71 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Campgrounds near Patoka, Illinois are concentrated around Carlyle Lake, the largest lake in Illinois, with options ranging from tent sites to RV hookups and cabin rentals. These campgrounds include Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area, Boulder Recreation Area, and Coles Creek Recreation Area, offering a mix of accommodation options. Most facilities provide sites for tents and RVs, while some like Okaw Valley Kampground and Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area also feature cabin rentals. Many campgrounds in this region maintain electric hookups, drinking water, and designated camping areas with picnic tables and fire rings.
Seasonal considerations affect camping in the Patoka area, with most campgrounds operating between April and October. Several Corps of Engineers campgrounds on Carlyle Lake, including Dam West and Boulder Recreation Area, close during winter months. Visitors should be prepared for potential flooding, particularly in spring, which can impact site access. Water and electric hookups are standard at most established sites, though sewer connections are less common. Campground roads are generally well-maintained for RV access. One camper noted, "This campground is the only one with full access to the river after it leaves Lake Shelbyville. The fishing here and at the Spillway across the road are very good."
Lakefront sites remain the most sought-after camping locations near Patoka, with campers consistently mentioning water access as a primary attraction. Several campgrounds feature sites directly on Carlyle Lake, offering fishing, boating, and swimming opportunities. "Many of the sites are right on the water!" reported one visitor about Coles Creek Recreation Area. Site spacing varies significantly across campgrounds, with some offering generous privacy while others place campers in closer proximity. Most campgrounds provide basic amenities including bathhouses with showers, though maintenance quality can vary. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound, with multiple reviewers mentioning the abundance of wildlife, particularly around Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area. The region's campgrounds generally offer good shade coverage from mature trees, providing relief during hot summer months when temperatures can climb.
"Water and dump at the entrance. Shower houses. Very nice pool and camp store. Hosts scattered and occasionally hard to find to pay for your spot. Wildlife galore. Next to largest lake in Illinois."
"This State Park is located outside Carlyle,Illinois. This park offers playground areas and more. Cabins, campsites with power or no power the choice is yours."
from $15 - $30 / night
Check Availability"Boulder is a lovely campground tucked away on Carlyle Lake. It has it's own marina where you can rent a slip for your boat. The sites are well spaced and have a beautiful view of the lake and sunsets!"
"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!"
from $20 - $40 / night
Check Availability"There’s a very nice updated playground and a pond with a walking path around it. The place is very well taken care of. If we ever came back this way we would stay again."
"Beautiful walking paths, convenient, great pricing. They filled us up on LP too. Thanks again, Barb and Gary!"
"This is our favorite campground in Central/southern illinois. The sites are very nice and most have shade. There is a beach for campers to use, and a really nice playground."
"Coles Creek is a nice, large campground located on Carlyle Lake in Illinois. It has full hook up, 50 amp sites with many located right on the water!"
from $20 - $250 / night
Check Availability"Most of the sites are large and a good distance from the next one. Shower house is alright. The store/restaurant has been closed for a year or two now because of the Illinois budget."
"It's a small campground that offers a playground,bathhouse, hiking trails, and a small swimming area. There is easy access walking down to the marina. With small towns close to this state park."
"Full hookups, reservable sites, walk up sites, and all sites are large! Full hookup sites are booked solid so make sure you go online 6 months out or you are out of luck."
"We camped right on the lake with a great view. "
from $20 - $60 / night
Check Availability"It is directly on Carlyle Lake, ,the largest lake in Illinois. It has activities for children on the weekends."
"Right next to the marina and with many sites right on the lake, you can’t go wrong here."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"Overall Rating: 4 for cleanliness and location for travels on nearby highway. Spillway is not particularly pretty."
"Every camping spot has trees surrounding it so it’s very"
"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.)"
"Bathroom close by and very clean. Shower house only available at the main campground, which was a distance away and not reasonable to walk with a little one."
from $20 - $125 / night
Check Availability"Long spots, friendly owner, easy access to hardware store across the street, coin laundry available. Downsides is wifi is poor, gravel is unlevel, limited menu on DoorDash."
from $30 / night
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TravelerThe campsite is nice plenty of spaces spaced out nicely, but there’s absolutely no signage. took us forever to decide where we could park and what to do. tiny little sign on the Rangers house. Led us to a website and then charged us $50. Not what we were expecting. Plan ahead on this one.
GuideWhat started as a one-night camping trip quickly turned into a three-night stay—I just didn't want to leave! Most of the campsites feature beautiful lake views and are well-shaded by tall trees. Each spot is equipped with an electric hookup, a fire pit, and a picnic table, plus having access to hot showers made the stay super comfortable. To top it off, our cats loved taking walks with us around the campground!
GuideThis was a beautiful place to spend an evening on our cross country trip. We were able to secure site B7 -a nice level and shady spot on a beautiful tree lined lake. The site was dusty but there was a picnic table and electricity. It was 90 degrees in early October so I can imagine the open spots are really hot during the heat of the summer. Signs tell you to check in with camp host before parking but there was no one at their camper. I called the phone number and a helpful gentleman explained that the sites were first come, first served and someone would be around to collect our $20 fee. One large bathhouse for the campground was a good walk away but was spotless. I would have given this campground a 5 rating but after walking around, we realized that most of the sites by the lake were hard packed dirt, small and not level. However there is a new section I that has 10 long back in gravel pads with electric & water. They are away from the water but close to the shower house. Finally, google coordinates directed us to a private residence just short of the marina. Follow directions to the marina and find the road to the campground at the end of the parking lot.
ScoutRend Lake, in Whittington, Il is just a great place to camp. From primitive to full hook ups they have what you need for a Corps of Engineers campground.
TravelerJody, the hostess, is friendly and responsive. We stayed one night in the fall so the many permanent RVs were not occupied. The park is large and surrounded by woods and fields. We had a peaceful night near the cornfields where the short-term RV sites are located. Can hear the train horn in the distance. Note that they are tandem, so pull thru for the first person but back in for the second. We would stay here again.
TravelerI believe this is one of the best campgrounds I've been to. It is safe friendly, theres laundry, lp fill, close to rend lake, 20 mins from walmart, a great place to relax and visit, vacation, whatever you like.
GuideWe arrived at 7 picked a spot in the fcfs area and were surprised that it was almost empty. We got a premium site on the water, with no other campers in sight. The website says the reservation areas were full but that was not true, you have to book 4 days in advance. The camp host was great! It will be on my list of places to overnight in the future. But the lake is beautiful and you could spend multiple days there if you wanted!
GuidePaved roads and campsites. Convenient to the interstate but removed enough to be peaceful. Beautiful sunset at the lake. Bathhouse is outdated but functional.
ScoutAwesome place. Showers are small but very clean. Scenery is amazing. People are friendly. And they have a little mini store and a little mini pizzeria.
Camping spots near Patoka, Illinois offer access to Carlyle Lake at elevations averaging 460-500 feet above sea level. The Kaskaskia River watershed forms the backbone of camping opportunities in this region, with most campgrounds situated within a 30-mile radius of Patoka. Water levels can fluctuate significantly between seasons, with spring levels often 3-5 feet higher than late summer.
Fishing at the spillway: At Dam West Spillway, visitors can access prime fishing locations where the Kaskaskia River flows from Lake Shelbyville. "This campground is the only one with full access to the river after it leaves Lake Shelbyville. The fishing here and at the Spillway across the road are very good," notes one visitor to Dam West Spillway.
Swimming in designated areas: Boulder Rec. Area offers swimming options with easy lake access. "This campground offers many sites that are right on the lake. Beautiful views. Also boasts the best shower house/bathrooms around. They are air conditioned and cleaned regularly," reports Phil W.
Biking on paved trails: Dam West Spillway features paved bike paths with lake views that connect major areas. "There is a bike path that goes right past the campground that was busy all weekend with bikers, runners, and walkers, and takes you from the shower house to the marina in just a short walk," according to Annie C.
Spacious waterfront sites: Many campers appreciate the generous spacing at Dam West Campground, especially those along the shoreline. "We camped right on the lake with a great view. This site and the site next to it are the best sites in the campground with a pull through layout for a great setup for a lake view from the side of your camper," shares Cody S.
Clean, air-conditioned facilities: The region's campgrounds maintain modern bathroom facilities. At McNair Campground, visitors note: "Nice clean, quiet campground. Lots of fisherman. Spaces are decently spaced. No trash. Sites have electric," according to Dave N.
Wildlife viewing: Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area provides opportunities to observe local fauna. "Oh and lots of deer bed down in the grassy areas at night, which was a fun thing to see!" mentions Chelsea D. The campground's mix of wooded areas and lakefront creates diverse habitats for wildlife watching.
Seasonal flooding impacts: Water level fluctuations affect campground accessibility. "This is one State Park I enjoy visiting. However there are times this park cannot be accessed because of flooding," warns Jake L. about Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
Water quality varies: Some campers report issues with water quality at certain times. "Only complaint that I have was the potable water supply. I filled my trailer's tank at the drinking water supply when you enter the campground. It was extremely dirty with a lot of copper colored solids," reports Allen S.
Campground occupancy patterns: Sites fill quickly, especially during peak season. At Coles Creek Recreation Area, a camper notes: "We LOVE Hazlet! We have a popup camper and camp here often. It's a huge campground with a smaller reservable section and an extensive first come, first serve section. There are usually always spaces available."
Playground access: Multiple playgrounds serve different age groups across the region. At Dam West Spillway, "Big, spacious campsites with really pretty, big trees for lots of shade. The bathroom and shower facilities are FABULOUS, and super clean. Rangers are walking/driving around, and really friendly. Marina and beach are close," reports heather S.
Scheduled activities: Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area offers programming for children during summer months. "Most of the sites are large and a good distance from the next one. Shower house is alright. The lake is big enough for ski boats but nice for kayaks also," explains Jennifer G.
Halloween festivities: Eldon Hazlet hosts special seasonal events. "They have a huge Halloween event every year where people decorate their sites (pretty extensively) and there's a haunted house, then kids trick or treat from site to site. The campground also provides pumpkin painting contests and other fun activities," says Aimee T.
Hookup availability: Okaw Valley Kampground offers full-service RV accommodations. "We stopped here on our way home for one night, but got in early enough to enjoy a walk and have a camp fire that evening. Small park but very long, narrow pull through sites on the full hook up side," notes Russ G.
Level sites: Some campgrounds feature better leveling than others. At Dam East Recreation Area, one camper shared: "East Dam ACE, IL: Not an interesting view from here, but well maintained campground. Quiet. Pad surface: Blacktop. Sites: Outside sites are by far the best. 16,17,18 are favorites."
Weather considerations: Summer heat impacts camping comfort. "Site 26. We were basically by ourselves being mid week in November. Great view. Nice camp hosts. This place looks like it could get pretty full in the summer. It has its own swimming pool," reports Wendy F. about Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Patoka, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Patoka, IL is Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 26 reviews.
What parks are near Patoka, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 12 parks near Patoka, IL that allow camping, notably Carlyle Lake and Lake Shelbyville.
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