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Tent camping near Highland, Illinois is limited but available within driving distance, with the nearest tent campsite roughly 45 miles away. The World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, approximately 45 miles south, offers tent camping with electric hookups, water, and fire rings. This campground operates year-round and allows pets. Countryside Escape appears in listings but reviews indicate it is actually a private residence and not a legitimate campground option for visitors.
The World Shooting and Recreational Complex provides basic tent camping facilities with electric hookups and water available. Tent sites feature fire rings where campfires are permitted, and firewood can be purchased on site. The campground includes sanitary dump stations and sewer hookups. Sites are drive-in accessible, making them convenient for campers with equipment. The complex lacks dedicated shade structures, with minimal tree cover across most tent sites. During peak shooting events in August, the campground fills completely, while other times offer substantial solitude with few occupied sites.
Late summer tent campers at the World Shooting Complex should prepare for potentially hot and dry conditions with minimal natural shade. The property includes a lake suitable for fishing, boating, and kayaking, providing recreational activities beyond camping. Sites remain well-maintained with clean facilities throughout the camping season. According to one visitor, "Huge campground with a lake to boat, kayak or fish from the bank. Quiet but can be dry and hot in the summer." Tent campers seeking more primitive tent camping areas will need to look beyond Highland, as most nearby options cater primarily to RVs or provide limited amenities. During non-event weekends, particularly in late August and September, tent campers can expect significant privacy with few neighboring campers at the complex.
ScoutMy favorite spot in all of St. Louis! The lady who is the owner and the front desk attendant are wonderful and I have never had a problem here with anything! Free WiFi, laundry, and a public shower and bathroom if needed! There’s also cool walking/biking trails and a park with a children’s playground as well! The gas station is also walking distance for any small necessities
TravelerThe campsite is nice plenty of spaces spaced out nicely, but there’s absolutely no signage. took us forever to decide where we could park and what to do. tiny little sign on the Rangers house. Led us to a website and then charged us $50. Not what we were expecting. Plan ahead on this one.
GuideThis was a beautiful place to spend an evening on our cross country trip. We were able to secure site B7 -a nice level and shady spot on a beautiful tree lined lake. The site was dusty but there was a picnic table and electricity. It was 90 degrees in early October so I can imagine the open spots are really hot during the heat of the summer. Signs tell you to check in with camp host before parking but there was no one at their camper. I called the phone number and a helpful gentleman explained that the sites were first come, first served and someone would be around to collect our $20 fee. One large bathhouse for the campground was a good walk away but was spotless. I would have given this campground a 5 rating but after walking around, we realized that most of the sites by the lake were hard packed dirt, small and not level. However there is a new section I that has 10 long back in gravel pads with electric & water. They are away from the water but close to the shower house. Finally, google coordinates directed us to a private residence just short of the marina. Follow directions to the marina and find the road to the campground at the end of the parking lot.
TravelerTrails in the area re nice but facilities for this many sites are limited. Sites are close to each other.
TravelerJody, the hostess, is friendly and responsive. We stayed one night in the fall so the many permanent RVs were not occupied. The park is large and surrounded by woods and fields. We had a peaceful night near the cornfields where the short-term RV sites are located. Can hear the train horn in the distance. Note that they are tandem, so pull thru for the first person but back in for the second. We would stay here again.
TravelerThis campground is very well taken care of. The kids had plenty of things to do to stay busy and entertained outside.
ScoutIts fine. Nothing snazzy. Its in more of an industrial area so its kind of loud with the trains going by and whatnot. Mostly an RV site. 9 tent sites (first come first serve on spot) and a handful of cabins.
GuideCamping area is closed until further notice. Construction
LegendThis campground was easy to find, as both our GPS and the campground signs led us right to the city park and campground entrance. Check-in begins at 2:00 p.m., but we called ahead and were graciously allowed to arrive an hour early. We checked in and proceeded to back-in Site 426 with full hookups. As the last site in the campground, the curve in the road made for an exceptionally easy back-in. The concrete pad easily accommodated our 40-foot toy hauler and F-450, with utilities conveniently located near the center of the site and no issues connecting two sewer hoses. Water pressure was adequate, and the 50-amp electric performed flawlessly. The campground's four loops have mostly younger trees, so satellite reception should not be a problem in most sites. Although we brought our Starlink, we used our T-Mobile Home Internet instead, averaging 217 Mbps download and 21.5 Mbps upload. The campground information sheet mentioned Wi-Fi, but we never saw a network to join and didn't inquire further since our internet worked well. We received three bars on Verizon and two bars on T-Mobile. The campground has a nice fenced dog park that's large enough to actually throw a ball, plus a paved walking and biking trail that circles the lake. The office also sells ice and firewood, and the dump station is located behind the office. Many sites offer lake views, and the RV sites are generally well spaced. We noticed Loop 100 has all concrete pads, the first two rows of Loop 200 are concrete with the remaining sites primarily gravel except for some end sites, Loop 300 is reserved for primitive camping and tents, and Loop 400 has a mix of concrete and gravel sites. The center rows of the RV loops are pull-throughs. One thing to be aware of is that the campground has begun charging short-term campers for electricity. We weren't informed about it during check-in, although our traveling companions were shown how to monitor their usage online. The information sheet we received only referenced weekly and monthly electric charges. Even with hot weather and occasionally running three air conditioners during our three-day stay, our electric charge was only about $14. We departed without stopping at the office and received a checkout email about an hour after the noon checkout time. The St. Louis area is our home base, and in our opinion, this is the best RV park in the area and the one we most often recommend to our RV friends.
Tent campsites near Highland, Illinois are limited, with the nearest established options located at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, approximately 45 miles southwest. This public recreation area provides tent camping areas with minimal amenities in a predominantly open setting. While Countryside Escape appears in listings, reviews indicate it is actually a private residence and not a legitimate campground for public use.
The World Shooting and Recreational Complex offers basic tent camping facilities with some amenities. Campsites feature fire rings where fires are permitted, and the complex provides hookups primarily designed for RVs but accessible to tent campers as well. The grounds have few trees, resulting in limited natural shade. During peak shooting events in August, particularly the American Trap Shooters Association "Grand" Event, the campground reaches capacity. Outside these periods, particularly in late summer and fall, the tent camping areas remain largely uncrowded with ample site availability.
Tent campers at the complex have access to a lake suitable for fishing, boating, and kayaking. The surrounding terrain is relatively flat and open, providing minimal natural privacy between sites. Bathroom facilities exist but may have limited accessibility, with some doors reportedly locked during certain periods. According to one visitor, "Only one other camper within sight of our spot Friday night and they were gone Saturday morning," highlighting the potential for solitude during off-peak times. When considering primitive tent camping options near Highland, campers should verify site legitimacy before arrival, as database listings may include private properties not actually open to the public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Highland, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Highland, IL is Countryside Escape with a 1-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Highland, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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