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Best Glamping near Makanda, IL

198 Reviews

Giant City State Park Campground houses upscale glamping accommodations nestled within the natural beauty of Makanda, Illinois. The park's glamping options feature comfortable beds with linens, climate control systems, and electrical hookups for modern convenience while maintaining a connection to nature. Nearby, Shawnee Forest Campground offers distinctive yurt accommodations for those seeking a unique outdoor experience with luxury amenities. Both locations provide visitors access to picnic tables, fire rings, and modern bathroom facilities with showers. The sites are strategically positioned to maximize privacy while offering easy access to trailheads and scenic viewpoints. "We stayed at Giant City in February on a very cold weekend. It was still a fantastic trip! The campsites were well maintained and the Lodge had excellent food and a very cozy feel."

Visitors to these glamping destinations can explore numerous hiking trails showcasing the area's impressive sandstone formations and lush forests. Giant City Nature Trail and Devils Stand Table feature unique rock formations perfect for photography enthusiasts, while the more adventurous can tackle the 12-mile Red Cedar Trail loop. The historic lodge at Giant City serves exceptional dining options, including their renowned family-style fried chicken dinner. According to a camper, "The lodge is worth the visit alone. The rock formations that make up the park are great for repelling and hiking." Several wineries are located within a short drive, making these glamping sites ideal for couples seeking both outdoor adventure and relaxation. Swimming and kayaking opportunities are available at nearby Lake Glendale, while the charming town of Makanda offers additional exploration options.

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Best Glamping Sites Near Makanda, Illinois (22)

    1. Giant City State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Makanda, IL
    3 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 lodge and restaurant are a great way to escape the summer heat for a few hours! The Trillium Trail in the Park has beautiful views and rock formations."

    2. Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR

    6 Reviews
    Bargerville, IL
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 985-4983

    "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."

    3. Shawnee Forest Campground

    36 Reviews
    Vienna, IL
    25 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!"

    4. Mandolin Grove

    1 Review
    Mason, IL
    7 miles
    Website

    5. South Sandusky Campground

    19 Reviews
    Sesser, IL
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 724-2493

    $16 - $26 / night

    "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."

    6. South Marcum Campground

    17 Reviews
    Benton, IL
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 724-2493

    $16 - $44 / night

    "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."

    7. Sharp Rock Falls Recreation

    1 Review
    Ava, IL
    21 miles
    +1 (618) 763-5511

    "You're welcome to at longbranch! Please make your reservations.
    Only 16 spots left!"

    8. Gun Creek

    21 Reviews
    Whittington, IL
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 724-2493

    $18 - $30 / night

    "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."

    9. Benton KOA

    13 Reviews
    Benton, IL
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 439-4860

    "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"

    "T-Mobile worked well- issues connecting to site Wi-Fi- staff pleasant- clean- didn’t use showers- small camp store available"

    10. Oak Point Campground

    9 Reviews
    Grantsburg, IL
    34 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."

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Recent Glamping Photos near Makanda, IL

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Glamping Reviews near Makanda, IL

198 Reviews of 22 Makanda Campgrounds

  • D
    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.
    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.

  • L
    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.

  • Shana D.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.

  • Barb N.
    Apr. 5, 2023

    Gun Creek

    Lots of space by a Lake

    RV 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.

  • Chrissy W.
    May. 4, 2018

    South Sandusky Campground

    Rend lake south sandusky

    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.

  • Madison K.
    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.

  • Gina J.
    Jul. 15, 2018

    South Sandusky Campground

    Amazing View

    We 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.

  • Cassondra P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 18, 2023

    Shawnee Forest Campground

    Very clean and well kept - new campground

    This 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!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Makanda, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Makanda, IL is Giant City State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 24 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Makanda, IL?

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