Best Tent Camping near Cobden, IL

Dispersed tent camping options surround Cobden, Illinois, with notable locations including the primitive sites at Ferne Clyffe State Park and Dutchman Lake Camp. Ferne Clyffe offers both the Backpack Campground area with walk-in tent sites and the more developed Turkey Ridge Campground, where tent campers can access trails leading to limestone bluffs and waterfalls. The dispersed camping at Dutchman Lake provides a more remote experience approximately 15 miles east of Cobden in the Shawnee National Forest region.

Most tent sites at Ferne Clyffe State Park are set in wooded areas with variable terrain. The Backpack Campground provides basic amenities for tent campers, including access to drinking water and pit toilets, though sites themselves are primitive. One camper noted that "not a lot of tent sites, but enough. Nice wooded primitive sites with easy access to water and toilets." Dutchman Lake Camp offers drive-in or walk-in tent sites with more rustic conditions—no drinking water, toilets, or trash service. Fires are permitted at most locations, though firewood can be difficult to find locally. Campers should verify seasonal availability, as some areas like Buck Ridge Campground operate only from March through December.

The tent camping experience in this region benefits from the natural features of the Shawnee National Forest landscape. Areas near Ferne Clyffe provide access to multiple hiking trails with varying difficulty levels, leading to geological features and scenic overlooks. A visitor described the park as having "several limestone bluffs, great for climbing, naturally forested woodlands, cliff caves, and several small waterfalls." The separation between tent sites at many locations provides privacy among the trees, particularly at the walk-in sites. Tent-only areas tend to be quieter than the developed campgrounds where RVs are permitted. Wildlife observation opportunities are abundant, with campers reporting deer sightings and diverse bird activity, especially during spring and fall migrations.

Best Tent Sites Near Cobden, Illinois (16)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Cobden, IL

550 Reviews of 16 Cobden Campgrounds


  • S
    Oct. 7, 2020

    Giant City State Park Campground

    No privacy at tent camp, hike amazing!

    So first of all- I think it’s fair to state before I leave a review that my husband and I prefer primitive and private camping. The fewer people we see while we’re out, the better. We live in a city so when we camp, we want the opposite. If you enjoy RV camping or don’t mind not so Private spots, this is a decent spot to spend the night. If you like primitive/private camping- il fill you in below!

    We do tent camping and Saw there were walk-in sites and hike in sites at this campground. Usually walk-in sites are pretty private and dispersed well - atleast where we’ve been before. The 14 “primitive” camping sites were right next to eachothwr with little to no privacy at all. Good tree cover for shade but otherwise you’re basically setting up your tent and area in an open field. That was a little disappointing to us because it wasn’t what we thought we would find. The RV spots also seem super close together but again- we like things spread out so maybe it would be an OK place for some.

    The vault toilets near the tent sites were...as clean as vault toilets get! And we did not use tje shower facilities so can’t speak on that.

    If we had been just the 2 of us, we would’ve hiked in to do our camping along one of the hiking paths but we were meeting two other friends and were unsure if they would want to hike miles to a spot so we opted for the tent spots just after the RV campground. If you want more privacy for an evening of camping, you’ll need to come with your gear packed up decently enough to hike it out atleast a mile onto the trails. There is camping allowed along the trails as long as you are 100 ft from the trail so that was an option, but in certain spots along the trail it’s challenging to find a clearing (hammocks would be great along the trail). There is also an official primitive camping site halfway through the 12 mile loop of the Red Ceder Trail. We day hiked almost the whole loop but made a Weird little detour so we didn’t get to check these spots out.

    We were hoping to find a campsite that- as get as difficulty of accessibility level- was in between a 6 mile hike and the tent spots in the field but there isn’t any official spot like that even tho there’s tons of space and potential for it. Rant over about the campground. Let’s talk about the hiking! The hiking was truly awesome and felt like it balanced out my disappointment with the campground. Doing the whole 12 mile loop of tje Red Cedar Trail was a challenge for us! We really enjoyed it. In some spots, the trail markers are a little confusing, but overall it’s decently marked and the map is somewhat helpful just to kindve know vaguely where you are. The 2nd day, we went back and did about half rhe loop and also checked out the more popular section of the trails back there that include Giant City Nature Trail, Devils Stand Table, and a few others. Very cool rock formations. Pretty busy in the weekend over there but the test of the trails away from that area with those big landmarks was completely deserted and there are some super cool rock formations not on the map at all.

    Over all, this was a fun 4 days. We would return and plan on hiking out into the trails to camp for our evenings. If you like privacy around your campfire at night, I can’t recommend the campground.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2016

    Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground

    Garden of the Gods

    Primative 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.

  • Napunani
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Trail of Tears State Park Campground

    Back-up to the Mississippi River

    PRO 

    Senior discount saving $6 

    Able to reserve on-line 365 days prior to arriving 

    Very friendly and helpful camp host 

    Unobstructed view of the Mississippi River 

    Great dark sky viewing 

    No highway/road noise, but... 

    Asphalt parking pad surrounded by grass 

    Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

    One hook lantern pole 

    Moveable wooden picnic table in the grass 

    Toilet/shower building.35 miles from campground very nice and very clean with ample TP and hand soap 

    Firewood for sale by camp host $5 

    Mississippi River Scenic Overlook was very nice V

    Visitor Center has small museum (no admission fee) on the Trail of Tears Native American tribal migration 

    Coin-operated laundromat on South Hope Street Jackson after the roundabout 12 miles from campground 

    Tractors Restaurant Main Street Jackson very good diner type restaurant 

    CONS

    $8.50 reservation fee for online self made reservation 

    Sites that back to the river very close to each other. We stepped out our door onto the neighbors stinky slinky. Insufficient space to deploy awning. 

    Electrical utility connection is on passenger side of the campsite#6 

    Sewer connection was high above ground so drainage was up hill. Camp host warned us upon arrival we may need to use dump station to get tanks totally drained. 

    Site 6 not level side-to-side 

    Lots of trains, day and night with train horn blaring due to road crossing at campground Lots of river barge noise 

    Only one single unisex pit toilet in campground 

    No park headquarters or entrance gate office for check-in. Sign in campground informing how to conduct virtual check in. 

    No security gate closed overnight 

    No ranger patrolling campground

    No WiFi 

    2 bars Verizon LTE

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 13, 2020

    Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs

    Fun swimming holes and good hiking

    21 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!

  • Lane M.
    Jun. 6, 2019

    Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground

    Great little spot!

    This 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.

  • Cameron
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Bean Ridge Pond Campground

    Free, primitive campground, loud partiers

    Got here on a Saturday night in late September and both of the campsites were available. Campsites consist of a clearing with a fire pit and a picnic table. No litter. No toilets. Very slow and spotty AT&T service: I was able to text but not access the Internet. The area is very pretty. Soft ground for staking a tent. Bugs were alright, no need for bug spray. There’s water access at the pond, but it’s obviously stagnant and very brackish. Big downside was a convoy of Jeeps full of partiers rolled down to the pond at 12:30am and hung out down there blasting music for an hour, which is a real sleep ruiner. This might be a local party spot, so be aware and maybe pack earplugs if you’re coming on a weekend. Upside is that it’s in a National Forest, so if both sites are taken, you can always dispersed camp

  • Chelsea D.
    Apr. 23, 2020

    Pine Hills

    Beautiful new Picnic shelter, quiet campground

    This is a very basic campground with some shade. No hookups, really good for tent camping. The new picnic shelter is beautiful and there is seating around a fire pit. This forest does a great job of keeping restrooms very clean.

  • Abby M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 7, 2021

    Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground

    Nice little campground

    I arrived on Friday around 2:30pm hoping to get a spot but unfortunately, all spots were already taken (about 10-12). The vault toilet looked decently clean and all sites had a nice fire ring, picnic table and hanging hooks. Some sites were closer together than others but would work for a night or two to enjoy the beauty around! Little picnic area just around the corner and about .5 from several awesome hikes!

  • Jessica R.
    May. 18, 2020

    Shawnee Forest Campground

    Quiet

    The sites are nice and level. Quiet in the area. Picnic table and fire ring at every site. Park offers firewood. Pond for fishing so bring your poles. It's catch and release. Manager is very friendly and accommodates you as possible.


Guide to Cobden

Dispersed tent camping opportunities near Cobden, Illinois include several rustic options in the Shawnee National Forest. The landscape features rolling hills with elevation changes of 400-600 feet and a humid continental climate with hot summers and mild winters. Summer temperatures often reach 90°F with moderate humidity levels, creating favorable conditions for tent campers from April through October.

What to do

Fishing at Lake Girardeau: This conservation area offers primitive camping with excellent fishing opportunities. Matthew G. notes it has "a nice sized lake good fishing if you are using a boat, or kayak" and mentions it's "a no-wake lake," making it perfect for peaceful angling.

Hiking at Ferne Clyffe: Explore multiple trail systems with varying difficulty levels. Scott N. shares, "The only trail I hiked was Happy Hollow. A large portion of it is an equestrian trail, so the path was very wide. The views on the trail were amazing." The park offers both challenging and family-friendly options.

Rock climbing adventures: Turkey Ridge Campground provides access to natural climbing features. Joel R. describes the area having "several limestone bluffs, great for climbing, naturally forested woodlands, cliff caves, and several small waterfalls," making it a destination for both beginners and experienced climbers.

What campers like

Privacy in primitive sites: Backpack Campground at Ferne Clyffe offers secluded tent spots. Merry L. recommends, "the walk up primitive sites are secluded, wooded, and within a pit toilet and water source. Make sure you take time to explore the waterfall and other short trails nearby."

Wildlife viewing: Turkey Ridge provides excellent nature observation opportunities. Gina J. mentions, "There was a ton of wildlife though and it was really neat to listen to all the different species throughout the night." Early morning and dusk offer the best viewing times.

Water features: The area offers several small waterfalls and creek systems. One camper described Ferne Clyffe as having "trails that include bluffs, caves, creeks, etc. Our favorite is Hawk's Cave Trail. It's an easy hike and the kids explored the caves for hours!"

What you should know

Limited amenities at dispersed sites: Most primitive areas have minimal facilities. Kim R. warns about Lake Girardeau: "There is no running water. There is one bathroom. It is secluded and nice to just get away, but each campsite is very close to each other so there is not a lot of privacy."

Seasonal availability: Many campgrounds have limited operating seasons. Buck Ridge Campground operates from March 15 to December 15, with closures possible during heavy rain events when creek crossings become impassable.

Firewood challenges: Finding firewood can be difficult at many sites. Tye K. from Dutchman Lake Camp notes, "Only issue I found at all was firewood is surprisingly difficult to come by." Consider bringing your own or purchasing from nearby towns.

Tips for camping with families

Kid-friendly cave exploration: Several trails feature accessible caves for children. Dani B. recommends, "Hawk's Cave Trail. It's an easy hike and the kids explored the caves for hours!" Always bring flashlights and supervise children closely in cave areas.

Short hikes with rewards: Willow Springs Campground offers family-friendly paths. David H. suggests, "Rebman trail is good for anyone including little kids," making it perfect for families with younger children.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cobden, IL is Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 16 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Cobden, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.