buy ice or firewood nearby. We crossed the ferry and went to Marion Kentucky and found some there. The park and ferry is really cool. There is a lodge that has a nice restaurant and a bar. If you want to buy alcohol the nearest place is Elizabethtown where they have a liquor store. Overall this is a wonderful campground and we will return someday!

Nice camping, the restaurant/diner was really good. 

The cavern was a great respite on a really hot day!

I have been coming here for a really long time. My parents always brought me and my two younger brothers here since we were very young and I’m 64 years old now. We would buy fresh caught catfish right here and have a great picnic with all the trimmings. I just love it here. Now me and my wife and kids, well they are grown now, but we have been bringing them since they were little. Really laid back and very relaxing. I highly recommended this place for a really great day.

Electric and primitive sites are spaced so you don't have to listen to a generator all night. Not super private but never that busy either. Bathrooms are clean and showers are free!

The sites are decent size. It can be a bit of a walk to the bathroom. It does have a restaurant and small store on site. Can spend a large portion of the day hike to the cave and other little trails. If you are coming from the south you will have to take the ferry across the river. Sometimes there is a pretty good wait.

This was a very peaceful and beautiful place to camp and explore. We took a break from cooking one night and ate at the Lodge located at the park. We also visited the cave and explored Garden of the Gods. We rode the Ferry to KY and picked up more camping supplies. We will definitely return!

Was the only one there $ 20 with Electricity, what a Deal Steve is a great Host Also had free Music….. Cicadas

Went here several times with the kids. Short walk down to the historical cave where river pirates and a few other notorious bad guys stayed. Definitely worth a look after taking the ferry across from Amish country enroute to GOG. Camping area is well kept and usually not crowded.

We love camping and have stayed at Pounds hollow several times. They have primative or electric camping. Two of the times we stayed our electricity didnt work.

First night being in the shawnee national forest and this was one of the first places I stayed this is an excellent campsite..very nice and clean it's also by the garden of the God which if u haven't seen you should definitely take a trip to see

I enjoy this campground, and the sites are nice & private, but a bit small.  The electric is iffy, but the sites are mostly shaded. There is a trail system so there is lots of hiking available here. You can also hop over to the Pounds Hollow rec area for a swim/paddle.

Headed here after garden of the gods was full. This place is very close to where you need to be. Outpost in between sells food, firewood, ice etc. Very basic campsite for drive up. People were very respectful, very dog friendly. Great places around to hike.

Overall great place! Would recommend. Beautiful scenery in the Shawnee National Forest. Quiet and comfortable.

Spent a week here and had a blast! Camp sites are fairly well spaced, though not private. Area is split with power and no power. Vault style restrooms are very clean and regularly maintained. A great, centralized location for quite a few natural wonders and a hop, skip, and a jump away from quite a few more!

We spent 2 nights here at the end of July, and there were only a few other parties there at that time. About a 15 minute drive to the Garden of the Gods. There was a vault toilet in a central location, very well kept up! Only $10 a night for sites with electric hook up & drinking water!!

Awesome spot. We were trying to hit garden of the gods. Drove through that campsite and it was packed on a Friday afternoon. We refilled our 7 gal water jug there in the weirdest spin crank pump ive encountered yet. It tasted a bit bleachy, but it's there. Checked out the local camp country tourist trap store right at the entrance to garden of the gods. Trash spot nice enough staff. But sold like old chopped plywood in small bundles very overpriced we skipped it. Came to this spot foraged plenty of wood there. just bring a good saw to cut up what's already fallen. Two camp site loops some have power I think. On the left loop. Not 100%. Didn't see any water spigots though. Loved our spot, the next campers were two sites away, so it was a peaceful spot but still close to all the cool spots we wanted to check out in Shawnee. Have fun campers