Best Glamping near Golconda, IL

Shawnee Forest Campground and Oak Point Campground house upscale glamping accommodations for travelers seeking comfort in southern Illinois wilderness. The glamping yurts at Shawnee Forest provide a luxury camping experience with electric hookups, comfortable beds, and picnic tables for outdoor dining. Oak Point's glamping tents combine the adventure of outdoor living with essential amenities, including access to clean showers, drinking water, and fire pits for evening relaxation. Both locations maintain trash collection services and permit pets, allowing the entire family to enjoy a natural retreat. Little Lusk Trail Lodge & Campground adds another glamping option with private accommodations featuring electricity and water hookups. A recent visitor noted, "This is a very well maintained area with convenience in mind, the sites are well laid out within the wooded area affording plenty of room, privacy and shade."

The glamping experience extends beyond comfortable accommodations to embrace the natural attractions surrounding Golconda. Glampers at these locations gain direct access to Lake Glendale for swimming, fishing, and kayaking opportunities. Bear Branch Campground offers premium glamping with yurts situated near hiking trails that wind through the Shawnee National Forest. Cave-in-Rock State Park's glamping options provide proximity to the historic river cave and Ohio River views. The region surrounding these glamping sites features Garden of the Gods, Bell Smith Springs, and Ferne State Park—all within 45 minutes of the accommodations. One guest shared, "Location is everything and this is well in the middle of a great area in Shawnee National Forest. Garden of the gods, Bell Smith springs, Ferne State park, and on and on. You can spend a week here and not see everything."

Map showing campgrounds near Golconda, Illinois

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Best Glamping Sites Near Golconda, Illinois (26)

1. Shawnee Forest Campground
36 Reviews
Vienna, IL
21 miles
Website
+1 (618) 658-0619
$40 / night
"Burn pit and cooking grill above the pit at every site I visited. Clean Air condition in the bathroom. Showers work great."

"There is no pool or activities for kids but we went out and explored the area Beautiful walking/bike paths around the property

Hosts were very kind and helpful, we felt very welcomed!"
2. Oak Point Campground
9 Reviews
Grantsburg, IL
10 miles
Website
+1 (618) 949-3807
"We stayed as a larger group on a non-electric site. The sites were sort of close together but the trees still helped provide a sense of privacy."

"Next depending on which site you pick it can be a short walk to the lake and direct put in of your water craft. A very cool feature is that several of the sites are double."

3. Cave-in-Rock State Park
14 Reviews
Cave-In-Rock, IL
19 miles
Website
+1 (618) 289-4325
"General: I was a bit apprehensive about this state park because it did not take reservations, so we made sure to arrive by 11 am but we had no reason to worry – compared to other Illinois campgrounds"

"Signage will greet you as soon as you exit the ferry and Cave in Rock city has several small businesses you might want to visit. Plus a bunch of painted bikes..."
4. Pine Ridge
17 Reviews
Karbers Ridge, IL
21 miles
Website
+1 (618) 658-2111
$10 / night
"This place is very close to where you need to be. Outpost in between sells food, firewood, ice etc. Very basic campsite for drive up. People were very respectful, very dog friendly."

"We arrived on a Thursday and there were plenty of open spots. Friday they open some of the other loops up for more people to stay and it did fill up for the weekend. "

5. Bear Branch Campground
2 Reviews
Eddyville, IL
11 miles
Website
+1 (618) 672-4249
$30 - $200 / night
"Under new ownership buy many cabins from 40 a night on up nice shower houses electric sewer and water at a lot of sites great trails well marked maps available stalls available store and restaurant to"
6. Little Lusk Trail Lodge & Campground
3 Reviews
Eddyville, IL
15 miles
$30 / night
"High lines behind sites. Stalls can be reserved. some sites are full hookup. Primitive camping also available. CALL them for more info at 270-205-7138. Arena and huge event barn on site."

"I will be back next time I'm near shawnee."

7. Canal Campground- Lake Barkley COE
21 Reviews
Grand Rivers, KY
30 miles
Website
+1 (270) 362-4840
$20 - $256 / night
"Grand Rivers KY Canal Campground at Barkley Lake COE Site 111 This is a great COE campground located between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, with views of the Barkley Dam."

"I stopped here on my way back home splitting up a 14 hour drive. The campsite was clean and had a good size. Each campsite has fire pit, tent pad and picnic table. The bathrooms were clean."
8. Paducah-Kentucky Lake KOA
11 Reviews
Calvert City, KY
26 miles
Website
+1 (270) 395-5841
"We only stayed one night but staff was very pleasant and sites are reasonable size. There is a nice dog park with disposable bags. Our site overlooks a nice little pond."

"Close to roads so there is lots of road noise. Clean. Very super friendly helpful staff."

9. Cypress Lakes RV Park
6 Reviews
Gilbertsville, KY
26 miles
Website
+1 (270) 395-4267
$49 / night
"The staff makes you feel like a friend immediately. Laundry is 1.50 per machine and the showers are large and clean."

"There is a small lake to fish in. Nice play ground for the kids. Also has many activities for the kids.
Will be going back, I really enjoyed it. The staff is very welcoming and friendly."
10. Giant City State Park Campground
24 Reviews
Makanda, IL
42 miles
Website
+1 (618) 457-4836
"The picnic tables are old and seem to be spread around as camper are moving them around. The main bathhouse is older, but nice and clean! There is a vault only bathroom at the back of the campground."

"The campsites, fire pits and pit toilets were well maintained. The shorter trails in the park were beautiful even in the winter. The Lodge also had excellent food and a very cozy feel."

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Recent Glamping Photos near Golconda, IL

8 Photos of 26 Golconda Campgrounds

Glamping Reviews near Golconda, IL

247 Reviews of 26 Golconda Campgrounds

D
David N.
Scout
Sep. 9, 2019
Shawnee Forest Campground
Great place
Gary and his family are very polite and very happy to be helpful. Great prices. Burn pit and cooking grill above the pit at every site I visited. Clean Air condition in the bathroom. Showers work great. I stayed here twice, my family and I had a great time and met some really nice people.
Priscilla B.
Traveler
Sep. 7, 2019
Shawnee Forest Campground
Converted Golf Course w/fishing ponds
Relatively new. Has great potential. Located in Vienna, IL near Shawnee National Forest. It has 3 fish & release ponds. Sites were a bit hilly which stands to reason since it was converted from a golf course in 2016. Some sites are pretty long. It accommodated our 35ft. MH with attached car. Some sites are close together with very little shade. The campground had lots of open sites during our stay (3rd week in Aug), but during our stay 2 other short stay campers came in & they parked them right next to us. -Full hook ups available -Hosts were very friendly & provided insight to area. -Bath house - provided air conditioning. Although new & spacious there were only 4 in the entire campground & the toilet & shower were in same space. Upon arrival only 1 was open near us. Subsequently the 2nd was closed due to a water valve malfunction & wasn’t re-opened during our stay. My husband likes level sites & facilities he could use. He said he wouldn’t come back any time soon.
Nichole M.
Guide
Dec. 14, 2018
Lake Barkley State Resort Park
Good basecamp for surrounding activity, not the best for camping with kids
Pros:

Secluded campground

Beautiful area

Cons:

You're camping basically in a ravine.

No fire pit

We had site 15 and my in-laws had site 16 over Labor Day weekend 2018.

It took us over an hour to try and level our pop-up camper because the site was so steep. Our neighbors had the same problem. We took the advice of a fellow camper on here and brought an extension cord and we were so glad we did, I think my in-laws ended up needing it.

When we arrived I was disappointed to find that we didn't have a firepit, only an old grill that had a hole in the bottom, rendering it useless. Luckily my in-laws had a firepit so we had our fires over there. We do most of our cooking in cast iron over the fire, so a fire pit is a huge requirement for us. Our site was so steep it was hard for our two young children to walk and play on our site (4yo and 1.5yo) so we spent most of the time at their site anyway. The campsite we were on just wasn't that great for small children, but wouldn't be bad if you were in a tent without small children. Site 16 was great though.

Saturday night, we could hear a drunken group of about 20 with their speakers blasting music across the campground, so loud we couldn't hear each other talking around the campfire. I'm not normally one to complain about music at a campground, but this was overkill and was well into after quiet hours. Every so often you could tell that they were told to turn it down, but it only lasted a few minutes before it was cranked up again. It shut down probably around mid-night, but with two small kids it made for a long night.

The bathrooms were decent, one toilet would shoot water out of the top when you flushed. I didn't use the showers but they looked clean for a campground shower.

The LBL area is what made the trip worth it. We basically used the campground as a base camp to explore the area, which is a beautiful. We saw several deer within the park. The bison and elk prarie is a must see, the kids loved it. We drove to the Golden Pond visitors center and spent several hours at the Homeplace Living history village. Since it was Labor Day weekend they had a lot of events going on. We're now planning another trip back to the LBL area, just not at the same campground.
L
Laura P.
Guide
Dec. 7, 2022
The Art Farm Women’s Retreat
Serene and private. Beautiful rolling farmland.
Lots of choice camping spots! Serene and private. Beautiful rolling farmland, just minutes from town. They also offer tiny home rentals, yurt-style glamping tents, RV spots with 30 amp, 50 amp and 110 outlets, and The Art Barn for larger groups, retreats or family reunions.
Abigaile J.
Guide
Jun. 30, 2021
Turkey Bay Vehicle Area & Campground
Nice campground for a fast stop, not really a week long area
YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE VISITOR CENTER TO PAY FOR A CAMPING PERMIT AND OHV USE!

For the Turkey Bay OHV area each site is just a picnic table and a fire pit and the sites are not numbered- it’s more a first come first serve. The sites though are close to the entrance and you park right next to the site. This site also is for RVs and tent camping but there is no water or electric access but is within walking distance of the gatehouse. The gatehouse has ice and sodas for sale to each camper.

OHVs for rent at the visitor center (just about 2 miles down the road) and trails marked specifically for them, also a couple hiking trails nearby! Bathrooms and trash onsite!

There is a dump station and potable water about a mile or so up the road near the Hunters Check Station and it’s only about 2 miles out from the Golden Pond planetarium and trails! Great area!
Staci R.
Legend
Aug. 28, 2022
Energy Lake Campground
Best campground in north side of Land Between the Lakes
Energy Lake campground is well planned, the staff are amazing, and with a little planning, the best option for affordable camping that puts you on a small natural preserve lake perfect for kayaking and SUP boarding. Most difficult thing is remembering to fill the fresh water tank (if you are RV'ing) before you set up!! Electricity is on almost every site (there are a couple sites in a few areas that do not have electric & therefor have a reduced rental rate). Each area has "city" water available at hose bibs located in central locations in each area. Some sites have waterfront "views" with trails going down to the lake, others have waterfront walk in availability. You can also drive to the beach (it's got imported sand deposited there every new season!), and there are several areas to launch NONMOTORIZED watercraft. There are restrictions on this lake due to the wildlife refuge and preserve in the back of the lake - no motorized watercraft of any sort. There is camp fire wood, propane and a very small selection of necessities available at the entry gate/check-in. Closest retail store, gas station and alcohol is approximately 10-12 miles from the campground. This campground attracts a lot of tent & car campers as well as small RV's, and there are almost always smaller walk up sites available if the reservation system says there are no available positions. You will want to call before you haul though, because a few of those walk ups are less than 20 feet in length.

AREA B is only cabins... and the cabins are basically one room cabins, with bunks and a queen or full sized bed, with electric and AC. You still have to treck to the bath house for toilet, shower and the hose bib for water. The cabin basically just provides sleeping shelter.
Madison K.
Traveler
Jun. 21, 2021
Oak Point Campground
Peaceful and beautiful
We stayed as a larger group on a non-electric site. The sites were sort of close together but the trees still helped provide a sense of privacy. There were clean bathrooms with running water a short walk away, didn’t attempt to use the showers. We could easily walk to the trails and we went fishing in the lake. It was mild and quiet the days we went in Mid-May 2020. 🙂 Beautiful scenery.
Shana D.
Legend
Apr. 23, 2019
Giant City State Park Campground
Nice Campground & Beautiful Park!
We stayed Easter Weekend here in the campground and had a great time. The campground is clean and maintained. Some sites are gravel and some are asphalt. Not sure if they are upgrading a little at a time?? There are plenty of trees for shade. Some sites are close together and some have more room in between them. The picnic tables are old and seem to be spread around as camper are moving them around. The main bathhouse is older, but nice and clean! There is a vault only bathroom at the back of the campground. No water hook up at each site, only electricity. . While you are here, check out the Lodge for dinner one night and climb to the top of the water tower observation deck for some amazing views! Make the quick drive to Makanda and explore the little hippy town. Don’t forget to take a stroll through the secret garden! . The Giant City Nature Trail and Devils Standtable were really pretty, easy strolls. The Trillium Trail is a little more rugged for those who prefer less crowded, slightly tougher trails.
Abigaile J.
Guide
Jul. 2, 2021
Tanglewood Campground & RV Resort
Wonderful experience!
This site is completely RV/mobile camping! It’s easy to access and well taken care of in means of landscaping, our site was also right next to the front and the store!

Our site included a picnic table, water access, electrical outlets and a fire pit. The lake is nearby and there is an access near the entrance of the campgrounds.

The grounds are well taken care of as I had previously said and honestly very inviting, the people are very nice and have an entire area for kids!

I’d recommend Tanglewood!