Searching for the best camping near Monticello, IL? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Monticello is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Discover great camping spots near Monticello, reviewed by campers like you.
$10 - $25 / night
"Friends Creek is a small campground with nice spacious sites and super clean bathhouses and pit toilets. The fire pits are well kept and the camp host was very kind!"
"In mid-Illinois a campground waits for you. Well tended grassy sites with an impeccable grassy picnicking area. There was plenty of room in our site but most of the campground is empty."
$10 - $30 / night
"We stayed in the J loop, which was more family friendly and very close to the beach."
"Some walking trails. Beach is nice to have, does cost to get in. Restaurant on site is good! Big nice lake if you have a boat/kayak or like to swim or fish. Pretty lake area in general."
"Super easy on and off the highway. With that you do get some noise but not too bad.
Office staff is very friendly and efficient. Full hookup sites. Wifi is available."
"It is close to the main highway, but far enough to not be noticeable. Sites are level and in good condition. Owner greets you on entering and then guides you to your site. "
"Comlara is a beautifully laid out hidden gem in Illinois. Evergreen Lake is the perfect back drop to the campground."
"Lots of grass and wooded area tons of great trails multiple places to fish, swim beach, I think I saw two different parks."
$18 - $48 / night
"It's level with grass to pitch a tent but definitely in a loop of the park better suited to travel trailers/RVs etc. Not much privacy between sites but backs up to woods."
"Located on Lake Shelbyville, Bo Wood is an Army Co of Engineers park. Plenty of full hook ups and tent camping spots. Most by the lake."
"The park is huge and is one of the only state park's in Illinois with horse camping and horse trails."
"the keepers are super friendly and accommodating. most lots are spacious. my only complaint would be that the trash dumpsters are too far away from the camping areas."
"Review of Drive In Tent Camping Site 2. Showed up on a Thursday night and had our pick of all the drive in and walk in sites. We decided on site 2 in the drive in area."
"I have camped here in the past and enjoy primitive tent camping so I stayed Friday September 29th and Saturday September 30th in the tent camping drive up site #2."
"Each site has a raised fire pit, picnic table and lantern hanger. Every site comes with electric and still it only cost us $16 for the night."
"There are a few hiking trails that leave from the campground as well."
$18 - $36 / night
"Really nice campground on the shore of Lake Shelbyville. Electric, showers, laundry, playground, nice beach, volleyball and some phenomenal sites right on shore."
"Lithia Springs is a great campground with a wonderful marina located on beautiful Lake Shelbyville! We stayed at Site #12 overlooking the lake."
$20 / night
"The park and trails are usually busy since the park is near the Eastern Illinois University. The no-drinking campground prevents many noisy student campouts."
"I visited Fox Ridge frequently as a student of nearby Eastern Illinois University, but never camped there. We came back to visit campus and stayed in site #12 at Fox Ridge."
GuideReview of Drive In Tent Camping Site 2. Showed up on a Thursday night and had our pick of all the drive in and walk in sites. We decided on site 2 in the drive in area. Previous reviews and a book by John Schirle on Tent Camping in Illinois helped us with this decision as well. Decent maintained sites with some older picnic tables and fire rings, but let's be honest this stuff sits outside 24/7. Site 2 seemed to sit back the farthest with site 1 a close second. Both wooded sites that made for great shade and helped some when it was raining. Any two families looking for two sites could certainly set up and share the experience. Nice little cove behind them to try fishing. Just watch the hike down the path or ravine. Dog friendly, fresh water supply (hint put the handle all the way up and wait a few seconds), ability to store stuff in the car close by, outhouse toilets visible at the walk in parking lot, and helpful host for easy check in who even sells fire wood made for a great few days ($5 a bundle). Rated B/S site at a cost of $10 a night.
LegendCampground Review:
This is a pleasant discovery! The drive into the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve winds between a few ponds. We saw many families fishing around each of them. Once at the campground, check in with the camp host. Right now you must register online due to COVID-19. There were no photos of the campsites online so we picked a spot distant from the others(my dog gets finicky). We should have picked a different site. Sites 40- 48 get full sun until around 2 in the afternoon. Luckily it was cool for our visit or we would have melted. Other sites are mostly shaded and beautiful. Some sites give more privacy than others(32 looked nice). There is a swimming beach and playground that were also closed for COVID. Each site has a raised fire pit, picnic table and lantern hanger. Every site comes with electric and still it only cost us $16 for the night. The shower house was also closed but pit toilets were available. There are double sites where small groups can share space. There is also a group camping area(near our site) that has a large open field right in front of it. A theater stage is found long a hiking path that starts near the camp host. Perhaps your family can put on a play :)
The hiking here is interesting! The Oak Burl trail is mostly wooded. We came upon a 8” deep creek to cross (thanks small tree branch to walk across!). We found little offshoots to spots along the Middle Fork River. One couple found a rock bar to lay out on for their own private river-beach. The hiking on the other side goes through a mix of prairie and woods. The prairie is in restoration and we saw some traditional prairie plants among field grass- signs that they are working on things. Going further out brings you right to the fork between Sugar Creek and the Middle Fork river. We hiked these during the morning and still needed water and a rest. The trails are wide but some of the grass was almost a foot tall- its been raining here.
We discovered a couple donut shops in a town about 20 minutes west- one is known for their scones! We enjoyed this campground but would hesitate before camping here during the heat of summer- unless you have a/c.
Product Review: GCI Pod Rocker with Sun Shade in Loden Green
As a Dyrt Ranger, sometimes I get products to review. I am so happy that I found this chair! A good travel chair that is comfy and folds is key to summer-long adventures. The pod rocker folds into its own carrying case(extra tip: I put the case flat on the ground and my dog loves to lay on it away from some of the crawling ants and things). It is simple to push on the 4 corners of the chair and it opens right up. I immediately noticed that there are some extra shocks on the chair. This adds some weight so this chair might not be great for backpacking very far but it is still certainly carryable. 2 legs in front stabilize the pod rocker in a secure position. The first time I went to rock it I felt like I was falling over- there is a gap before you settle onto the flat base that allows the rocking. Once on this extra base, the shock compresses allowing you to rock your heart out! This transition from stable to rocking was easy to get used to and provides a solid base for eating/activity vs. rocking. This isn’t a chair that rocks on its own. You apply consistent force to rock. The sun shade is a retractable part that can rest behind your seat out of the way. It is really easy to click up above your head at different angles. I so often find myself in places without much shade that this is a feature I will continue to enjoy! When it came time to leave camp, the chair was easy to compress and slide into the carrying bag- no struggles at all. The arm rests are not a perfect fit for my body geometry but didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the pod rocker. Tucked under one of the arms I found a cup holder(big enough for my large coffee container) and a slim pocket perfect for my phone. I did enjoy one extra feature that the wide chair provided room for. The chair will allow you room to rock so I used this to turn the chair into a sort of recliner. I propped my feet on a table, scooted my butt forward in the chair and rocked back. My head was now supported by the top of the chair and my feet were up. Perfectly cradled for recovering after a long hike with my dog! Although you might see in the photo/video that my dog seems to like the pod rocker too. Maybe I need another one for her:) The material in the pod rocker feels like it will keep me sitting comfortable for the rest of the summer and in years to come.
GuideOne of the first campgrounds I ever went to and when camping in Illinois, my go-to campground and lake. My wife and I love this lake and have a lot of memories here.
LegendReally nice campground on the shore of Lake Shelbyville. Electric, showers, laundry, playground, nice beach, volleyball and some phenomenal sites right on shore. Well kept, sites with asphalt drive, fire pit and lantern hook.
GuideWe may have set the bar too high with our first camping trip. Comlara is a beautifully laid out hidden gem in Illinois. Evergreen Lake is the perfect back drop to the campground. Although we don’t fish, we saw many people fishing from the shore line and enjoying the water in boats and canoes. There is a designated swimming area (beach), but it wasn’t open at this time. There are many hiking and walking trails within the park that are within driving distance of the campground. There is one main shower house and several single outhouse style men/women bathrooms scattered throughout. The showers were very adequate, nothing fancy, but serve their purpose. There are fire pits and picnic tables at each site along with 30 or 50 amp hookups. Some have shared water hookups nearby also. There is also a typical dump station and potable water by it.
The camp sites are spread apart nicely with some moderate elevation change giving many great views of the lake. All campsite pads were gravel and the access roads were paved. Site 40 where we stayed was right by the lake and absolutely beautiful!
ScoutThe layout is fairly straightforward here, entrance has a spot for firewood purchase (honor system) and then the dumpsters. So getting to firewood and garbage will take a little time if you're toward the back of the park.
Many spots for RV/campers, and as you venture further in, you'll find large open fields with camping spots - some are electric or not, so check while you reserve. The open field camping really lends itself to a community feel, some people have wonderful setups and especially at night, the more luxurious configurations attract the kiddos to checkout. People overall very considerate and nice, welcoming, friendly. VERY family oriented atmosphere - there was no nonsense loud drunkards in the evenings, relatively quiet and relaxing. This was a huge bonus to us, as we had younger kids and loud idiots would have freaked them out.
We reserved site 111, which had a nice long concrete pad for parking cars on - fits easily 2-3 cars. Firepit, a tree, pretty standard stuff. Close to the bathrooms.
Bathrooms are a basic affair, typical dirtyish campground pit toilets. Don't expect much, bring cleaning wipes etc if you want to help neaten the place up a bit.
If you're more into wooded areas/seclusion while camping, this place has them too - see site 123 or 124, along the lake - on reservations those are the square sites, not long rectangles. You'll be near the lake, probably could walk in and out of the lake if you wanted.
Site 123 in particular is directly across from the bathroom, but has thick wooded areas to keep things private and well shaded...but with an open area for some suntanning or whatever. We wandered over to 123 from 111 to see what it was like, and were so impressed we reserved it for this year.
GuideThis is a really lovely spot! There’s 2 bars of Verizon service, a shower house with warm water and flush toilets, as well as pit toilets. There are a few hiking trails that leave from the campground as well. My only problem was that it was extremely busy when I visited and some of my neighbors were quite loud (although they quieted down by quiet hours).
TravelerFriends Creek is a small campground with nice spacious sites and super clean bathhouses and pit toilets. The fire pits are well kept and the camp host was very kind! He came around with suckers for the kids and just to check in. We hiked a bit on the trails and played in the creek. Highly recommend.
RangerI tent camped in a large tent, car camping, Friday and Saturday night.
I have camped here as well as all the Lake Shelbyville campgrounds many times before. Lone Point campground is actually 14 miles from my rural home in Shelbyville, IL. and is my favorite Lake Shelbyville campground.
There are many nice sites here along the lake and in the wooded areas around the lake. The sites have electricity and water near by. Fire rings with grates, lantern posts, picnic tables and level parking areas. Some sites have limited level areas for tents, but there are lots of sites to choose from. I like camping here because it is the least visited campground on the lake, so it can be quiet and you can get a site with a view. The bathrooms are clean and there is a shower house. There is a 12 mile trail from Lone Point to Eagle creek along the lake shore line, this trail is moderate to difficult hiking. I recommend this campground over all the others on Lake Shelbyville. The campgrounds and park are maintained by the US Army corps of engineers and reservations can be made online through recreation.gov.
The main campground closes on Labor Day however there is a small section near the boat ramp open year round and this has nice sites in it with camp stove stands as well as grills and awesome fire pits. The trail Chief Illini trailhead is located in the parking area and the trail is fairly well maintained during the regular campground open season. The trail is open year round and can be hiked from one end to the other spending a night at either campground for return trip the next day.
GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
39.45222, -88.74028
39°27'8"N, 88°44'25"W
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Monticello, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Monticello, IL is Friends Creek Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Monticello, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 glamping camping locations near Monticello, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
