If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Coffeen, look no further. Finding a place to camp in Illinois with your tent has never been easier. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Coffeen campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Spillway is a day use area on the shore of the Kaskaskia River just below the Lake Shelbyville dam.
Situated in the heart of central Illinois, the river, lake and surrounding land offer outdoor activities for people of all ages, including fishing, picnicking and simply relaxing by the water.
This facility is mostly open with some wooded areas. Oak and hickory are the dominant tree species.
Foliage turns a variety of red, orange, purple and yellow each fall, while prairie flowers dot the landscape in spring and summer.
Numerous species of songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors inhabit the lake area, as do mammals such as cottontail rabbit, white-tail deer, gray and fox squirrel, muskrat and mink.
Spillway is a fun place to relax along the river. It has plenty of open space and a playground for children.
Lake Shelbyville and the Kaskaskia River also offer a multitude of fishing opportunities for catfish, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, muskie, walleye, white bass and bluegill. For those without boats, there are also several ponds with farmed fish available around the lake.
Hunting areas located within a short drive offer numerous game species, including quail, rabbit, pheasant, deer, dove, turkey, waterfowl and woodcock.
This facility has a reservable picnic shelter that can accommodate 50 people. Six picnic tables, a playground, volleyball courts, fish cleaning station, flush toilets and spigots for drinking water are provided.
Wolf Creek State Park, Woods Lake Waterfowl Refuge and Okaw Bluff Wetlands Complex are popular locations for wildlife watching, birding and hunting near Lake Shelbyville.
Pick from a variety of spots from the lakeside, to secluded forest, to open field for pitching your tent on this orchard land! This property is open to dispersed camping wherever you prefer. Equipped with fire pits, pond for viewing water fowl, and bathrooms with showers inside the house. This is a great spot to spend the night on your way to or from St. Louis, Chicago or Indianapolis. Close to St Louis and all the fun there! Great biking in the area, hiking at Pere Marquette State Park, and swimming and water sports at Horseshoe Lake State Park. Firewood can be bought on site, grocery, convenience stores, restaurants, fast food and gas stations easy drive of 10-15 min.
$15 - $16 / night
Tent camping. Limited electric and water. Canoe and boat rentals, bait and showers. On river bank.
Shady Grove Campground accommodates groups by reservation only. Ground fires are allowed only in the fire rings provided.
Ranger
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.
Guide
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.
Guide
Peaceful tent camping on Walkers Island at $8 per day.
TravelerI'm sure it's a nice place to stay, but no tent camping allowed
Traveler
Doesn't allow pets for tent sites
Guide
I camped here in a tent before we had an rv. The primitive sites were perfectly quiet and away from others. Toilet was close and so was parking. I kind of miss tent camping!!!
Traveler
Quiet midweek in tent camping area except for heavy equipment in field nearby. Large campground with open space and playground for kids. Short walk to beautiful lake.
Guide
Sometimes it’s awesome sometimes it’s not. Nice ponds for fishing that are unmarked. Good tent sites.
Traveler
Not a large campground. There’s a catch and release lake on site, but not really any fish. There is a super long carp though. Sites are nice but not many pull in RV sites or tent sites
Traveler
Cleanest bathrooms ever and heated and air conditioner. Quiet and plenty of trees and a walking path. A beach to swim at and a dock to fish off. A playground for kids. You can tent camp in a.few places but mai.ly for electric campers and.RV's. We camp here several times a year.
Traveler
I have been coming here for years with my family when I was younger. I took a trip alone with my tent for 4 days in May. The place is as pristine as it was when I was a kid- perfect bathhouse, beautiful lakeshore, and cozy tent camping. Plenty of wildlife to observe and wonderful fishing to be had. Great to ride a bike around, too!
Legend
Very nice campground on Lake Shelbyville. Camped here with young boys in tent every year for years on site 27- views of lake the best! Electric even for tent sites (have come in handy for fans for the hot hot nights in a tent!). Newer bath house is nice. Some RV sites have water hookup also.
Scout
Tent campsites are a decent size but still pretty close together, and our site had water and eletric hookup. Cute lake, very family friendly, lots of amenities, amazingly clean.
TravelerThere are only about 6 tent sites at this campground, which makes it not entirely friendly for tent campers. However, the bathrooms were lovely and clean. For those who are allergic, there is a colony of feral cats living outside of the office. OUTDOOR DOMESTICATED CATS ARE TERRIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, please do not encourage this behavior.
Traveler
while there are many full service sites available, this campground offers dozens of rustic tent sites right next to Carlyle Lake as well! Our tent site was shaded and our one neighbor was quiet and friendly. We felt secluded yet had easy access to the campground shower house, swimming pool, wooded nature trail, campground hosts and camp store. We were within a few minutes drive of the main lake beach and facilities that include a restaraunt and visitors center. A 7 minute drive gets you into the town of Carlyle which has all the necessities- food, gas and Walmart.
We were incredibly pleased with the quiet tranquility of this site and the views were fantastic. We woke up to hear the lake lapping at the shoreline. We had a nearly private cove to fish as well.
This is a wonderful campground and we will certainly Be back again!
RangerI 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.
TravelerI stayed at the tent sites. They are first come, first served, and a short walk from the parking spots. There are times of RV sites also, although the host said most all are reservable and only a handful are firstcome, first served. There are restrooms and a shower house that are clean.
TravelerPrimitive tent camping area is very spacious but bathrooms were dirty and gross. The women’s bathroom near T3 didn’t have toilet paper the entire three days we stayed there. I drove to other restrooms while we stayed there. Shower house was nice, with one small shower stall and large ADA shower stall. Camp host was friendly and helpful. The campground is just a few minutes from Carlinville Walmart and restaurants.
LegendThis campground is very shady on a beautiful lake. The tent campsites are level and there is enough space between the sites to make for a quiet night. The facility at the time of our visit was clean and well maintained. Well worth the stay.
Legend
This state park is a basic but nice state park facility, The tent sites were basic but fairly level and clean. Most of the sites had fire pits and picnic table. The bathrooms were big and clean, At the time of our visit it was raining so we didn't get a chance to explore much but its someplace we will come back to.
ScoutWe stayed on site 39. Quiet view of woods and part of cove. Plenty of parking and can walk down to the lake. Water hookup and electric. Full hookups available closer to front of park. We like quiet and this site was great. I tent camp too and the sites at the end of our "leg" look great. Even got our kayaks to the water not far from our campsite which was a bonus! If you have a boat, there is boat ramp too with large parking lot. Not too far from Shelbyville and the dam also. Overall a great campground!
Traveler“Hazlet” has over 300 sites with electric hook-ups and 30+ tent sites. It is a popular destination for locals and those nearby during the summer and fall, but if you are able to choose your site early, there are quite a few options that will offer more privacy. Some sites sit directly on Carlyle Lake.
There are many walking trails in and around the campground, plus a pool and campground store at the entrance. The bathrooms and showers are pretty well maintained and spread out well throughout the large campground.
GuideWe stopped here because it was right off the highway and had great reviews! However, upon arrival, the woman working in the office was INCREDIBLY rude to me and made me feel very uncomfortable. I’m guessing this was due to my appearance- it was hot and I was wearing shorts and I have tattoos. Anyway she proceeded to tell me that we weren’t allowed a tent site because we were car camping. I told her we don’t use electric or water, we have our own, and she told me we couldn’t stay unless we paid for an electric hookup site. So we did, the site was about 10 ft wide and covered in the sharpest gravel in the world, all dusty white. The gravel dust got on EVERYTHING and was hideous and so hard to park and walk on. I would never stay here again, I’d rather sleep in a Walmart parking lot.
TravelerDrive by, choose a spot, let the host know. We tent camped. The ground was relatively flat minus some tree stumps. Every site has a fire pit with adjustable grill, picnic tables, ours had a concrete slab for gatherings, 2 vehicle parking bumper to bumper. Outhouse was a short walk from us and was decent (no sink). Water spicket just beyond that. They’re sporadically placed. Our site was in the shade and not far from the road though there were others that were further back. We did some of the trails which were okay. Something to do, a bit of exercise, and it had some cute little bridges and stops to sit or step out onto the water (must be able bodied). It is a pond not a lake, I could see all points of it from one standing position. Also, no beavers, they left a long time ago. The showers were clean. Walmart is about ten minutes away if you need groceries. It’s a good stop if you’re passing through and need to rest, get a little walk in, shower. Definitely wouldn’t recommend for some one out of town or state who wants to plan a vacation here.
Ranger
We have camped here many times and this time was awesome as well. The park is huge and is one of the only state park's in Illinois with horse camping and horse trails. There are 13 horse camp sites and additional trailer parking for about 6 more rigs with tie out posts for riders that will not be camping. There are several miles of horse trails and the area is set apart from hiking trails and the other camping areas. There are hundreds of campsites in this park in addition to the horse campgrounds and the entire area is maintained by the US Corps of Engineers. There are full hookup RV sites everywhere with tons of flush toilet bathrooms and shower houses in each large section. There is also a tent camp area without electricity, these sites are cheaper and there are lake front sites available here too. There is a beach that closes after Labor Day, but there are lots of sites available all year round. There are lots of hiking trails and deer run through the park in herds in the winter months. The hiking is OK in this park and good if you like short 1 to 1 1/2 mile hikes. I recommend visiting in the fall after Labor Day, October when leaves are changing is my favorite time for this campground. Clean restrooms, showers and a small store at the entrance for bait, firewood or forgotten items make this a great place to spend a few days.
Website: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/WolfCreek.aspx
GuideThese 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.
Ranger
I tent camped in a large tent, car camping, Friday and Saturday night.
I have camped here as well as all the Lake Shelbyville campgrounds many times before. Lone Point campground is actually 14 miles from my rural home in Shelbyville, IL. and is my favorite Lake Shelbyville campground.
There are many nice sites here along the lake and in the wooded areas around the lake. The sites have electricity and water near by. Fire rings with grates, lantern posts, picnic tables and level parking areas. Some sites have limited level areas for tents, but there are lots of sites to choose from. I like camping here because it is the least visited campground on the lake, so it can be quiet and you can get a site with a view. The bathrooms are clean and there is a shower house. There is a 12 mile trail from Lone Point to Eagle creek along the lake shore line, this trail is moderate to difficult hiking. I recommend this campground over all the others on Lake Shelbyville. The campgrounds and park are maintained by the US Army corps of engineers and reservations can be made online through recreation.gov.
The main campground closes on Labor Day however there is a small section near the boat ramp open year round and this has nice sites in it with camp stove stands as well as grills and awesome fire pits. The trail Chief Illini trailhead is located in the parking area and the trail is fairly well maintained during the regular campground open season. The trail is open year round and can be hiked from one end to the other spending a night at either campground for return trip the next day.
GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
39.45222, -88.74028
39°27'8"N, 88°44'25"W
Tent camping near Coffeen, Illinois offers a variety of unique experiences for outdoor enthusiasts, with several campgrounds providing essential amenities and beautiful natural settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Coffeen, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Coffeen, IL is Spillway (IL) with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Coffeen, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Coffeen, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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