Top Tent Camping near Junction, IL

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Best Tent Sites Near Junction, IL (14)

Showing results 1-10 of 14 campgrounds

Recent Tent Reviews In Junction

478 Reviews of 14 Junction Campgrounds


  • Camper-submitted photo from Oak Point - Lake Glendale
    July 24, 2024

    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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Beall Woods State Park Campground
    July 22, 2024

    Beall Woods State Park Campground

    Great park

    We had a great experience with the park itself. The grounds were very well maintained with trails, playgrounds, and picnic areas. We were there on a Sunday night and were the only campers in the park.

    The star I knocked off was for the pit toilets. They had not been limed in a while as evidenced by the bugs swarming inside the pits and larva swimming in the bottom. If I didn’t have a portable travel potty of my own, I would have not given even four stars. I may not have camped here.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Hilltop Campground
    July 22, 2024

    Hilltop Campground

    Nice stop

    Stopped here for the night driving through the area. Nice campground, clean, safe, and right off the interstate.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Grayville KOA Grayville IL
    July 15, 2024

    Grayville KOA Grayville IL

    Excellent KOA in Grayville I-64

    We stayed here on the way to and on the way home from The Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It is a fairly new KOA with so many enjoyable amenities, family fun, food, ice cream, mini golf, full hookups and shady spots if you ask for one. We want to go back and stay at a patio lot with a swing. Staff is friendly and helpful. Nearby services, fuel, farm store, etc.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    June 16, 2024

    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!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Benton KOA
    May 30, 2024

    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

  • Camper-submitted photo from Union County Fair
    May 22, 2024

    Union County Fair

    Kentucky Bike Ralley

    I stayed here and camped for a bike rally. I think you can only camp during an event. And cost is different from each event. Nice place

  • Camper-submitted photo from South Marcum Campground
    May 13, 2024

    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

  • Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Campground
    May 9, 2024

    Crab Orchard Lake Campground

    Probably nice in a big rig, sucks otherwise

    This campground was essentially an RV park. Only big rigs, some sites well spaced physically but no privacy in between so feels like everyone staring at each other. Some of the waterfront sites okay privacy-wise, but not most. Hookups work well, but bathrooms in terrible condition - especially showers.

    The whole place also smells like dead fish. We saw a raccoon go right through our campsite so be careful what you leave out, also tons of geese and saw two baby copperheads.

    The lake is at least really pretty and there’s a small beach area.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Oak Point - Lake Glendale
    May 9, 2024

    Oak 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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Oak Point Campground
    May 6, 2024

    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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
    April 30, 2024

    Gun Creek

    Blue Jay #49 Water site

    Love this state park! Clean, quiet, water views and lots of bike paths to ride.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Campground
    April 24, 2024

    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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
    April 10, 2024

    Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park

    Campground near the dam.

    We camped here with our pups to see the eclipse in Paducah. The area is not really pretty or scenic. You can walk to the dam from the campground but it's nothing super special to see. There is dead fish laying around everywhere and it also smells like it. The campsites are very confusing. There is no map anywhere, except online. Sometimes you can't even read the numbers on the piles. The bathhouse was pretty ok. It was cleaned daily and always stocked. The water pressure was very low. Our camp host was super awesome and nice. There are also no hiking trails close by. The town of Paducah was worth a visit, otherwise we would not camp there again.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Burdette Park
    April 8, 2024

    Burdette Park

    Older campground

    Smaller campground with many older run down campers that are likely full time living here. All sites are pull through, and within 2 feet of the drive. Good spacing between sites, I didn’t feel like I was right up on my neighbors

  • Camper-submitted photo from Fern Lake Campground and RV Park
    March 25, 2024

    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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    March 18, 2024

    Shawnee 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!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    November 30, 2023

    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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Hilltop Campground
    November 29, 2023

    Hilltop Campground

    Convenient Campground w/hookups to visit Shawnee Forest

    Stopped to check out campground for future needs. Had some seasonal campers. Good transit camp if on I57. Close to lots of Shawnee Forest hiking locations.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Fern Lake Campground and RV Park
    November 26, 2023

    Fern 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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    November 14, 2023

    Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Quiet in November

    We do most of our RV travel in the early spring and late fall.  Ferne Clyffe does not take reservations after November 1, so its first come first served.  Payment is deposited in a kiosk near the black water dump site.  This was not well explained on the signage or websites, but, at least in mid-November, there were enough experienced campers around to explain things. 

    Otherwise, Ferne Clyffe is gorgeous. Great for star-gazing. Lots of mature oak and sycamore trees that I'm sure provide nice shade in summer.  In mid-November, there's lots of deer hunters, which means it gets quiet early in the evening.  Spaces are of moderate size on the interior, and are more spread out on the perimteter.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    October 29, 2023

    Shawnee Forest Campground

    Suburb Camping

    Came to this campsite with my boyfriend and I as well as our two dogs. We were in spot 51, we have a large 8 person tent and need water & electricity so we rent out RV spots instead of the typical tent spots. When we arrived after our 15 hour drive, someone decided to park in our site. Once they moved we were able to start putting up our tent which was on a hill so we were slanted throughout the night. A family rented out the entire rest of the cul-de-sac, which isn’t the parks fault, but they claimed the pavilion and surrounding area. I would call this more of “suburb camping” because there are hardly any trees for privacy, large open fields of grass, and you are 2 minutes from the highway, food, and gas stations. It is only a single bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower instead of any stalls. They provide WiFi that did not work for us, we had better connection with our cellular data. No garbages anywhere in the campsite, thankfully we had our own garbage bags and tossed it in the dumpster before we left. It was fine to crash for one night, but I wouldn’t want to stay here for an extended period of time.



Guide to Junction

Camping near Junction, Illinois, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Hiking: Explore the stunning trails at Garden of the Gods Rec Area. One visitor mentioned, "Easy walking distance to the observation trail that is the highlight of this park."
  • Fishing and Swimming: Enjoy the lake at Oak Point - Lake Glendale. A camper shared, "The lake was nice with a large clean and well-kept sand beach."
  • Rock Climbing: For the adventurous, Jackson Falls offers great rock climbing opportunities. A reviewer noted, "A lot of hiking and rock climbing to do at Jackson Falls."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the sites. One visitor at Harmonie State Park Campground said, "Everything was well kept and clean."
  • Spacious Campsites: Many enjoy the roomy sites at Pine Ridge. A reviewer mentioned, "The rustic sites are well spread out so they feel very private."
  • Friendly Atmosphere: Campers often highlight the welcoming vibe. A visitor at Cave-in-Rock State Park remarked, "Steve is a great Host."

What you should know:

  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds, like Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs, lack certain amenities. A camper noted, "There is no potable water on site. That would be my only complaint."
  • Busy Weekends: Expect crowds on weekends, especially at popular spots like Harmonie State Park Campground. One reviewer advised, "Recommend only visiting Monday thru Thursday."
  • Road Conditions: Some access roads can be rough. A visitor to Jackson Falls mentioned, "The road getting there does vary in surfaces but our van made it fine."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds for kids. Harmonie State Park Campground has multiple playgrounds, making it a great family spot.
  • Nature Activities: Engage kids with nature walks. A camper at Dixon Springs State Park said, "There were a couple nice playgrounds for the kids to play on and plenty to walk around and see."
  • Plan for Bugs: Be prepared for insects. A visitor at Oak Point Campground warned, "Bring bug spray - horseflies and ticks."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Levels: Some sites may not be level. A reviewer at Pine Ridge mentioned, "Only 1 loop has electricity, there is no sanitary dump station."
  • Reservations: Many campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-served basis. A camper at Cave-in-Rock State Park advised, "I was a bit apprehensive about this state park because it did not take reservations."
  • Dump Stations: Make sure to know where the nearest dump station is located. A visitor at Harmonie State Park Campground noted, "There is a dump station at the entrance."

Camping near Junction, Illinois, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Junction, IL?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Junction, IL is Camp Cadiz Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 6 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find tent camping near Junction, IL?

    TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Junction, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.