12 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Tent campers near Norris City, Illinois can choose from several campgrounds within Shawnee National Forest, ranging from primitive tent campsites to sites with basic amenities near water. Saline County State Conservation Area offers spacious tent sites near water, while Camp Cadiz Campground provides a more primitive camping experience with just eight sites and access to the River to River Trail. Dutchman Lake Camp, classified as dispersed camping, offers a more secluded tent camping option without amenities but with direct lake access.
Most tent campgrounds in this area feature basic amenities suited for self-sufficient campers. Sites typically include fire rings and picnic tables, though availability varies by location. Camp Cadiz offers vault toilets and potable water from a spigot, while Tower Rock Campground provides only vault toilets with no water access. Campers should check seasonal availability as some areas like Tower Rock operate from May to December and may close during flood seasons. The terrain throughout these campgrounds is generally flat and suitable for tent setup, with varying degrees of shade depending on the site.
The tent camping areas around Norris City provide excellent access to outdoor recreation. Sites at Saline County State Conservation Area offer views of the lake with opportunities for fishing and boating. Tent-only campers at Turkey Ridge and Backpack Campgrounds in Ferne Clyffe State Park enjoy hiking trails and more isolated camping experiences. At Camp Cadiz, tent sites are spacious enough for multiple tents, providing a quiet retreat for groups. A recent review noted, "Camp Cadiz is super quiet despite the gravel road nearby. The vault restroom is kept very clean. It has easy access to the River to River trail, and I love the CCC stonework." Dutchman Lake Camp offers a particularly secluded option for tent campers seeking to avoid crowds, with one camper sharing it's a "beautiful spot with easy access and not far off the highway."
"There is a dump station and potable water at the entrance to the campground. There are also some water spigots sprinkled throughout the campground."
"This was a great campground with fantastic views of the lake. We also hiked Garden of the Gods and Burden Falls in the Shawnee National Forest. The hikes were great."
from $8 / night
Check Availability"On a gravel road, in the back country like most everything else on this side of Illinois , fill your gas tank up and your food locker or you will be driving back out a ways to refill. "
"There was potable water from a spigot and lots of kindling around to get fires going. No showers. Over all a nice site. I would stay there again."
"There are a lot of hiking trails and we really enjoyed them all! The tent camping accommodations were less than stellar, simply because of the “outhouses “."
"It was easy to find firewood with out having to go very far, becareful there is a good amount of poison ivy. The only trail I hiked was Happy Hollow."
from $18 / night
Check Availability"Campground is smaller but the sites are spread out well, most have fire ring with grill stand and table, firewood available to gather onsite when I was there, vault toilets, right on the river so may be"
"There is a pit toilet, but no water. "
"This is an beautiful little beach on Rend lake. The lake is an important bird habitat making it a great place for my fellow bord watchers to go!"
"The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay."
"Lake mauzy is very quiet. No hookups but if you want to boondocks this is a great place."
"We pulled in around midnight and left at 8 am."
"It’s off the highway down Amish/Dutch country. It has a maintained gravel road beautiful lake and in June it’s covered with lightening bugs. Lots of wild flowers and the sunset- WOW!"
"Not a lot of tent sites, but enough. Nice wooded primitive sites with easy access to water and toilets. Had my pups with, and no problems at all. Nice trails for different hiking skill sets."
"Ferne Clyffe State Park is in the Shawnee National Forrest near Goreville, IL., south of Carbondale."
LegendPrimative camping at its best. This is heavily used in the summer and early fall. Picnic tables and fire rings, vault toilets. Go in the off season and you will have plenty of privacy. Fairly level tent sites , some with nice trees for hammocks. Close to Little Grand Canyon, a really neat natural bridge, and Illinois wineries.
Legend21 campsites with a fire ring/barrel, lantern post and picnic table. A couple of the campsites had damaged fire rings. Most sites should be able to fit medium size trailers, other sites have trees in the way. Vault toilets and a water station. Very quiet, clean and peaceful. Trail system is about 8 miles and has great views. Don’t forget to bring your swimming suit!
TravelerThis is an amazing spot for free camping! The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay. Despite its remote feel, Walmart is just a 12-minute drive away for any last-minute supplies. We would have loved to stay longer, but incoming storms cut our trip short. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a peaceful and scenic getaway! No electricity or showers!
TravelerThis camping spot is just down the road from Southern IL’s Garden Of the Gods. There were 12 camping areas. Plenty of room and trees for tents and hammocks. Also, there is a good amount of shade so if you tent in the right spot you don’t wake up roasting from the sun. The campsites have a lot of room so your neighbors don’t seem like they are on top of your site. The spots include a picnic table, hanging poles for trash or lantern, and a fire pit with movable built-in grill. The area is very wooded so unless the ground is wet you can find lots of firewood. There is a drinking water pump at the entrance of the campsite but it’s pretty chlorinated. There is no shower or running water and the toilets are pit style; but there are toilets. I don’t know if other sites had this but ours had 2 trails leading right out of the woods. Great for close to home hiking.
P.S. Beware of tailless raccoon at site 12 that likes to steal Doritos.
GuideWe pulled in around midnight and left at 8 am. There’s a large turnaround that could fit many vehicles, but someone was already parked there and we didn’t want to disturb them and also wanted our privacy. There a space for a vehicle to pull off and walk around some boulders to set up a camp, complete with a fire ring. Some bike-packers were already set up there. Close to the lake there is another spot for one or two vehicles. The lake surface had a lot of bug activity - no thanks! We ended up choosing a grassy space next to the curve in the road in between our neighbors. Very peaceful! No bugs.
GuideThis campground area is beautiful! We stayed here 3 nights. We arrived on a Thursday and there were plenty of open spots. Friday they open some of the other loops up for more people to stay and it did fill up for the weekend.
You can get some cell service but only in choice areas (at the front by the water spigot and some of the roads leading down to the lake. We were not able to get any cell service (Verizon, AT&T, or T Mobile) in the electric loop.
This area is a primitive area and is not really set up for RVs. Don't get me wrong... RVs can definitely fit in most of the camping spots but only 1 loop has electricity, there is no sanitary dump station, and the water spigot does not have a way to hook up a hose to fill your tank. If you dump your tanks and fill with fresh water before coming you should be good.
It does have vault toilets... no showers. The toilets were very clean for vault toilets.
The lake area is beautiful with a swimming area, fishing pier, and pavilion to eat or sit under for shade. It looks like they really keep the area cleaned up!
Another little note that we learned is that the park rangers can help you move sites... or even campgrounds if your site is not working for you so you don't loose out on money like we did. This only applies to other Shawnee campgrounds of course but there are quite a few to choose from!
LegendI arrived on Friday around 2:30pm hoping to get a spot but unfortunately, all spots were already taken (about 10-12). The vault toilet looked decently clean and all sites had a nice fire ring, picnic table and hanging hooks. Some sites were closer together than others but would work for a night or two to enjoy the beauty around! Little picnic area just around the corner and about .5 from several awesome hikes!
GuideI actually didn't end up camping here because it looked like a rock site. I maybe saw two tents, everyone else in big RV's. If you are doing tent camping I would look elsewhere. I might've missed an area that was more tent friendly but I didn't see it. I would do primitive with a tent probably.
GuideThe sites are nice and level. Quiet in the area. Picnic table and fire ring at every site. Park offers firewood. Pond for fishing so bring your poles. It's catch and release. Manager is very friendly and accommodates you as possible.
Tent camping near Norris City, Illinois takes campers to a diverse landscape of hardwood forests, limestone formations, and over 280 miles of shoreline along various lakes. The region experiences humid continental climate with hot summers reaching 90°F and mild winters, making May-October the prime camping season. Water levels can fluctuate significantly in this area, occasionally affecting campground availability during spring rain periods.
Hiking on River to River Trail: Access this 160-mile trail system from Camp Cadiz Campground, which serves as an eastern trailhead. One camper noted, "The hiking trails that headed out from the camp were wonderful. We even hiked down the forest road and found a hidden cemetery tucked away."
Fishing at multiple lakes: Saline County State Conservation Area offers prime fishing spots with minimal crowds. A visitor shared, "You can fish here and even put in a boat or other water toys if you own one!" The 75-acre lake contains largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish.
Exploring rock formations: Several camping areas provide access to unique geological features. The Backpack Campground offers "easy access to water and toilets" with "nice trails for different hiking skill sets," making it convenient for day hikes to limestone bluffs.
Spacious sites for group camping: At Camp Cadiz Campground, tent campers appreciate the layout. One reviewer mentioned, "The spaces are wide open and big for multiple tents. There is well water, a bathroom (open septic tank) for pit and picnic table at each site."
Privacy away from crowds: Dutchman Lake Camp offers a quieter option for tent campers seeking solitude. A camper described it as a "beautiful little spot as you come in. Quiet and easy to get too" with good cell service for those needing connectivity.
Clean facilities: Despite being primitive, many campgrounds maintain acceptable standards. At Turkey Ridge Campground, one visitor noted the campground is "very clean. Forest is beautiful," though they did acknowledge, "Spots are pretty dam close to each other."
Seasonal closures and flooding: Tower Rock Campground operates from May to December but may close during high water periods. One camper reported, "We drove down to camp here and found this campground closed. We walked in past the locked gate to scout it out and there was a line of debris left behind from when the river was higher."
Cell service limitations: Reception varies dramatically by location. At Saline County, "We were able to get cell signal on the campsites up the hill but not in any down by the water, which is why we stayed up the hill."
Water availability concerns: Many tent sites have limited or seasonal water access. At Camp Cadiz, campers note "There was potable water from a spigot" but no showers, while other campgrounds require bringing all water needed for your stay.
Shorter trails for kids: Turkey Ridge Campground connects to family-friendly paths. A camper recommended, "Rebman trail is good for anyone including little kids," making it ideal for families with young children.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Many camping areas offer excellent nature observation. One camper at Lake Mauzy East shared there were "tons of birds, and we saw snake mounds but not yet seen one...birds and butterflies and owls."
Swimming access points: Several campgrounds provide water recreation options for children. North Marcum Day Use Area features "a beautiful little beach on Rend lake. The beach is also tidy and free of alot of trash, perfect for the youngsters to play in."
Limited hookup availability: Most campgrounds near Norris City have few or no RV hookups. A Saline County camper noted, "There is a dump station and potable water at the entrance to the campground. There are also some water spigots sprinkled throughout the campground."
Site selection for connectivity: RVers who need cell service should choose elevated sites. At Saline County, campers shared specific location advice: "The campsites up the hill" have cell service while sites "down by the water" don't.
Access road challenges: Many campgrounds have rough approach roads. At Camp Cadiz, campers warn about "a gravel road a bit but nothing too hard to find" though dust can be an issue with one camper noting, "Every vehicle that went by generated dust which then coated everything in our camp."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Norris City, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Norris City, IL is Saline County State Conservation Area with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Norris City, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Norris City, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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