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Best Tent Camping near Clayton, IL

173 Reviews

Tent camping options near Clayton, Illinois include several established campgrounds along the Mississippi River. Dupont Reservation Conservation Area in Louisiana, Missouri offers primitive tent sites with river views, while Bear Creek COE near Riverside, Illinois provides year-round tent camping opportunities. Spring Lake Campground in Burlington, Iowa is another option within driving distance of Clayton.

Most tent sites in the area feature basic amenities with varying levels of development. Dupont Reservation has primitive sites with fire rings and gravel parking spots, but limited picnic tables. The campground includes a vault toilet located near the boat ramp. Bear Creek operates year-round but lacks electric hookups, showers, and water connections. Sites generally have minimal improvements, and campers should prepare for self-sufficient camping. Spring Lake Campground offers more amenities including drinking water, showers, and toilets, making it suitable for tent campers seeking more conveniences.

Tent campers at Dupont Reservation Conservation Area enjoy direct views of the Mississippi River from most sites. According to one visitor, "Pretty much every site has great views of the Mighty Mississippi, which means you can watch boat traffic from your site." The campground backs up to a wetlands area, which creates excellent wildlife viewing opportunities but also means increased mosquito activity during summer months. Campers should be aware of potential flooding when river levels rise and occasional noise from both river barges and trains passing on nearby tracks. Spring Lake Campground tends to fill quickly during peak season, with one camper noting it's a "great place with lots to do" including fishing, kayaking and canoeing opportunities. For the most secluded tent camping experience, the primitive sites at Dupont Reservation offer a more rustic, nature-immersed setting compared to the more developed campgrounds in the region.

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Best Tent Sites Near Clayton, Illinois (5)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Clayton, IL

1 Photos of 5 Clayton Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Clayton, IL

173 Reviews of 5 Clayton Campgrounds

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 30, 2021

    Dupont Reservation Conservation Area

    Right on the River

    This is a free primitive campground on the Mississippi River. Most sites have some sort of fire ring and a gravel spot to pull a vehicle in. I only saw two picnic tables in the whole campground(maybe 10-12 sites total). The clean but basic vault toilet is at the far end of the campground loop near the boat ramp. Pretty much every site has great views of the Mighty Mississippi(depending on where your neighbors set up their site), which means you can watch boat traffic from your site and maybe feel a little like Huck Finn. A few notes of caution: this area WILL flood if the river floods; it WILL be buggy in the summer as the campground backs to a large wetlands area; on the other side of the wetlands is an active train track, so you may have train noise as well as barge noise on the river.

  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 3, 2020

    Primitive Campground — Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

    Lovely Primitive Campground

    Stayed one night in July. We tent camped in site 1 of the primitive campground. There are 7 sites well spaced with a picnic table, fire ring, trash can and three sided shelter in each site. Pit toilets are in the middle. Each site is along the tree line with plenty of shade. These are walk in sites ranging from 0.10 miles to 0.50 miles from the parking lot. Just $6 a night. Hiking trails, kayaking and fishing are available but we didn’t get a chance to take advantage of those things. Very friendly and helpful campground host drove over from the RV campground to register us and even offered to take our stuff to our site. Great experience. Only 3 sites in use on a Friday night.

  • L
    Oct. 30, 2023

    Siloam Springs State Park Campground

    Hidden Gem of Illinois...

    This site was so much better than what I was expecting! My friend, Kari, her 3 Doodles, my Beagle, and I camped out the first night in the group section, because there's hardly anyone there and we got there too late in the day to actually start hiking. In the morning, we loaded up our packs, put the little packs on the dogs (they have to carry their own food and water), and headed up the Red Oak Backpacking Trail. I don't know if we started at the beginning or not, but we parked by a little wooden bridge and the hill to start off our adventure kinda kicked my ass a little bit. After we made it up the initial incline, the landscape was beautiful and varied from flat areas to valleys and some creeks (which I was very thankful for after a few hours in 90° and 25 lbs on my back). We ended up setting up camp at a spot we thought was nice just before it got dark, because we didn't know where or how much further the primitive hike-in campsites were. The next day, we figured it out, but we wouldn't have made it there before dark. Towards the end, there were stairs built into the earth that were way too difficult to manage when your legs are jelly and your pack is heavy, so it was almost easier trying to take the side of the stairs and make your own little path, so just a heads up there. We had so much fun the whole time and I can't wait to go back for some snow camping later this year (they are open year round)!!!

  • Frank H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 22, 2024

    Hickory Haven Campground

    Great Tent Camping

    Level grass tent sites. Shade of trees. Electric outlets at sites. Water accessible. Bath house kept very clean. Plenty of hot water for showers. Picnic table & fire ring at site. Economical. Laundry. Ice bags available. Picnic shelter with sides, 3 picnic tables, small mini fridge, electric lights & outlets, ceiling fan, portable fan, water and deep sink available for campers to use.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 23, 2022

    Primitive Campground — Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

    Great Friendly, Family Park

    We certainly didn’t expect the Prairie Lake Campground to be full in late October! Both loops were full, but there was just enough space for us to squeeze in for 2 nights! (A few spaces seemed to be filled with deer hunters who were up and out quite early.) Site has electricity with water centrally located in the center of the loop. We needed a 100 ft fresh water hose to fill up. Luckily a friendly neighbor had one for us to borrow! Nice warm bath house had push button showers with locks on the stalls with a dry space to dress inside the stall. Lake has boat dock with about 6 slips. The point on the lake was a beautiful setting for a fall wedding on Saturday! Lots of families with kids riding bikes around the loop and some playing wiffle ball in the open field. Each spot had a picnic table and fire ring. Our spot, #78 sat under a tree with great shade. Bagged ice is available at 1st host site for $4 and a bundle of firewood for $6

  • J
    Oct. 21, 2023

    Dupont Reservation Conservation Area

    Lovely camground along the banks of the Mighty Miss

    It’s actually the Ted Shanks Conservation Area. Dupont is a bit further north, no camping there that we saw.

    . All sites fronting the river, shaded by trees. Mix of campers, fishermen and hunters. A few trains at night but not many. Vault toilets. No tables, no fire rings.

  • Dave N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 12, 2020

    Spring Lake Park

    Great Boating/Fishing

    Well kept campground on a lake. Spots are all on grass. Most are level. Lots of shady spots. Picnic table and fire ring. Seems like most of the sites are seasonal campers. Very quiet for how many campers are here. Restrooms and hot showers, fairly clean. This would be lots of fun for boaters. Rates were $20/night w/electric 7/20

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2021

    Twisted Oak Campground — Argyle Lake State Park

    Rustic camping in large sites with a free exercise plan!

    We were surprised to discover this state park in Illinois but searching on the Dyrt App helped us have a great visit. There are 4 different camping areas within this park. There are electric sites near the showers. Another loop of electric sites is down the road. Keep going and you find a small loop of nonelectric sites ($8! It’s hard to beat that price). A mile further and there is a gravel road where you can find walk-in sites (some didn’t look cleared but others were stunning).

    In our loop of rustic campsites, it filled up on the first night. There isn’t as much greenery between sites so this was a bit of a struggle noise wise. The rest of the weekend only had a couple other sites filled. We were well distanced and this ended up being a really enjoyable campground. There are vault toilets near the road. Garbage cans are almost at every other site. While they weren’t emptied out while we were there, they didn’t really fill up with just a few of us.

    Recent storms brought trees down and even damaged the road around the lake. Cars are only able to go halfway around - but you can go halfway and then drive back around to see it all. The camp host recommended hiking the road. The 5 mile journey was popular even though it is a series of steep climbs and descents. We loved it and our dog loved meeting all the other dogs walking their owners around the lake. This hike became our morning ritual as it was cooler temps and shady.

    There is a small restaurant at the lake. It’s near the boat launch. We saw many boats and even people fishing from shore. This man-made lake is a popular spot.

    Having looked at some other campgrounds in the area, this one appealed to us the most. Even hearing a train once or the sound of distant shooting didn’t take away much from our experience. We’re glad we discovered it!

  • Leah H.
    Sep. 4, 2016

    Siloam Springs State Park Campground

    Siloam Springs

    Have visited Siloam Springs with both Scouts and with family. Camp sites were roomy but still shaded. Each had a picnic table and were mostly dirt and grass with a few rocks/pebbles. There were latrine toilets but no showers or running water other than spigots. While camping there we hiked some of the surrounding trails and fished at the lake.

Guide to Clayton

Tent camping near Clayton, Illinois offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are options to suit your needs.

Local Attractions and Activities

Tent Camping Prices

Amenities for Tent Campers

  • Campers at Bear Creek COE - Lock and Dam 21 can enjoy a primitive experience with no electric hookups or reservations, perfect for those seeking a back-to-basics adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Clayton, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Clayton, IL is Dupont Reservation Conservation Area with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Clayton, IL?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Clayton, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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