21 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
South Marcum Campground and Shawnee Forest Campground provide distinctive glamping experiences near Rend Lake, with luxury accommodations that combine comfort and natural surroundings. Both locations feature glamping options with amenities far beyond traditional camping, including climate control, comfortable bedding, and access to modern bathroom facilities. Willow Bend Retreat, though temporarily closed, offers yurt accommodations in a serene setting with full hookups and shower facilities. These sites are strategically positioned to maximize lake views and wildlife encounters, with multiple locations providing waterfront access. One guest shared, "We love this campground as it is on the water, quiet and the people and core of engineer workers are all very friendly."
Rend Lake provides the backdrop for water-based activities at several glamping sites, with opportunities for fishing, swimming, and boating just steps from luxury accommodations. Hiking trails wind through nearby Shawnee National Forest, offering guests exceptional wildlife viewing with numerous deer and wild turkey sightings reported by visitors. The area's glamping resorts maintain a focus on natural experiences while providing modern comforts like electricity, drinking water, and shower facilities. Seasonal considerations affect availability, with most locations operating from March through November, though Benton KOA offers year-round eco-friendly glamping options. A visitor noted, "If I was in any other spot this would probably be a 4/5, but spot 56 has a crazy lake view and is on the tip of an outlook with pretty nice privacy!"
"This is hands-down the nicest campground on Rend Lake."
"South Marcum Campground is a Corp of Engineers campground just of I-57 in southern Illinois with over 100 reservable campsites. Sites have 30 & 50 amp Electric hookups."
from $16 - $44 / night
Check Availability"South Sandusky is a very nice campground with lots of trees, concrete pad, fire pit, playground, and bathroom facilities."
"many of the site are right on the lake and the sunrise and sunsets are always gorgeous."
from $16 - $28 / night
Check Availability"Electric on most but not all have water. Campfire area and picnic table provided. Bathhouse is clean and park areas are all clean, dump station on site."
"Arrived just as the sun was setting which was beautiful over the lake. We were in Eagle 81. Large wooded site next to the lake."
from $20 - $30 / night
Check Availability"The staff gladly accommodated our request. We stayed in Deluxe Full-Hookup Pull-Through Patio Site 65, which made it easy to center our 40-foot fifth wheel on the utilities."
"Yes, there is highway noise. It's a KOA. Convenience of being easy off an interstate has its tradeoffs. That said, excellent staff, clean, professional KOA"
"We spent 5 nights on Site A5 at Crab Orchard Campground. All sites are FC/FS. Full hookups are in Loop B & it was full. Overall the campground was full but not very many people around."
"This is a quiet family campground, most spots are lake side. Very spacious and lots of trees. First come first serve, and the park was full most of the time we were here."
"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."
"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!"
from $40 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $40 - $200 / night
"North Sandusky Campground is a gem in Southern Illinois. Many of the sites are backed up to Rend lake and the others back up to the woods. The sites all seem to be fairly well maintained and roomy."
"has a great view of the lake from almost every camp site. close to southern IL. great leasure campsite to take the kids"
from $20 - $28 / night
Check Availability
ScoutGary 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.
TravelerRelatively 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.
LegendBenton KOA Journey is an easy overnight stop just off I-57. Since we were already familiar with the campground layout, we called ahead to ask if we could go directly to our site on the opposite side of the road from the office and check in afterward. The staff gladly accommodated our request. We stayed in Deluxe Full-Hookup Pull-Through Patio Site 65, which made it easy to center our 40-foot fifth wheel on the utilities. The site was slightly off level, but we did not need to use blocks. The gravel patio featured a huge wheelchair-accessible picnic table, fire pit with cooking grate, stand-up charcoal grill, wooden swing, and bench. We received one bar on Verizon and two bars on T-Mobile. There are mature trees around the seven pull-through sites across the road from the main campground, but Starlink should work in most of them if you're able to position the dish around the trees. For this overnight stay, we used our T-Mobile Home Internet, which averaged 358 Mbps download and 2.7 Mbps upload. The campground Wi-Fi was adequate for light browsing. A fenced dog park was conveniently located near our site, and being across the road from the main campground helped reduce interstate noise. Overall, this is a clean, well-run KOA with exceptionally friendly and helpful staff, and a good overnight stop returning to our home base in southern Illinois to rest and dump tanks.
RangerRV or tent, book online at Recreation.Gov not all spots are level. Electric on most but not all have water. Campfire area and picnic table provided. Bathhouse is clean and park areas are all clean, dump station on site. We will be back and book closer to the lake in a level site.
GuideSouth Sandusky is a very nice campground with lots of trees, concrete pad, fire pit, playground, and bathroom facilities. It is wheelchair accessible and walking distance from the lake where you can swim, fish, boat, go tubing or just walk the trails.
TravelerWe 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.
LegendWe 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.
TravelerWe love tent camping at South Sandusky. many of the site are right on the lake and the sunrise and sunsets are always gorgeous. they have quiet hours from 10-6 and the bathrooms and showers are always really clean (but there are still usually lots of small insects). It’s also just a short drive from the South Sandusky swimming beach. It’s sometimes pretty rocky in the water so we usually wear water shoes. If you camp for the hiking though this isn’t my favorite site. There are lots of bike trails but for just hiking there are much better places.
RangerThis campground is very clean! Large open sites- shade is minimal for most sites but we had a beautiful large site with some shade (site 51). They have new trees planted.
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!
There is some freeway noise but didn’t bother us at all
Laundry and bathroom facilities were very clean - was great to do a laundry mid trip!
Glamping experiences near Johnston City, Illinois provide both comfort and access to nature, with most sites operating seasonally from March through November. The region sits on the northern edge of the Shawnee Hills, with elevations ranging from 400-600 feet, creating varied landscapes perfect for camping. Summer temperatures average 85-90°F during the day, while spring and fall offer milder conditions in the 60-75°F range.
Fishing opportunities abound: South Sandusky Campground on Rend Lake offers excellent fishing spots directly from the shoreline. "South Sandusky is a very nice campground with lots of trees, concrete pad, fire pit, playground, and bathroom facilities. It is wheelchair accessible and walking distance from the lake where you can swim, fish, boat, go tubing or just walk the trails," notes Chrissy W.
Hiking trails for all abilities: Giant City State Park Campground features unique geological formations with several trail options. "Lots of amazing, beautiful hikes in this park, especially if you're into bluffs and large boulders. Easy drive to many other picturesque and unique parks (i.e. Garden of the Gods, Ferne Clyffe), and easy drive into town if you want something more civilized," shares Kyle K.
Wildlife viewing: Gun Creek Campground provides excellent opportunities to observe local wildlife. "Great campground with many waterfront sites! It is nicely wooded, with a great boat ramp and boat parking area and close to a nice bike trail!" explains b K.
Lake views and access: North Sandusky Campground features waterfront sites with direct lake access. "North Sandusky Campground is a gem in Southern Illinois. Many of the sites are backed up to Rend lake and the others back up to the woods. The sites all seem to be fairly well maintained and roomy," says Jason A.
Spacious, private sites: South Marcum Campground offers sites with good separation and lake views. "The view in the tent area of covey point is breathtaking. The campground is clean, quiet, and peaceful," shares Hollie C.
Clean facilities: Crab Orchard Lake maintains well-kept shower and restroom facilities. "Showers and restrooms are nice. Ones in Loop A are no new (Loop Bs are new) but still nice. Lots of hot water," notes Tracie E.
Seasonal operations: Most campgrounds in the Johnston City area operate from late March through early November. According to Joel R., "South Sandusky Campground is a Corps of Engineers campground on Rend Lake, just off I-57 in Southern Illinois. There are 8 tent sites & 119 sites with electric and full hook-ups."
Reservation systems vary: Shawnee Forest Campground allows advance booking, while others operate first-come, first-served. "The sites are spacious and have picnic tables and fire rings. Full hookups is a plus. Super convenient to 24 but not too close that it is loud," reports Greg S.
Topography challenges: Many sites require leveling equipment. As Jeff F. notes about Gun Creek, "What a beautiful campground, it's our second time here. Some spots do have a fairly good slope to them."
Playgrounds and swimming: Giant City State Park Campground offers family-friendly amenities. "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. There are plenty of trees for shade," shares Shana D.
Beach access: South Sandusky provides designated swimming areas. "We love the large beach. The campsites have a nice set up and are a decent size. The kids loved the playground. There were kids everywhere and everyone was very friendly! Fun spot!" says Missy D.
Educational opportunities: Wildlife viewing can be combined with learning. "Great place, clean. Lots of deer and turkey!" reports Garrett F. about South Marcum Campground.
Hookup availability: South Sandusky Campground offers various utility options. "Using your GPS of choice, you can reach this campground off I-57 via Benton or the IL-154/Sesser exit. Most sites here offer water and electric (50/30/20 AMP), while the Dogwood loop features several full hookup sites in its upper section," explains MickandKarla W.
Road conditions: Access roads are generally well-maintained but some campgrounds have narrow interior roads. "The gravel roads are slightly narrow with some trees but we did not have any issues getting to site 21. The water and electric(50/30/20 AMP) are at the back of the gravel pad," notes MickandKarla W. about Shawnee Forest Campground.
Site selection for larger rigs: North Sandusky accommodates big rigs on certain sites. "Site 42 is very spacious. We had ATT and Tmobile service at our site. Signal was strong enough to stream video and work remotely," shares Jason A.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Johnston City, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Johnston City, IL is South Marcum Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 20 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Johnston City, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 21 glamping camping locations near Johnston City, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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