Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Elizabethtown, IL
Tower Rock Campground sits directly on the Ohio River bank with pet-friendly campsites that feature fire rings with grill stands and picnic tables. This Forest Service campground allows pets throughout its spacious sites where campers can gather their own firewood onsite. Cave-in-Rock State Park also welcomes pets at its electric and primitive sites which offer more amenities including showers, flush toilets, and a sanitary dump station. Both campgrounds provide vault toilets and drinking water, though Tower Rock has more limited facilities. The sites at Cave-in-Rock are set a decent amount of space apart with additional parking for a second vehicle. Pine Ridge Campground offers another pet-friendly option with electric hookups and picnic tables in a more wooded setting. Sites at these campgrounds remain open and uncrowded even during peak seasons, with Cave-in-Rock often having plenty of availability midweek.
Pet owners should be aware that the area has significant tick populations, particularly at Cave-in-Rock where deer frequently roam the campground. The Ohio River provides water access for dogs at Tower Rock, though the riverbank conditions vary with water levels and sometimes debris accumulates when the river has been higher. Vault toilets at Tower Rock remain functional but basic, while Cave-in-Rock offers clean shower facilities with hot water and good pressure. A short walk from Tower Rock leads to the boat landing and an old CCC path up to Tower Rock overlook, approximately 100 feet above the river. The ferry between Illinois and Kentucky operates near both Tower Rock and Cave-in-Rock campgrounds, providing convenient access to additional services. Limited cell service exists throughout the area, with better coverage at Cave-in-Rock than at more remote campgrounds.












