Join the fun near Cave-In-Rock. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Cave-In-Rock is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Cave-In-Rock and user-submitted reviews.
"In Cave in Rock ( this is where the ferry crosses to) you take W Clay St to the left. It turns into Cave in Rock Rd which will get you there."
"Campground is smaller but the sites are spread out well, most have fire ring with grill stand and table, firewood available to gather onsite when I was there, vault toilets, right on the river so may be"
"On a gravel road, in the back country like most everything else on this side of Illinois , fill your gas tank up and your food locker or you will be driving back out a ways to refill. "
"There was potable water from a spigot and lots of kindling around to get fires going. No showers. Over all a nice site. I would stay there again."
"The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay."
"Lake mauzy is very quiet. No hookups but if you want to boondocks this is a great place."
$8 / night
"There is a dump station and potable water at the entrance to the campground. There are also some water spigots sprinkled throughout the campground."
"This was a great campground with fantastic views of the lake.
We also hiked Garden of the Gods and Burden Falls in the Shawnee National Forest. The hikes were great."
"This gem in the Land Between the Lakes Rec area is a great spot to set up camp if you don’t mind the lack of showers."
"Great spot for kayaking and tent camping. We were the only ones there so it was perfect! Highly recommend for tent camping."
$18 / night
"There are a lot of hiking trails and we really enjoyed them all! The tent camping accommodations were less than stellar, simply because of the “outhouses “."
"It was easy to find firewood with out having to go very far, becareful there is a good amount of poison ivy. The only trail I hiked was Happy Hollow."
"Twin lakes actually has two campgrounds associated with one name, and they are right next to one another."
"Land Between the Lakes tends to be very back country, there is very often not any cell service, and you have to travel at least 20 miles to a small town if you need anything (but every small town in western"
"It's a bit off the beaten path, on a gravel off-shoot from the Birmingham Ferry Campground drive. (Usually, we will check for a spot at BF 1st, and then head to SB if all the prime spots are taken."
"It is within a half mile (or less) of Dispersed LB-154, and mimics it, except there still exists the old road coming in and circling around."
"This is a primitive site, and is considered back country camping, meaning you will have to obtain a back country pass from the Golden Pond Visitor Center."
"Right on the water with access to several other things close by. Spots are in the grass and nothing fancy but perfect for us that love to Tent camp and enjoy natural comforts over amenities."
"No showers or bathrooms, but each camp spot has a table and fire pit. Service was pretty much none existent, but that doesn’t bother me. No body was camping anywhere near us either"
GuideThere are about 25 sites. No reservations, all sites are first come first serve. There are about 8-10 lake front. There is also about 8-10 in the woods. There is a block bathroom. There are fire rings and picnic tables at each site. There is a boat dock. There are no shower houses, no water, and no electricity.
LegendPrimative camping at its best. This is heavily used in the summer and early fall. Picnic tables and fire rings, vault toilets. Go in the off season and you will have plenty of privacy. Fairly level tent sites , some with nice trees for hammocks. Close to Little Grand Canyon, a really neat natural bridge, and Illinois wineries.
Legend21 campsites with a fire ring/barrel, lantern post and picnic table. A couple of the campsites had damaged fire rings. Most sites should be able to fit medium size trailers, other sites have trees in the way. Vault toilets and a water station. Very quiet, clean and peaceful. Trail system is about 8 miles and has great views. Don’t forget to bring your swimming suit!
TravelerThis is an amazing spot for free camping! The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay. Despite its remote feel, Walmart is just a 12-minute drive away for any last-minute supplies. We would have loved to stay longer, but incoming storms cut our trip short. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a peaceful and scenic getaway! No electricity or showers!
LegendArrived on a late Saturday afternoon expecting other campers, and not a single one! Stayed two nights right on the water. All spots have fire rings and concrete picnic tables. No host, I assume, during winter hours. All spots are clean looking and $12/night. You pay at the pay station and no permit required for this camping site. Be sure to pay, had a ranger swing by Sunday morning to confirm our stub #. Did have some hunters driving by daily, heading further back along the lake but no other campers. Lots of down wood to use for fires. Be sure to pack everything you need for this trip, no close towns for restock. Has very clean vault toilets and a water pump, but unknown if potable or not. Cell service varies between 2-3 LTE for AT&T. Cold winter nights but boy, that sunset is beautiful. Would definitely stay here again!
GuideNickell is the northernmost campground in LBL. It is a self-service campground with 11 designated sites. The access road FR-102 is gravel and in pretty good shape aside from some large potholes. There is a large loop with a big open grassy area once you get to the pay station. From there, 3 short offshoots A, B & C - A is the boat ramp area and site #1; B is where the single vault toilet is located and sites #2 & #3; C loop has the remaining sites #4 - #8 which are for small to medium RVs, and sites #9 - #11 are grass tent sites. There are picnic tables and very nice fire rings at each site. Besides the toilet, boat ramp, and a new dumpster, those are the only amenities.
The 11-mile Canal Loop Trail crosses the road just before the pay station for hiking and biking (it connects to the North-South Trail). The campground is near the Barkley Canal that connects the two lakes making for lots of boating and paddling options. The North Welcome Center has fresh water and a dump station just a few miles away.
The cell reception is great - I got download speeds of 18-34 Mbps. Also, several OTA TV channels. These sites are all situated in the woods near the water so none are particularly good for solar. But otherwise, for the price this is pretty sweet dry camping.
TravelerThis camping spot is just down the road from Southern IL’s Garden Of the Gods. There were 12 camping areas. Plenty of room and trees for tents and hammocks. Also, there is a good amount of shade so if you tent in the right spot you don’t wake up roasting from the sun. The campsites have a lot of room so your neighbors don’t seem like they are on top of your site. The spots include a picnic table, hanging poles for trash or lantern, and a fire pit with movable built-in grill. The area is very wooded so unless the ground is wet you can find lots of firewood. There is a drinking water pump at the entrance of the campsite but it’s pretty chlorinated. There is no shower or running water and the toilets are pit style; but there are toilets. I don’t know if other sites had this but ours had 2 trails leading right out of the woods. Great for close to home hiking.
P.S. Beware of tailless raccoon at site 12 that likes to steal Doritos.
LegendCave 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!
ScoutChose Cravens Bay over some of the others in the area because of the on site water and a flushing toilet. We live about an hour away and got a later start than I wanted. Arrived at about 5pm and talked with the Resident Attendant who let us go set up and ended up coming to us so we could pay and fill out the envelope. The site we chose (19) had a path shared with the next site over both of which were just on the other side of the gravel road from the lake. Plenty of fire wood to gather and a clean concrete picnic table. The fire pit was full of trash so we had to clean that out. Besides the gravel there’s no other place to set up a tent make sure to have a heavy tarp. The gravel road had a couple truck go by pulling boats and a ranger went by as the sun was going down. We let the kids run free and kept our German Shepard on a lead. It was completely quiet all night minus the skunk that got in the trash. Clean up was easy on the way out we hit the dumpster. Will definitely be back again.
Tent camping near Cave-In-Rock, Illinois offers a blend of serene landscapes and outdoor adventures, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cave-In-Rock, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cave-In-Rock, IL is Tower Rock Campground with a 3.5-star rating from 6 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 21 tent camping locations near Cave-In-Rock, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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