The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Clinton, IL

333 Reviews

Tent camping options near Clinton, Illinois include several state-managed areas and privately owned campgrounds suitable for primitive camping experiences. Edward Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area offers tent sites within a natural setting, while Spitler Woods State Natural Area provides tent camping in a forested environment about 25 miles southwest of Clinton. Both locations maintain a natural setting without extensive developed amenities, appealing to campers seeking a more rustic experience.

Tent sites throughout the Clinton area typically feature minimal improvements, with most campgrounds offering basic accommodations for tent campers. Sullivan Marina and Campgrounds Resort near Shelbyville provides lakeside tent camping approximately 45 miles south of Clinton, though campers should note their strict gate hours. Hickory Hill Campground in Secor offers more amenities including drinking water, picnic tables, and fires allowed at designated sites, but primarily caters to RV camping with limited tent-specific areas. Tent campers should bring adequate water supplies and prepare for varying levels of shade and site privacy across these locations.

Walk-in tent sites are limited in the immediate Clinton area, with most tent camping areas being accessible by vehicle. The terrain throughout central Illinois is generally flat to gently rolling, providing relatively easy tent setup on level ground. Several campgrounds remain open seasonally, with Hickory Hill operating from April through October. According to reviews, tent campers appreciate the natural settings of these areas, with one visitor noting that Spitler Woods offers "great sites" and is their "favorite place to camp in Illinois." Campers seeking more secluded tent camping experiences may need to venture farther from Clinton to find primitive backcountry camping opportunities, as most nearby tent campgrounds are established areas with designated sites.

Map showing campgrounds near Clinton, IllinoisExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Clinton, Illinois (4)

Show More
Showing results 1-4 of 4 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Clinton Contest

Enter to Win

Tent Camping Reviews near Clinton, IL

333 Reviews of 4 Clinton Campgrounds

  • Aaron B.
    Jun. 16, 2019

    Eagle Creek State Park Campground

    Wooded Solitude / Family Friendly

    Review of Drive In Tent Camping Site 2. Showed up on a Thursday night and had our pick of all the drive in and walk in sites. We decided on site 2 in the drive in area. Previous reviews and a book by John Schirle on Tent Camping in Illinois helped us with this decision as well. Decent maintained sites with some older picnic tables and fire rings, but let's be honest this stuff sits outside 24/7. Site 2 seemed to sit back the farthest with site 1 a close second. Both wooded sites that made for great shade and helped some when it was raining. Any two families looking for two sites could certainly set up and share the experience. Nice little cove behind them to try fishing. Just watch the hike down the path or ravine. Dog friendly, fresh water supply (hint put the handle all the way up and wait a few seconds), ability to store stuff in the car close by, outhouse toilets visible at the walk in parking lot, and helpful host for easy check in who even sells fire wood made for a great few days ($5 a bundle). Rated B/S site at a cost of $10 a night.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 26, 2024

    Carl Spindler Campground

    Waterfront Camping Bliss with City View

    This waterfront campground is perfect for anglers and particularly boaters who want to have their vessels close at hand, tied up at the marina, providing quick and EZ access to a fresh body of water that is formed where Upper Lake Peoria meets the Illinois River. For campers who want to get away from it all, while still being within close driving distance to civilization, Carl Spindler offers the convenience of a nearby major city (Peoria) while still providing a decent escape for some rest & relaxation within a fairly decent vicinity to nature. The best part about this lakefront getaway – apart from the incredibly cheap prices for an overnight stay – was hands down, the very friendly staff who offer up everyone a very strong dose of Midwestern hospitality.

    This pet-friendly CG offers a lot of amenities including: FHUs featuring electric, water and sewage as well as playground, community fire pit, restroom and shower facility that are in pretty good (not pristine) condition, laundry, fresh tap water, boat launch, 2 dump stations, WiFi (although very poor connection) and a beachhead. All sites are very level here and come with a picnic table, fire ring and electric, while a good number of the RV slots have a combination of electric amp options in addition to water and sewage hook-ups. At the marina, you can purchase ice, small sundries and camping supplies and / or simply use this spot to launch your boat, kayak or canoe from. There’s also options to rent a slip, store your boat and / or trailer for the winter. There’s even a deluxe cabin to rent in case you don’t have a tent or RV.

    While most of Carl Spindler is designed more for the RV-driving or 5th Wheel toting kind – and to be honest, some of these look like longer-term residents and / or traveling professionals – offering up some 55 individual slots (some of which I would definitely describe as ‘very snug’), this outfit does provide 2 different options for decent camp sites with me tent pitchin’ bredren in mind, both of which sit right in front of the Illinois River. In these areas, and actually for the entire campground, there’s not much (if any) shade, tree cover or brush that contributes to an overall lack of privacy – so whatever your activities might be, you and your camping brood will be on full display to the rest of the campground. At least if you chose to set up your tent over in the primitive camping area, this area is still pretty underdeveloped (for now), so over in these parts, you’ll have a greater feeling of solitude, peace & quiet.

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’d like to knock some pins down while slurping some delicious local cold brew, head on over to Landmark Bowling Center; (2) Should you be looking for some decent trails to hike check out nearby Powerton Lake State Park; (3) You will want to time your sundowners correctly, because if you do, you’ll be sipping Mai Tais leaning back in your camp chair listening to some Amy Winehouse watching the sun set in the west over the Illinois River as the twinkling stars come out to shine their brightest all with a crackling bonfire keeping you warm and lit on a gorgeous Midwestern night; (4) While I always pack a long 100 foot electrical cord for all of my electricity needs, I’ve never had to use it, except here, where the electrical outlet in the primitive tent camping area is shared by all 4 sites and ours was the furthest away – so we got lucky; and (5) In the event that you grow weary of conjuring up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or onboard mini-fridge and want to check out some local flavor, there’s a handful of options, but all will require a bit of a drive, of which I highly recommend Avanti’s Ristorante for their excellent pizza and Italian subs, the Blue Duck BBQ Tavern for outstanding smoked brisket and Obed & Issacs Microbewery for the finest local taps as well as their signature dish, Kitchen Sink Pie (don’t ask, just order).

    Happy Camping!

  • Michael M.
    Oct. 2, 2017

    Eagle Creek State Park Campground

    Great Lakeside Camping

    I have camped here in the past and enjoy primitive tent camping so I stayed Friday September 29th and Saturday September 30th in the tent camping drive up site #2. There is also a tent camping walk in area with 2 lake front sites that are about 150 yards from the parking area and about eight other sites in between. There is a building with men's and women's flush toilets here for both primitive campgrounds. These are cheaper campsites than in the RV area where you have the shower house, nicer bathrooms and electric hookups. There are lots of nice shaded sites in these campgrounds and all have fire ring grates, lantern posts, picnic tables and some have pole mounted campstove tables as well. The camp hosts do a great job keeping this place clean, maintaining a quiet campground and supplying firewood for the campers. The park has a boat ramp, playground areas, the Chief Illini trail plus a couple short trails. There is a golf course and a run down lodge / hotel that has been closed for several years. There is tons of deer and other animals to watch and watch out that they don't steal your food while you are sleeping. The wild life is great for photography and makes for some good fireside stories.

    This is my second favorite place to camp on the lake, although not as peaceful as Lone Point it does have the Chief Illini trailhead here and makes for nice round trip hiking camping adventures.

    This park is open year round so the fantastic camping in spring and fall are available. You should watch out for hunters in the area when bow season starts October 1st.

  • Susan L.
    Sep. 5, 2020

    Sangchris Lake State Park Campground

    5 stars with a caveat

    This is a beautiful state park, but hopefully you won’t have the same experience I did with the electric hookup. I stayed here right after the fourth of July and because of the heat over this holiday weekend and a completely full campground, the electricity couldn’t meet the demand and a transformer blew. By the time I arrived the transformer was repaired, however the pedestals in the section I was supposed to stay in had a problem. I was supposed to stay in site 27, but after 3 attempts to get power at 3 different sites, number 24 was the winner and this was a great site! The campground hosts were fantastic in resolving the situation as well.

    Site 24 is huge and level with a picnic table and fire ring. Electric but no water at site. The site is totally private on one side because of a lake inlet and there’s a large back area right on the lake. The gravel pad is located right near a large, old bald cypress. 

    This park has multiple public use areas, 2 campgrounds, boat launches, fishing piers and a beach. I didn’t use the public restrooms because they were closed due to Covid-19. I was able to get internet with Verizon. 

    This state park felt like it was dropped into the middle of cornfields and made for a fun drive. The sunset views and stars were awesome!

  • Marisa A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 17, 2020

    Clinton Lake State Recreation Area

    Busy Central Illinois Campground on a lake

    This is our go-to campground when visiting the U of I. It is a large campground with well spaced campsites for tents and rvs. Almost every site has plenty of shade with lots of tree cover. This also means in the dog days of summer the breeze is blocked by the trees so get an electric site even with a tent and bring a fan. They have a beach and a boat launch. The loops that allow alcohol can get a bit rowdy with weekend partiers, but the alcohol restricted loops can get loud from all the families. However, with full hook-up options there is no generator noise. The showers/bathrooms are kept up well given the massive amount of people served. If you own a boat and camp, this place is ideal for central Illinois.

  • Priscilla J.
    Jun. 1, 2021

    Weldon Springs State Park Campground

    Loved the Hike-in Sites

    We came on Memorial Day weekend so the campground was very full. It didn't feel too crowded though except when playing on the playground there were lots of kids and its not a very big play area. But it was fun for the kids to play with other kids. 

    While I wish the tent are and comfort station were closer to one another, the walk really wasn't all that bad from our campsite. I loved that the tent sites (especially as you go further back (like to sites 6-10 probably) just had a secluded woodsy feeling to them. I loved how convenient our site was though being right by our car and the road to the restrooms. 

    Some of the tent sites are close together with some having a little more seclusion. There are a  lot of trees and plants with it being in the woods so this does help. But with the trail running right down the middle that cuts out a little of your privacy. But the seclusion is definitely better than the RV sites that we saw in the main big loop of the campground. 

    We walked a couple trails and they were lots of fun for us and the kids/dogs. 

    There is a STRICT no alcohol rule in the tent sites. A sign said coolers are subject to inspection, but from our experience and the vibe of the place, I don't see this really being an issue unless your group gets kind of rowdy ;) 

    All in all a great experience.

  • Michael M.
    Oct. 20, 2017

    Coon Creek (IL)

    Big Campground with great lake access

    I have camped here in a motorhome with full hookups and tent camped as well.

    The camp sites are divided into many loops and have side pullin sites and backin sites. The RV and tent sites are grouped in the same loops and there are many that have trails from the site right to the lake and people leave the boat near the campsite but still on the water. The restrooms and shower houses are clean as all the Lake Shelbyville campgrounds are maintained by the Corps of Engineers. This campground is very busy in the prime camping season, but if you are camping with a group and have a boat this is the place to go. There are several buddy sites here that are set up very well for groups of RV's and tents camping together. There are a few isolated sites on corners of loops, but most are fairly close together. There is a swimming beach here and lots of boat traffic, but quiet hours are observed, so you can get a good night's sleep before an action packed day on the lake. The fishing is good if you have a boat, but there is very little bank fishing areas available. Part of the campground is open after Labor Day, but the main season is Memorial day to Labor day.

  • Michael M.
    Oct. 16, 2017

    Bo Wood

    Campground with all the comforts

    The Forest Bo Wood Recreation area has grown each year since I first camped there in 1979.

    In 2017 it has 150 camping sites, a boat ramp, fish cleaning station, several picnic areas and a bait shop at the entrance on Illinois Route 32 4 miles South of Sullivan. The camp sites all have parking space for a big rig and one vehicle. There are some tent only sites but most have been converted to at least 30 amp electric sites with water hookups near the site. Many lake side sites are available, some years back there was a problem with the bank, but that has been dealt with.

    Bath rooms and shower houses are very clean and there is good bank fishing near the pavilion at the turn around at the west end of the area. There is a marina just 1 mile South and across the bridge another ½ mile is the Sullivan beach. Just 1 more mile South is a Rosatti's pizza located in a gas station with a liquor store. Rossati's delivers pizza's to the 2 campgrounds that are this close to the business. People that love the comforts of home while camping love this campground, so it fills up in the spring and summer months.

    All sites are spacious and include a picnic table, lantern stand, fire pit with grill grate and some have added camp stove stands. I find that October camping at Bo Woods most agreeable with less people tent camping and less boat traffic on the lake. The fishing this time of year is also very good.

  • Aaron B.
    Sep. 6, 2024

    Sangchris Lake State Park Campground

    Lakeside Relaxation

    These walk in sites check all the boxes.  At the western part of the RV loop, is a peninsula of primitive tent camping spots to choose from.  About half the sites were filled by the second day we were there.  We settled on 62, which is spacious and provides access to the path from the front and behind where you can walk into site 64 as well.  A parking area with a single spot for each camp site is well marked and by two vault toilets.  Park staff and host were great.  A decent fishing spot is just in front of site 64.  $8 for IL residents is hard to beat, if you don't need an RV spot with electric.  A water source is also by the parking spots.  The weekend we were there the weather had cooled some and a great breeze was coming off the lake.  Springfield being so close is a bonus.

    The only negative is like any spot and how previous people leave the camp looking before you are there.  Some garbage in the fire pit and random spots are par for the course in any state park.  Pick up the trash and dump it in the dumpster by the parking lot.  Leave the site better than you found it is our motto.

Guide to Clinton

Tent camping near Clinton, Illinois offers opportunities for outdoor recreation in central Illinois's gently undulating prairie landscape. The region experiences four distinct seasons with hot summers and cold winters, making spring and fall particularly favorable for camping trips. Most campsites sit at elevations between 650-750 feet above sea level, creating accessible terrain for campers of all experience levels.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Edward Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area provides fishing access with one visitor noting they "Would take my family back!" The area maintains natural habitat for various fish species typical to central Illinois waterways.

Water recreation: Sullivan Marina and Campgrounds Resort offers lakeside activities on Lake Shelbyville about 45 miles south of Clinton. A camper mentions, "This was a great campground with clean facilities," making it suitable for swimming and boating during summer months.

Family activities: Hickory Hill Campground features numerous recreation options including "an in-ground pool opened between Memorial Day and Labor Day, basketball court, mini golf, shuffleboard, pool table, ping pong and various soda and snack vending machines and games in the recreation center."

What campers like

Shade coverage: Many tent sites near Clinton feature tree coverage that provides relief from summer heat. According to one camper at Spitler Woods State Natural Area, the location offers "Great sites. Plenty to do," making it popular among those seeking wooded camping environments.

Quiet atmosphere: Campers frequently mention the peaceful settings at sites around Clinton. A visitor to Hickory Hill Campground described it as "Clean, quiet, and plenty of shade. Friendly staff and other campers."

Accessibility: Most campgrounds near Clinton feature relatively flat terrain making site access straightforward. One camper at Hickory Hill noted its "easy access from highway" and that they "called in the afternoon and got a full hook up, pull through spot."

What you should know

Seasonal availability: Most campgrounds in the Clinton area operate seasonally. Hickory Hill Campground runs from April 1 to October 31, while others may close during winter months due to weather conditions.

Gate restrictions: Some campgrounds enforce strict entry policies. At Sullivan Marina and Campgrounds Resort, "they have very strict hours, and after 10 PM you have to call to get in the gates," according to one visitor who advises to "try to arrive early."

Amenities vary significantly: Primitive camping areas like Edward Madigan have minimal facilities, while developed campgrounds offer more services. Hickory Hill provides a "fully-stocked general store, which also serves as the main office where you will check-in upon arrival, offering up firewood, snacks, water, ice and other sundries."

Tips for camping with families

Activity options: Look for campgrounds with built-in recreation. Hickory Hill Campground stands out with "Lots of nice amenities for families" including swimming pools and games areas.

Site selection: Request sites away from main roads for added safety with children. A camper noted that at Hickory Hill "there are plentiful" golf carts, so choosing sites in quieter sections may be preferable for families with young children.

Local dining options: When camp cooking becomes tiresome, nearby towns offer family-friendly dining. One reviewer recommends exploring El Paso where you'll find "Woody's Family Restaurant for some good 'ol down home Midwestern comfort food."

Tips from RVers

Site dimensions: RV campers should verify site specifications before booking. At Hickory Hill Campground, one camper observed "The sites are kind of tight. Gravel sites but mostly level."

Full-timer presence: Some campgrounds near Clinton have permanent or seasonal residents. A visitor to Hickory Hill noted, "This seems to be more of a full time camping location. Lots of buildings and I was offered a lot for sale."

Hookup availability: Call ahead to confirm hookup options. According to one Hickory Hill visitor, they "called in the afternoon and got a full hook up, pull through spot," suggesting availability can change quickly during busy periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Clinton, IL is Edward Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Clinton, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring

  2. View all Illinois cities for camping