Top Tent Camping near Jonesboro, IL
Searching for a tent camping spot near Jonesboro? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Jonesboro. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Jonesboro, Illinois's most popular destinations.
Best Tent Sites Near Jonesboro, IL (17)
1. Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
16 Reviews•47 Photos•9 SavesTurkey Ridge is for campers who want a serene outdoor experience. It is a Class C walk-in campground that includes camp pads, picnic tables, cooking grills and showers. Drinking water and toilets are located near the parking lots.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Trash
$18 / night
2. Jackson Falls
20 Reviews•66 Photos•418 SavesJackson Falls offers many opportunities for technical climbing and is a beautiful scenic area of the Shawnee National Forest. It is in the general forest area located east of the small town of Ozark, IL. This non-developed area has a small trailhead with a vault toilet. A short trail leads from the trailhead to the top of Jackson Falls. There are high dangerous bluffs in the area, visitors should be cautious and aware of their surroundings. Camping is allowed here at no cost, since this is part of the general forest area and not a developed campground. Access: A narrow gravel road leads to the Jackson Falls Trailhead, but then the road becomes dirt and deadends past the trailhead.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
- Standard (Tent/RV)
3. Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
3 Reviews•10 Photos•2 SavesBackpackers enjoying their commune with nature will appreciate the solitude of the individual campsites in the Class C Backpack campground. Located a half-mile from the Turkey Ridge primitive campground parking lot, these woodland sites have cooking grills, toilets and showers. Water and trash receptacles are available at the Turkey Ridge parking lot. You're reminded to be careful with your fires and to pack out what you pack in.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Trash
- Drinking Water
4. Dutchman Lake Camp
3 Reviews•6 Photos•44 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
5. Willow Springs Campground
1 Review•4 Photos•2 SavesPrivate property sunken into the Shawnee National Forest.
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Trash
- Firewood Available
- Showers
$20 - $125 / night
6. Buck Ridge - Lake Of Egypt
2 Reviews•1 Photo•8 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- ADA Access
- Tents
- Trash
7. Apple Creek Conservation Area
1 Review•1 SaveApple Creek Conservation Area is located in northeast Cape Girardeau County, three miles east of New Wells on Route CC. The Missouri Department of Conservation created Apple Creek Conservation Area in 1986 with the purchase of 2,100 acres from several landowners. Steep hills and narrow valleys characterize this area, and approximately 2.5 miles of Apple Creek stream frontage forms its northern border. The Conservation Department has created watering ponds and planted food plots and agricultural crops within the forest to provide additional food sources for wildlife.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Equestrian
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Trash
8. Blue Heron Campground & Marina
1 Review•8 Saves- Electric Hookups
- ADA Access
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Showers
- Toilets
$15 - $20 / night
9. Mandolin Grove
1 Review- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Tent Cabin
10. Fishing Pier
3 Reviews•7 Saves- Tents
- Toilets
Showing results 1-10 of 17 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews In Jonesboro
509 Reviews of 17 Jonesboro Campgrounds
GB N.
ScoutDD Hwy Campground
October tent camping
Tent camping back away from the RVs & we were the only people. Gorgeous river to view just a few steps away & the night sky view was fantastic. LOVED the bathroom & shower facilities!
Tabitha R.Scout
Johnson Creek
Nice!
This campground provides large spots, drinking water, vault toliets, dumpsters, picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and contactless check in. I also appreciate the value of these sites. It really is a reasonable rate for forest camping.
Rodarius S.
Traveler
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.
- PPatricia S.Traveler
General Watkins Conservation Area
Maybe not a travel destination, but certainly a good waypoint.
We opted for this site on our way west as a stopover because it was free and not a parking lot. There are a couple of loop trails and we walked one of them. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon. The locals use the area for fishing and walking and it was somewhat busy in the afternoon. A couple of guys fished at night until about nine. There was only one other couple camping. Very quiet and peaceful. There was a portable toilet but we didn't investigate.
The cool thing was that the loop trail was forested by hundreds of paw paw trees. It must have been just past the season and we saw only a couple of decaying ones, but the entire trail smelled of apple cider vinegar and was quite pleasant.
If you consider this waypoint, two things:
1. The last mile is good, but very dusty, gravel road.
2. No cell coverage in the parking lot for T-Mobile, some coverage on loop trail.
Jonathan H.Scout
Dutchman Lake Camp
Weeke d at the lake
Great little spot right off the interstate. Lots of nice scenery and decent fishing.
CeciliaScoutPine Hills
Very nice
Very quiet and secluded. Campsites are roomy and some firewood is supplied.
- JJohn R.
Legend
Trail Of Tears State Park
Train Lovers.
Large park with not many large RV sites. Lots of tent and dispersed camping. Disappointing store. Equestrian area. Beach and boat launch.
Twan M.
Ranger
Oak Point - Lake Glendale
Stellar Illinois
This is a little gem of a refuge within the Shawnee NF - about 30min from Marion, down a beautiful country road before nestling among the trees around the lake. The drive is paved/gravel the whole way, so very easily drivable for anyone in anything. Plenty of camp sites, both with electric and non-electric, double and single. Bring bug spray - horseflies and ticks. Beautiful lake, beautiful biking trails, etc. Firepits w/ grates are spacious and nice, fees are online. 1 bar verizon at camp, can get up to 3 bars within the area.
Scott B.Ranger
Hilltop Campground
Nice stop
Stopped here for the night driving through the area. Nice campground, clean, safe, and right off the interstate.
- EEric W.Scout
Shawnee Forest Campground
Great place to camp!
We stayed 4 days and had a great time. The camp was clean and well maintained. The staff are very friendly and helpful and was more than happy to offer places to visit in the area, places to eat and provide assistance as needed. The trails are paved so we had a nice area to walk (twice around the lake from our site was 3 miles). :) We plan to visit again!
Matthew Z.TravelerDutchman Lake Camp
Road trip break
Beautiful spot with easy access and not far off the highway
- Wil V.Scout
Benton KOA
Loud
1 side is directly on the freeway VERY loud, the other is in between the sewer treatment plant and municipal airport. If you're a light sleeper might want to stay away Full video review on YouTube https://youtu.be/QpuNpA7UVZI
Brian F.ScoutShawnee Forest Campground
Great and clean!
Great little stop, everything is clean and a fresh shower was refreshing.
- JJames N.Traveler
South Marcum Campground
Great Campground
Only $26 a night for full-hookups is amazing. Cell service for AT&T is marginal at 2 bars LTE. Only issue that I have is that site 49 is very hard to get level in, make sure that you bring extra leveling blocks if possible
Dante V.
GuideOak Point - Lake Glendale
Solar Eclipse Crossroads
We camped here during the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse and it was also the overflow site which at that time was the side of the camp entrance road. Fast forward to April 7,8 & 9 2024 We are again on overflow campground where this time was their group camping site which was much better than the side of the road. The overflow site has 4 unisex bathrooms but no showers (showers are at the main campground) there is dining (open) pavilion with a fireplace and a filtered well water system. We had a blast watching the Total Solar Eclipse.
Jon H.Scout
Oak Point Campground
Nice national park campground
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.
There are primitive and electric (with water) sites. There are no sites with sewer hookup. There is a dump station at the entrance.Sites are generally level and well kept. Very large rigs (35+) will be challenging, but I've seen them - more towards the front. There are some lake front spots that can be had. Sites are first come and there are no reservations taken. During the week, no problem. Weekends would be iffy.
Large lake with swimming, fishing, kayaking. Also has a bike trail around it - maybe 2 miles.
Shower houses are kept clean, but as of this posting, they need some maintenance work.
All in all, this is a must stop if you want to enjoy what the area has to offer.
Barb N.Ranger
Gun Creek
Blue Jay #49 Water site
Love this state park! Clean, quiet, water views and lots of bike paths to ride.
Steve G.Legend
Crab Orchard Lake Campground
Excellent Lakeside Campgrouind
Getting there: Easy access off Illinois 13 East of Carbondale
Check in and staff: Campground is now under the egis of recreation.gov& reservations through them are a must. This is new& when planning the trip the website said“first come first serve” so we arrived on a Friday evening(4pm) with no reservation. The sign said RV sites all taken. The host was wonderful! He has been here 9 years and steered us to a nice site for the one night we will be here. The online experience with recreation.gov was not pleasant, impossible in fact. So I had to call. This took quite awhile. Once I got a real live person it was great, and we got our site with no problems.
Amenities: Bathrooms: clean, paper towels& air dryers.
Site: A-35. In the middle of the A loop and therefore not on the water. Still, very nice. After all, beggars can’t be choosers! Sites are somewhat spacious, but not terribly private.
Michelle K.Scout
Sharp Rock Falls Recreation
Longbranch Shooting House And Saloon
You're welcome to at longbranch! Please make your reservations.
Only 16 spots left!Ava Illinois +1 618-318-6734 Text your name and number of people on your campsite to reserve your spot.
The Solar Eclipse Event "PARK @ THE MOON"
Extended or early arrivals welcome. Just simply request more information in the text. We will get ahold of asap with a more information and a confirmation number.
#ShareThisPost #solareclipse2024
- MMARY K.Ranger
Fern Lake Campground and RV Park
Friendly, well kept, just off I24
This is a convenient and pleasant campground, just off exit 3 on I24 in Paducah. The staff was friendly and walked us to our site and showed us the hookups. He gave us a lovely spot in the shade by the little lake. Have not used the showers yet so can't comment on that. We stayed on a Sunday night. The park was about half full. Seems to be a nice quiet family place.
They are across the street from a Mexican restaurant. There is a liquor store next door. Other businesses nearby.
Noise from the nearby traffic may bother some, but we didn't mind it and it was not loud enough to hear inside our RV.
It is a good place for us to stop on our way from MN to visit friends in FL. Also convenient for visiting the National Quilting Museum. We will stop here again.
- JJ A.Guide
Dutchman Lake Camp
Beautiful Verizon works well
Beautiful little spots as you come in. Quiet and easy to get too.
Tonya B.GuideShawnee Forest Campground
Great Place!
Stayed here on the way to and from Florida (home in Minnesota). Very nice campground. Well maintained, big sites for our 40ft fifth wheel, great sunrise/sunset views, and the bathrooms are very clean and well lite. The gentleman/host that greeted us at the office upon arrival was polite and helpful. Will definitely stay again!
Jake C.Legend
Willow Springs Campground
New to the Dyrt!
Jake from the Dyrt here! We're excited to have this campground on the Dyrt and ready for you to book, check them out and make sure to leave a review!
Logan W.Guide
Giant City State Park
Great trails and well kept campsites
We stayed at Giant City in February on a very cold weekend. It was still a fantastic trip! 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. Definitely visit the Lodge!!
- Logan W.Guide
Pyramid State Park
Nice campsites and lots of lakes
We stayed at the campground on the north end of Pyramid. The campsites were close together but we visited in February so we were the only campers. The fire pits were a little run down but the sites were nice and level with a table. No lantern posts. Pit toilets that were decent. The park office is a pretty long drive from the north end campground. The hiking is limited but the campground was peaceful and close to the lakes. Probably covered in bugs in the summer. Overall pretty nice stay
David F.Guide
Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
Southern Illinois getaway
Great campground away from roads and noise. Goreville is small local town with grocery store and service station for supplies. South LOOP sites 1-23 are first come sites. NORTH LOOP SITES 24 - 59 Reservable at https://camp.exploremoreil.com/ Some 50 amp sites (4, 6, 18, 32, 36, 38, 47, 48) rest have 30 amp. See map in photos. WATER potable at Dump Station also 5 hydrants scattered amongst camp sites. TENT and Equestrian camps take road to the south west of lake.
Jennifer N.GuideFern Lake Campground and RV Park
Easy booking, pretty lake front
Fern Lake was super easy to book and very inexpensive. The host was easy to access and was happy to show us to our site since it was dark when we arrived. We stayed on site 51 which had a fire pit (we brought our own wood) and very pretty view of the lake. The bathhouse was very close to walk to and the showers and bathrooms were fine. Like most small campgrounds, it was pretty outdated but had the basics. One bummer was that the electrical outlets were not functioning in the bathrooms so I had to leave them with a wet head assuming I could dry my hair in the van, but unfortunately the electric pedestal was not compatible with our 30amp plug. Our inverter doesn’t like the heavy power suck of a blow dryer so I was counting on plugging in. :( Being in the 30’s I was looking forward to dry hair. Oh well.
Guide to Jonesboro
Camping near Jonesboro, Illinois, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are several campgrounds in the area that cater to different needs.
What to do:
- Hiking: Explore the stunning trails at Pharoah - Garden of the Gods Rec Area Campground. One visitor mentioned, "Easy walking distance to the observation trail that is the highlight of this park."
- Fishing: Enjoy fishing at Gun Creek, where one camper noted, "Clean facilities. Self check-in. Golf onsite, clubhouse with food."
- Wildlife Watching: At Jackson Falls, a reviewer shared, "Great hiking around the area," making it a perfect spot for nature lovers.
What campers like:
- Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the sites. One visitor at Hawn State Park Campground said, "The park was very clean and family-friendly."
- Peaceful Atmosphere: Many enjoy the tranquility of Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs. A camper remarked, "Very quiet and peaceful."
- Spacious Sites: Campers at Shawnee Forest Campground noted, "Facilities clean and very nice, roads and park well taken care of."
What you should know:
- Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds, like Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs, do not have drinking water or electric hookups. A visitor mentioned, "There is no potable water on site."
- Busy Weekends: Popular spots can get crowded, especially on weekends. One reviewer at Hawn State Park Campground advised, "Recommend only visiting Monday thru Thursday."
- Road Conditions: Access to some campgrounds, like Jackson Falls, can be rough. A camper noted, "The road to get into the primitive camp area is long and just a little bumpy."
Tips for camping with families:
- Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places like Giant City State Park Campground, where one family said, "The playground was good," making it suitable for kids.
- Plan for Activities: Make sure to have a list of activities. A visitor at Shawnee Forest Campground mentioned, "Came to this campsite with my boyfriend and I as well as our two dogs."
- Pack Snacks and Drinks: Having snacks handy can keep the kids happy. One camper at Gun Creek noted, "Clean facilities. Self check-in."
Tips from RVers:
- Check Site Levels: Not all sites are level, so check reviews before booking. A visitor at South Sandusky Campground mentioned, "Not all sites are very level."
- Look for Full Hookups: If you need full hookups, consider campgrounds like Hawn State Park Campground, which offers electric hookups.
- Be Prepared for Limited Cell Service: Many campgrounds, such as Pine Ridge, have poor cell service. A camper noted, "You can get some cell service but only in choice areas."
With these insights, you're all set for a great camping experience near Jonesboro, IL!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Jonesboro, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Jonesboro, IL is Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Jonesboro, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Jonesboro, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.