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Best Tent Camping near Danville, IL

346 Reviews

Western Indiana offers several tent camping options within an hour's drive of Danville, Illinois. Lake Waveland Park in Waveland, Indiana stands out as a popular destination for tent campers, with both primitive and modern sites available. The park operates seasonally from May 15 to October 15 and accommodates walk-in tent camping. Covered Bridge State Forest Retreat, located approximately 40 miles southwest of Danville, provides additional tent camping opportunities with walk-in access. Attica Family Campground, situated about 45 miles northwest of Danville, rounds out the regional tent camping options.

Primitive tent sites at Lake Waveland Park don't require reservations and operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Campers should arrive early, especially on weekends, as sites fill quickly. The primitive camping area is located past the shower house where the road bends left and downhill. Sites are not clearly marked but are identifiable by picnic tables and sometimes fire rings. The grounds are well-maintained with regularly mowed grass. Facilities include showers, restrooms, and drinking water, though some infrastructure may need updating. Most tent sites include picnic tables, and many have fire rings.

The tent camping experience at Lake Waveland Park offers considerable space and privacy. According to reviews, "Camp sites seem more spread out here compared to most state parks," making it ideal for tent campers seeking more room. The primitive sites are described as "very secluded and quiet" by frequent visitors. The park's location provides convenient access to nearby natural attractions, including Sugar Creek, Turkey Run State Park, and Shades State Park. Bird watching opportunities abound, with one camper noting, "This is a lovely space with lots of birds to observe." The lake offers fishing opportunities for tent campers looking to supplement their outdoor activities. While the park lacks hiking trails, the spacious grounds and peaceful atmosphere make it a solid backcountry tent camping alternative near Danville.

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Best Tent Sites Near Danville, Illinois (3)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Danville, IL

1 Photos of 3 Danville Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Danville, IL

346 Reviews of 3 Danville Campgrounds

  • T
    Aug. 6, 2021

    Shades State Park Campground

    Wooded Sandstone canyon with primitive camping.

    Located north of turkey run state park shades offers all the hiking and scenic terrain with less amenities and less crowds. Sugar creek cuts through the ancient sandstone floor creating canyon walls. The park is connected to a nature preserve that dose allow backpacking but has designated camping within the park separate from the car camping sites, so you can’t set up camp on the trail. The car camping sites, labeled as family camping, are primitive only with vault toilets. There is a shower located in the campsite with flushing toilets. Campsites are close but most have trees separating them for privacy. Avoid sites next to toilets or dumpsters their practically in your site. There’s no cellular signal in the park so heads up. Ice and wood are located for sale at the entrance. If you have little ones there are a few playgrounds located in the park including one in the campsite which is located a short hike in the woods. This park is quite, shaded, rugged at times and the canyon/creek can be breathtaking. Although I would go early or late in the season to avoid Indiana’s humid muggy summer heat.

  • S
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Harry L Swartz Campground

    Pretty spot/small gravel campsites

    Il start this by saying: we prefer tent camping/primitive/atleast semi isolated spots. If you’re looking for RV camping, this is probably a decent spot so read no further!

    We drove in to the Middle Fork Forest Preserve looking for a place to camp same day on our way down to Giant City. We weren’t able to make a reservation less than 5 days in advance online so we tried to call. No one in the office except Th-Sunday and it was Wednesday so we couldn’t get in touch. All good. It happens and it did say that clearly on their website and on voicemail. We needed a place for the night so decided to risk driving over from I57 S. Rolled in around 5 and all the campsites were marked reserved but there were about 3 people set up to camp there. We didn’t end up camping the night 1. Because we didn’t want to be jerks about the reservations although it seemed like no one else would be arriving until at the earliest the next day and 2. All of the campsites were pretty tight together and surfaced with gravel. That’s a personal preference thing. We always look for primitive/walk-in/hike in sites to set up tents/hammocks. This spot was mostly set up for RVs.

    The hiking looked pretty lovely and the grounds/facilities looked well kept! Just maybe not our preference.

  • Mike V.
    Jul. 23, 2016

    Lake Waveland Park

    Waveland Lake and Park, near Waveland, Indiana

    Nice clean park in west-central Indiana that has a lake and a large number of camping sites along with restrooms and showers. The primitive tent camping sites don't require reservations, and each have a picnic table. There are modern campsites that have water and electrical hook-ups, and there are some small cabins that can be rented. The bath house was clean, and the grounds crew does a great job keeping the grass cut. Camp sites seem more spread out here compared to most state parks. Location is fairly close to Sugar Creek and other parks such as Turkey Run and Shades State Park. The lake is popular for fishing.

  • Terri D.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 10, 2017

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Nice Big Sites

    I have to say it is always nice to stay at a state park in the off season. There are a couple hundred sites in this park and we were one of about 12 occupants. Even if this park had been full, the sites offer nice space. Sites vary from full shade to wide open out in the sun. Bathrooms are clean, but they are pretty spread out. Most sites offer electricity, but no water or sewer hook-up for RV. Water spigots are pretty spread out too. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. I didn't see any camp hosts that sold firewood when office is closed. Park is located right across the street from the local high school, I thought this was sort of odd.

    We were just passing through for a nights stay, but it looked like there were some nice trails for hiking. The children playgrounds looked nice as well.

  • H
    Jun. 23, 2023

    Shades State Park Campground

    Awesome Backpack Camp!

    Took my son on his first backpacking trip this week and felt like Shades would be a perfect trial run for us together. I don’t think this camp gets enough love as it’s a relatively short hike for most seasoned backpackers. Great for trial runs and gear testing. The trail was (recently) well maintained in sections, but there are spots that are a little weedy. That’s to be expected I think with a park that doesn’t see as much traffic as another well known park in the area (that doesn’t offer a backpack camp). The camp itself was fantastic. It doesn’t boast great views or any scenic points, but it is fabulously maintained and well thought out. Several awesome sites to choose from and we had our pick as the only campers there. Every site had a fire ring and picnic table, with paths heading to the bathroom and water. The bathrooms were pretty much immaculate and the water was great. We didn’t hike in early enough to take the path to play at Sugar Creek, but I won’t make that mistake again. Next time, because there will be a next time, we’ll go earlier for more downtime around camp. So glad we’re close enough we can make this trip again soon! Park entry: $7 Camping fee: $12 With tax our total was $19.84. If you have an IN state park card you can avoid the entry fee.

  • Janet B.
    May. 9, 2023

    Vermilion County Park Forest Glen Preserve

    East Camp (backpacking site)

    First backpacking trip in the Midwest and this was a surprisingly scenic place with a great backpacking sites! We did forest glen river ridge trail; started from the staff parking lot and walked about 8 miles to the east camp. We had a big group and took sites 3 and 5 because they were on a flatter ground. All sites were well shaded and there was even an OUTHOUSE!!! The rangers told us the water from the Vermilion River was safe to drink with filtration but note that you do have to walk down to the river and up to the campsites. Both sites came with a picnic table and a fire ring. Had a lovely time even with the thunderstorm.

  • D
    Jan. 29, 2021

    Kickapoo State Recreation Area

    My 'home' campsite.

    I live about 30 minutes from Kickapoo SP and anytime I feel I need to camp I head over. Great little campground in Central Illinois. Some pretty trails overlooking, beside, and sometimes through water. The RV sites are great for either rv, van, or tent camping with a lot of level ground at most sites. There are some real diamonds of a campsite hidden here that you can basically be in the woods with clear ground for a level tent. I love this simple campground and have brought a handful of friends here who also enjoyed it.

  • n
    Jun. 8, 2018

    Ross Camp

    Lafayette Parks and Rec

    Nice sites. Awesome shower house! close to Ross Park. A little chapel. This is a relax campground for those not into all the hiking if you just want to sit by your fire. A few primitive sites. No alcohol allowed. We rent a site here instead of hotels.

  • M
    Jul. 19, 2020

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Terrific campground and state park

    We stayed here this weekend and had a terrific time. The weather was very hot but there is a river to tube and canoe in to keep you cool. We stayed at site #35. It is in a very quiet, off the main road, in a circle, in full shade. It’s is very close to the restroom but a distance from the camp store and dumpster. The site was clean and well equipped with a fire ring and picnic table. The site is very uneven. It definitely sloops to the back corner. It’s was difficult to level our camper but we got it in the end. The site was huge but given the unevenness it would be difficult for tents. The campground is family friendly and was quiet at night. There is a lot to do at this state park. We hiked the #3 and #5 trails and it took us about 2 hours. It was very busy but everyone was very polite. It was a great stay all around.

Guide to Danville

Tent camping near Danville, Illinois provides access to several state parks and public recreation areas within a 60-mile radius. Western Indiana campgrounds are particularly accessible, with most open from mid-spring through mid-fall. Summer temperatures typically range from 60-85°F, with occasional thunderstorms common from June through September.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Lake Waveland Park offers a popular fishing lake where campers can catch several species. "If fishing is your way of relaxing, you should have a good time here," notes Randy A. about the park's fishing options.

Beach access: Lake Waveland Park maintains a swimming beach during summer months for campers seeking water recreation beyond fishing. According to nicole B., "They do have a beach. A few cabins for rent. Fireworks in July and Halloween for the whole family in October."

Birdwatching: The expansive grounds at Lake Waveland Park provide habitat for numerous bird species, making it ideal for wildlife observation. One camper notes, "This is a lovely space with lots of birds to observe" while exploring the primitive camping areas.

What campers like

Spacious sites: The generous spacing between campsites at Lake Waveland Park receives consistent positive feedback. "Lake Waveland's grounds crew does a very good job keeping the property in order... and that's no small task, there is a TON of green space on this property!" shares Randy A.

Peaceful atmosphere: The quiet environment ranks highly among tent campers visiting the area. "Small but peaceful campground. Well worth the time spent here," writes Douglas W. about his Lake Waveland experience.

Well-maintained grounds: Regular maintenance keeps the camping areas in good condition throughout the season. Katie R. confirms this with her simple assessment: "Really well maintained grounds."

What you should know

Arrival timing: Primitive tent sites at Lake Waveland operate on first-come, first-served basis with no reservations. "The site fills up pretty fast so come early. No need to pay because it is first come first serve," advises kevin T..

Site identification: Primitive sites at Lake Waveland aren't clearly marked with site numbers. "The sites aren't marked, but are indicated by picnic table and fire ring, though fire rings are not always present."

Infrastructure condition: Some facilities may show signs of age. "Not fancy, some updating of infrastructure is due. I would keep this on list as decent stop," notes William David S. about the current state of amenities.

Tips for camping with families

Seasonal events: Attica Family Campground and other area campgrounds host special events during peak season. Lake Waveland Park offers "Fireworks in July and Halloween for the whole family in October."

Site selection: For families requiring more amenities, consider the modern sites. "As for the modern the best part is sites include water and electric. They need more spots for those long campers. Lots of pop up size sites."

Shade considerations: Many electric sites offer good tree cover, important during hot summer days. "The majority of electric sites are well shaded and there are endless opportunities to pitch a tent."

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: Larger RVs may find limited options at Covered Bridge State Forest Retreat and similar campgrounds. Nicole B. points out that at Lake Waveland there are "lots of pop up size sites. Trees need cut or maintained."

Hookup availability: Electric and water hookups are available at modern sites, but not all campgrounds offer full service connections. "They do have a bunch of primitive! As for the modern the best part is sites include water and electric."

Site spacing: RV sites tend to have more space between them compared to typical state parks. "Camp sites seem more spread out here compared to most state parks."

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Danville, IL is Lake Waveland Park with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.

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