Best Camping near New Athens, IL
Looking for the best campgrounds near New Athens, IL? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of New Athens. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your New Athens camping trip.
Best Camping Sites Near New Athens, IL (62)
1. Hawn State Park Campground
Farmington, Missouri34 Reviews•129 Photos•166 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
$12 - $25 / night
2. Cahokia RV Parque
Columbia, Illinois14 Reviews•10 Photos•79 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
3. Draft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park
Granite City, Illinois17 Reviews•69 Photos•40 Saves- Pets
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- RVs
$65 / night
4. Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Carlyle, Illinois25 Reviews•81 Photos•84 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
$15 - $30 / night
5. Washington County State Recreation Area
Nashville, Illinois13 Reviews•25 Photos•63 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
6. Kaskaskia Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam (formerly the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam
New Athens, Illinois5 Reviews•9 Photos•28 SavesThis recreation area is part of Mississippi River - Kaskaskia River
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- ADA Access
- RVs
$10 / night
7. Horseshoe Lake State Park Campground
Collinsville, Illinois10 Reviews•12 Photos•96 SavesHorseshoe Lake State Park is located off Highway 111 in the southwestern part of Illinois in Madison County. With easy access from the Metro East for visitors from throughout the region, the park offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities on 2,960 acres.
Horseshoe Lake State Park accommodates 26 tent or trailer campsites. A sanitary dump station, pit toilets, and hydrants are conveniently located. The campground is open from May 1 - Sept 30. Campers can stay a maximum of 7 days in a 30-day period. We do not take reservations for camping. Although, group camping reservations are accepted through the ExploreMoreIL™ website.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
8. St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA
Eureka, Missouri30 Reviews•48 Photos•121 SavesEnjoy picturesque camping as it was meant to be - with lots of trees, a babbling creek, fireflies, a campfire under a starlit sky, and all Pull-Thru RV Sites. Located on Historic Route 66, this KOA is less than 1 mile from Six Flags St. Louis and I-44. It's an easy 30 minutes from other St. Louis attractions, including the Gateway Arch, Forest Park, Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, City Museum, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, and Grant's Farm. Stay in a Deluxe Cabin or on a Patio RV Site or Premium Tent Site. Kids love all the activities/amenities, such as the heated pool, gem mining station, and new Jumping Pillow. Groups love the pavilion and meeting space with A/C. Pool: May 10 - September 30. Your host: Paul Shepherd.
- Electric Hookups
- ADA Access
- Equestrian
- Tent Cabin
- Yurts
- Glamping
9. Scott AFB FamCamp
Mascoutah, Illinois4 Reviews•24 SavesFor Active and Retired Military/DOD only.
- Pets
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- RVs
10. Randolph County State Recreation Area
Chester, Illinois7 Reviews•20 Photos•19 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
Showing results 1-10 of 62 campgrounds
Pet-friendly camping near New Athens
Hawn State Park Campground
166 Saves
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
$12 - $25 / night
Cahokia RV Parque
79 Saves
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
Draft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park
40 Saves
- Pets
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
$65 / night
Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
84 Saves
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
$15 - $30 / night
Washington County State Recreation Area
63 Saves
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
Kaskaskia Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam (formerly the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam
28 Saves
This recreation area is part of Mississippi River - Kaskaskia River
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
$10 / night
Recent Reviews in New Athens
448 Reviews of 62 New Athens Campgrounds
- J
Josh F.
Scout
Draft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park
Close to downtown, view of the arch, lots of trains
$70 per night, plus $20 pet fee and $5 reservation fee. Stayed two nights passing through to visit Gateway Arch National Park. Casino is pretty old looking on the outside. Park is not staffed, you get a gate code in your email to access the park. Spots are concrete and gravel, very urban camping. There are trains every 15-30 minutes all day long. Casino has a metro stop that takes you into St Louis over the river. First time paying a pet fee for a overnight stay. Not very busy in November, maybe 25% of spots full in the half of the park that is open. Utilities are set up weird on all sites - Water and electric are at the very rear of the site by the sewer, so you will need a decent sized hose to reach if your water intake is in the front of your camper.
AngelaScout
Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Resort At Six Flags
Nice parks
Had a great fishing trip and swimming trip
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.
- Ben T.Scout
Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Wonderful campground
Right next to a huge reserve for fishing and boating. Campsites are very spaced out. We had 30 amp electric but no water on the campsite. Wasn't a problem for us we just filled our water tank. Bathrooms and showers were very clean. Look forward to coming back
Carol B.
Guide
Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground
Nice sites on Carlyle Lake- great host
Our site was on the shore and had good spacing from others. The bathrooms, showers, and laundry all close by. Good hot water in the showers. The host was friendly and helpful. I’d go back again!
Roger W.
Legend
Dam East - Mcnair Campground
Location Great for Travel
McNair ACE: Tate 4 for cleanliness and stopover location for travels on nearby highway. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 4 Price 2024: $ 9w interagency pass Security: no Usage during visit: 1/3 Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: no Site Spacing: closer Pad surface: blacktop Reservations: Required Campground Noise: No Outside Road Noise: no Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: yes Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: Nice flush Showers: small private Cell Service (AT&T): 2-3 bars Setting: near lake Recent Weather: 80s Insects: no Host: yes Rig Size: large Sites: Outside sites are by far the best. 16,17,18 are favorites .
- Roger W.Legend
Dam East Recreation Area
GREAT LOCATION for STOPOVER
East Dam ACE, IL: Not an interesting view from here, but well maintained campground . Quiet.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 4 for cleanliness and location for travels on nearby highway. Spillway is not particularly pretty. Price 2024: $9 w interagency pass Security: No gate Usage during visit: 60% during the week Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: No Site Spacing: Good Pad surface: Blacktop Reservations: Required. Can be made upon arrival through rec.gov Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: No Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: At nearby ACE campground Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: In adjacent day use area Showers: No. Nearby - check w host. Pull Throughs: Some Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars Setting: along Kaskasia River/ spillway Recent Weather: 80s Insects: no Host: yes Rig Size: large Sites: Some sites are along the spillway.
- KKimberly L.Scout
St. Francois State Park Campground
Peaceful
I stayed from 9/4/24-9/8/24. I stayed in the primitive campground. It was very quiet and peaceful. My site was close to the camp host and the shower house. Shower house was nice with 4 separate showers with locking doors. Water pressure was great and they were clean. There is a handicap shower unit as well that had a bench and hooks and a shelf to keep your things dry. The bathrooms were separate from the showers with 4 locking stalls. These too were kept clean and toilet paper was always full. Four sinks and mirrors and one outlet close to the sinks for hairdryer etc. The grounds were clean and grass was nicely cut. My campsite had a picnic table a campfire with grill grate and a light post to hang a lantern. The camp host were very friendly and drove around often on golf carts to make sure ppl were ok or needed anything. There was a place to fill your bottled water containers. The checkin office sold ice, campfire wood and a variety of ice creams, stickers and t shirts and sweatshirts. The park has trailheads to hike and an equestrian area. River access for swimming and fishing. There is a separate area with electrical sites and also handicap sites in the electrical and primitive campgrounds. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and will be returning often.
- LLeslie M.Guide
St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA
Do not stay here
The management and owner of this place do not care about their business or their customers. We had a terrible accident at this campground over the summer where a tree crushed and totaled our camper van, thankfully none of our family was harmed. KOA immediately wiped their hands of this telling us they have nothing to do with it and we needed to deal with our insurance. They did not even feel the need to refund our stay. I would NEVER stay here again and suggest if you do, hopefully you have really good insurance.
- DDonald S.
Traveler
Cahokia RV Parque
Great Stop Over Location
The location is just 15 minutes from downtown St Louis. Service was great and site came w power and water and sewer hookup. Showers were ok and they were clean. Pull through site was a life saver.
Great BBQ place on site and camp guests get a discount!
Jennifer H.LegendDraft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park
Can’t beat the convenience just wish it were a tad less sketch
I’m just happy there are a lot of people here. Half the place is full but there’s just an underlying sketchy vibe. Gateway arch is a 20min walk and baseball stadium just 15min beyond that. Hard to beat that convenience. Just want to feel a tad safer.
- Angie A.
Ranger
Washington County State Recreation Area
Nice stop
Easy to find. Affordable overnight stay with electric. Beautiful lake. Friendly campers and hosts. Pit toilets. Spotty Verizon.
Helge Vandel J.Scout
Horseshoe Lake State Park Campground
Nice spot and great value
Great spot in a beautiful area close to St. Louis. No power but access to drinking water and waste water dump for just 8$.
Molly B.GuideBoulder Rec. Area - COE Campground
Great Community camp not too far off the highway
My sister and I stopped here on our way to wisconsin, We were surprised how lovely it was! Birds everywhere and the lake was so huge. The camp sites were big and many of them, the bathrooms were always clean and had AC!
Nick W.GuideDraft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park
Great short term camping
Nice spots and facility. Great place to just drop in for a short 1 night stay. Well maintained facility. No staff on site, book via camplife and they send you a gate code
Alex D.GuideBoulder Rec. Area - COE Campground
A beautiful little spot !
First off, a bang for you buck compared to some surrounding camp sites. They have PLENTY of sites, most with some view of the water. They have a boat launch, bathrooms, and showers. We stayed here 3 nights. The shores are quite rocky so it can be difficult to access the water just to swim. Overall, it was great. My only complaint is there is only one trash located in the beginning on the park & it was full, full, full!!!
Dennis P.GuideDraft Kings at Casino Queen RV Park
Great location!
Even though this RV park is in a city, we felt safe. And it's view of the Gateway Arch can't be beat. Easy check in, but the camp host said the shaded spots were too narrow, they were not. Stayed three nights and saw all the sites: The Gateway Arch, Union Station, aquarium, botanical gardens, Anheiser Busch brewery tour, Guido's restaurant. Asphalt level pads with FHU, both 30 & 50 amp service. We have had a fun time here even doing laundry.
- EErica E.Traveler
St. Francois State Park Campground
RV campsites
Awesome place to camp. Bummed the sites didn’t have their own water hookups. Staff is super kind. Quiet time is at 10pm and fellow campers are certain to enforce that rule but that’s unfortunate for those of us who still want to listen to music and sit by the fire. Overall great camping spot!
Kelsey S.GuideIllini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Beautiful secluded location
We stayed for 1 night, had a spot in the back with a perfect view of the lake. Lots of room for dogs.
William Y.TravelerIllini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Wonderful surprise
Arrived just after a terrible storm so parts of the park were closed for clean up. The parts that were open were all cleaned up, spacious sites, easy access, with fantastic hosts. An absolutely beautiful evening in gorgeous surroundings…we’ll be back and so glad we stumbled upon this place. Didn’t use the showers so can’t report on the facilities….
- SSara J.Scout
St. Francois State Park Campground
Nice & Clean
Very clean and well kept!
Denni G.Traveler
Washington State Park Campground
Washington state park
Very secluded!!! Hiking was great!
- JJames N.Traveler
Archway RV Park
Great campground
Sites are nice, although all sites face each other meaning you will be 5-10 feet from your neighbors if you are sitting out front. Full-hookups with only a 50amp connection so if you are using 30 make sure you have a 50/30 adapter. Overall very nice campground, well maintained.
Trina T.ScoutCahokia RV Parque
Clean bathrooms, but noisy night
Checking in was easy enough and we got a spot near the bathrooms. We came in late and the check in board was easy.
Lots of people who smoke. But the bathrooms are smoke free and we're clean.
Nights are noisy!!! About 3am sounded like a dump truck was driving through camp and lifting several dumpsters and backing up and doing it again. It wasn't really but it was that noisy.
Lots of longer term tenants. But everyone we bumped into were kind or just kept to themselves.
- VVicky P.Scout
Saline Creek RV Park and Campground
Sweet RV campground! Very clean, quiet, and beautiful.
We found this Rv campground while cruising through MO on to FL. We enjoyed this place! Beautiful, and quiet. New sites, tables, and a beautiful creek. A couple of pony’s too. We will definitely be stopping in again!
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.
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Katrin M.Legend
Hawn State Park Campground
Nice campground in the woods.
We camped at site 39 over the weekend. The park was very clean and family friendly. There are several hiking trails and an overlook. The restrooms and showers are still closed for the season, but there are primitive vault toilets. The sites are very close together, so there is not much privacy. Also, some have electricity and some not. The firewood was wet und would not burn. The landscape around the park was very nice. We camped here to visit the Gateway National Park and Mastodon Natural Site.
Guide to New Athens
Camping near New Athens, Illinois, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and family-friendly activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun-filled adventure, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
What to do:
- Hiking: Explore the trails at Hawn State Park Campground. Reviewers mention, "There are several hiking trails and an overlook," making it a great spot for nature lovers.
- Fishing and Kayaking: At St. Francois State Park Campground, visitors enjoy "close access to the river for fishing and kayaking," perfect for a day on the water.
- Visiting Historic Sites: Many campers head to Washington State Park Campground for its scenic views and nearby prehistoric petroglyphs. One reviewer said, "The prehistoric Petroglyphs nearby are a must see."
What campers like:
- Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park Campground. A reviewer noted, "The facilities have always been clean and well maintained."
- Quiet Atmosphere: Many enjoy the peaceful environment at Pere Marquette State Park Campground. One camper shared, "We have tent camped at this quiet campground many times."
- Family-Friendly Activities: Families love the amenities at St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA. A review mentioned, "The campsite is 30 minutes from downtown St. Louis, and a great place to stay if you’re looking to go check out the Gateway Arch."
What you should know:
- Site Proximity: Some campgrounds, like Hawn State Park Campground, have sites that are "very close together," which might not offer much privacy.
- Limited Amenities: At St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA, there are "no toilets" and "no market," so plan accordingly.
- Ticks: Be cautious at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park Campground as one visitor reported a tick infestation, saying, "I stopped counting at 20 pulled off my dogs."
Tips for camping with families:
- Choose Spacious Sites: Look for campgrounds like St. Francois State Park Campground where "the campsites were very clean and sewer the other facilities there are two great trails in the park."
- Plan for Activities: Make sure to check out the playgrounds and swimming areas at places like St. Peters' 370 Lakeside Park. One reviewer said, "The lake was pretty and the playground was good for the kiddos."
- Pack Snacks: Keep everyone happy by bringing snacks for the trails. A camper at Washington State Park Campground mentioned, "There is a Dollar General right outside the park entrance."
Tips from RVers:
- Check Hookups: Ensure your site has the necessary hookups. At Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area, one visitor noted, "Our site only had electric hookup."
- Level Your Site: Some sites may not be level. A reviewer at St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA mentioned needing to "build a sizable pyramid with our blocks to get the rig leveled out."
- Plan for Power Outages: Be prepared for potential power issues. One camper at St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA experienced a power outage that "fried my coffee maker."
Camping near New Athens, Illinois, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near New Athens, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near New Athens, IL is Hawn State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 34 reviews.
What parks are near New Athens, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near New Athens, IL that allow camping, notably Carlyle Lake and Rend Lake.