Best Dispersed Camping near Golconda, IL

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Golconda

47 Reviews of 11 Golconda Campgrounds

• 

  Rodarius S.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 9, 2024

  Dispersed Campsite Shawnee National Forest

  Nice spots on the highway

  Love this spot! It's easily accessible by all rig types. Backs up to the open forest and you pull right back onto the highway.

• 

  Ai-Ai T.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 26, 2024

  Demumber's Bay

  Extreme bug activity - late August

  Pulled in around dusk and there was a deserted camper there, about 4 pull in sites for rooftop campers. The bugs were insane and 40 must’ve flown into my car when i opened the door for a split second. Other than that, good stop for dispersed campers. Bathrooms were vault.

• 

  Jonathan H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 18, 2024

  Dutchman Lake Camp

  Weeke d at the lake

  Great little spot right off the interstate. Lots of nice scenery and decent fishing.

• 

  Matthew Z.

  Traveler

  

  May. 30, 2024

  Dutchman Lake Camp

  Road trip break

  Beautiful spot with easy access and not far off the highway

• 

  Matt V.

  Traveler

  

  May. 8, 2024

  Jackson Falls

  Love this place!

  This is a spectacular place if you are looking for private and semi-private dispersed campgrounds that you can drive up to. Great hiking around the area. 

  The road to get into the primitive camp area is long, and just a little bumpy but we had no problem in a 4x4, also saw volvos and subarus do just fine.  Sprinter vans would be fine. Was pretty dry when we visited, could see the road getting a little sketch after big rain.  Definitely not gonna be fun for even small RV's. Tough turnarounds for large trailers or 5th wheels.

• A

  Andrea L.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 7, 2024

  LBL FS-326

  Lovely, quiet spot!

  This was a fantastic dispersed camping spot! A few cars went by looking for whatever, but the road dead ends at Energy Lake. It was quiet most of the time. Occasionally heard some obnoxious people across the lake where I believe a campground is located. Also heard a sound during the night, possibly coyotes. Otherwise, I felt safe and had a great time here!! The ground was flat and there was a lot of room. We were just passing through and needed somewhere quiet to sleep after two days of driving. There is a lot to do in this area! I hope I got the location right… it wouldn’t let me add the exact coordinates I saved when I was there.

• B

  Bill C.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 6, 2024

  Trail of Tears State Forest

  Not free but worth the $8/night

  Surprised to find nice porta potty at our site that was remote from others. Potable water and camper registration (but had a boil water warning but that was not normal). 30 min into Cape Girardeau and 15 min to Anna. Nice picnic table and raised fire ring/ grill.

• s

  sean

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 28, 2024

  LBL FS154 - Dispersed

  Several Nice Spots

  I stayed at two difderent spots in March 2024. You might need 4wd; it had rained all day before I got here and there were some rough/sloppy patches in the road. The pit toilt at the entrance is about a 10-12 minute drive away. Both spots had fire pits

• J

  J A.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 19, 2024

  Dutchman Lake Camp

  Beautiful Verizon works well

  Beautiful little spots as you come in. Quiet and easy to get too.

• J

  J A.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 18, 2024

  Demumber's Bay

  Beautiful great signal peace and quiet

  Wonderful locations all as you head to this particular spot.

• 

  Kari M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 26, 2023

  Demumber's Bay

  Multiple Great Spots!

  This road is a paved Forest road that leads to a boat ramp. There are multiple dispersed camping spots available along the way (closer to the bay mostly). There are a couple on the water and some in the woods close by. They have fire rings made by stones from previous campers. Just make sure you get a permit for the few that have the requirement. They have a sign once you get to that area by the boat ramp.

• 

  Kristi D.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 5, 2023

  Lake Glendale Recreation Area

  Peaceful spot

  We almost had the entire campground to ourselves because it was February. We stayed here one night while coming back from MO. It had a huge campsite, unfortunately the bathrooms and showers were locked. Also part of the campground road was blocked off. We pulled up and didn't think we were going to be able to stay. We did a self registration and put a check in a slot and didn't otherwise speak to anyone in charge. We were able to walk a small trail by the campground along the lake but it started to rain so only got in about a mile. We packed up and headed out after that.

• 

  Jessalyn C.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 9, 2023

  Demumber's Bay

  Beautiful and peaceful

  My family stayed here on our way across the country.

• 

  Kayaun P.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 15, 2023

  Jackson Falls

  No Signal, No Problem

  Went here in early May of 2022 with two friends. This area is massive; there are a handful of hammock friendly tent sites near the Vault toilet and parking lot, and there are plenty of sites available further up the road. When we went, it was rainy and fairly cool, so there were few bugs. My only complaint was that I had no cell service. I was too busy enjoying being there.

• 

  Staci R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 19, 2022

  LBL FS154 - Dispersed

  5 Star Dispersed? Planning ahead will make the difference

  This site is quite remote feeling, but for a dispersed site, it is absolutely the BEST, which is why it is sometimes difficult to secure it, being it is first come first served. Be sure to have your dispersed camping permit before coming out! They are available online, and at any of the Visitor's centers. The roads coming out to this site are graded graveled roads, and do not require 4WD, however some of the roads are still blocked by trees felled (probably during December 2021 tornados), so you won't want to be dragging a trailer behind you when you turn a curve to see a fallen oak.  I traveled in on FS-154 and turned left onto the road that runs next to the site. When leaving, I attempted to continue traveling down the unnumbered road toward FS-134, but both directions in the fork were blocked by trees. This campsite is very popular, even though there are ZERO AMENITIES, which means you need to know and understand sanitation ("cat holes") as there are no port-a-johns or vault toilets, there is also NO POTABLE water, so you either pack it in or bring your filter and drink lake water. 

  The campsite itself is on a small peninsula, just big enough for a large two room tent, a makeshift fire ring, and a vehicle. I was there during the lake's winter pool, so the water was very low, leaving a lot of easy walkable entry areas into the bay or inlet area.  Forrest service checks in with dispersed campers often, so staying longer than the time allowed is usually not an option, but there are also other really nice dispersed areas near by to move to,

• R

  Rebekah

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 4, 2022

  Jackson Falls

  Great campground

  Off the beaten path and wasn’t sure what to expect but once there it was nice…just a parking lot with a vault lock toilet and a few campsites you see right away… also a few down the path if you want a little remote. The bathroom was stocked with tp but you will want to bring hand sanatizer or water. None available there. Cool views of the Bluffs 1/4 mile down the path and a bridge that would go over a waterfall if it wasn’t so dried up…would probably real pretty to see in the spring. Drove my Hyundai Elantra thru just fine, but it is a rough road and your car will get dirty.

• 

  Staci R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 2, 2022

  Demumber's Bay

  Basic Campground - Pack in all you need (except toilet!)

  Denumbers is considered a back country campground in Land Between the Lakes. The road going back into the campground is paved, and the roads in the campground are compacted gravel. This is a well maintained campground whose only amenity is a vault toilet, and trash dumpster. The views of the lake are amazing, and this is a quiet area that allows for easy kayaking or other small water craft. There is a boat ramp, and zero entry areas into the water for launching. 

  A Dispersed Camping (Basic Camping) permit is required to camp here and you must purchase these at any of the three Visitor's Centers PRIOR to coming out! I've been told (by LBL LEO) that if you arrive after the centers are closed, but go get the permit first thing in the morning when they open, you will be good...

• 

  Dusti M.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 21, 2022

  Lake Glendale Recreation Area

  Amazing place

  We stayed there 1 night after the other place we stayed was a disaster. Very nice park. Very well maintained and taken care of. Lake was nice with large clean and well kept sand beach for $5 a person. They had paddle boats, kayaks for rent as well. $22 for electric sites, a little pricey at $12 for nonelectric primitive sites. They have firewood available for $4 a bundle and ice at $5 a bag. VERY VERY clean and well taken care of bathroom/shower house. Flush toilets and hot water showers. Was very impressed with them, honestly cleaner than most gas station bathrooms! Nicely located with lots of other parks and activities within driving range, like cave-in-rock and the Ohio river. Paducah Kentucky is only about a 30 minute drive where you can get anything you’d need from shopping to eating. The only bad is they only had 1 very small playground located centrally in the campground. We will definitely be staying there more often when we head down to Shawnee National Forrest.

• 

  Kandice W.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 11, 2022

  Jackson Falls

  Too Cool!

  This was our first trust disperse camping and I adored it. FREE is just that FREE. It’s a first come first served basis. Be prepared for random bugs dropping onto you as you’re doing things. If you’re terrified of wildlife this is not the place for you. It’s an interesting thing to hear what nature does when people aren’t around. The sounds in the night, the random howls in the distance …..

  Try it out. You may just love it.

  OH! By the way, the only negative things are the gravel road on the way down is pothole riddled and you have to hike to your spot. Don’t worry there are close spots .

• 

  JK Bronco A.

  Traveler

  

  May. 4, 2022

  Lake Glendale Recreation Area

  Great rustic camping

  Clean sites and great location.

• 

  Jeremy S.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 26, 2022

  Jackson Falls

  Great place to camp

  Great place to backwoods camp. It can be busy on the weekends and can be difficult to find an open site at times. Alot of hiking and rock climbing to do at Jackson falls.

• 

  Abraham

  Guide

  

  Jan. 12, 2022

  Jackson Falls

  Good adventure camping

  Campsites are up a poorly maintained dirt track from the parking area. A couple water crossings before the sites, the first one being the worst. Everything here accessible to a good 2WD with decent clearance. Only saw 3 vehicle sites and a couple tent sites before the third water crossing, which is as far as I looked.

• 

  Karen

  Guide

  

  Dec. 24, 2021

  Jackson Falls

  Not recommended for sedans..

  Had to cross two rather deep streams and the road has many ruts and is very uneven.

• 

  Heather P.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Lake Glendale Recreation Area

  Beautiful sites

  Most sites are great size. Lots of trees for shade. Decent price. Lots are first come first serve. My only complaint is that the shower house only had one shower and the door wouldn't shut. Also it is not a super quiet place during the day, lots of dogs barking and loud music.

• 

  Jacob T.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2021

  Jackson Falls

  4x4 and tents only

  We were hoping to stay there but upon arrival realized that was not to be. The east side of the road is where the camping sites would be but the road was completely washed out. It would be challenging for a jeep to make it back to some of those sites.

  On top of that the river feeding Jackson Falls was all but dried up this time of year. Nothing but a trickle going down the cliff.

  We headed to Glendale Lake nearby and had much better luck at Oak Point.

• 

  Marta S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 13, 2021

  Jackson Falls

  Unimpressive and crowded

  The campsite is considered to be primitive, which is fine, but it is right along the trail without any cover. All the campsites are one on top of the other without any cover in between or from the trail. They were all taken and incredibly packed during the Memorial Day weekend and honestly seemed very messy and unpleasant. I would not feel comfortable leaving my equipment and gear here unattended at all. I'm not sure if it's any better the further along the trail you go, but the areas we hiked it didn't appear there were additional primitive/dispersed camping spots available other than the ones near the trail head. Also, important to note that there are lots of ticks and poison ivy everywhere.

  I have camped in backcountry locations and have done dispersed/primitive camping and enjoy it quite a bit, but I would have been miserable at this location.

• D

  Denise R.

  Traveler

  

  May. 12, 2021

  Lake Glendale Recreation Area

  Spring camping

  Easy check in, camped in the tent sight. Unfortunately there was a lot of glitter pieces, plastic kid’s pieces and my self along picked up 34 cigarette butts. Besides the the people that don’t care about using a garbage can. Everything else was wonderful. Trail around lake just beautiful, bathroom clean and fun paddling on the lake. Would given 5 starts if it was not for such a messy camp sight.