Looking for the best Penfield tent camping? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Covered Bridge Retreat is not accepting reservations at this time.
Traveler
How about doing a fact che k before giving bad info? It states in the very first section telling about the park that ALL CAMPERS MUST OBTAIN A PERMIT FROM THE CAMP HOST OR RESERVATIONS, but on the pro section you tell us that we don't need a permit. You know hmmmm I just got a warning g ticket from AC DNR for camping without A PERMIT FACT CHECK YO SHIT, DO YOUR JOB
Scout
Lovely little campground with its own little lake. Well maintained. Clean laundry. Friendly and helpful owner. Visible presence throughout campground checking that all is well.
Traveler
One of our favorite camping trips so far!
We stayed in the J loop, which was more family friendly and very close to the beach. There was a walking path from our site to the shore which was perfect for our young family to go back and forth on.
Sites were somewhat open but there were tons of trees and grass behind each spot so it didn’t feel so exposed. We loved the option for fishing and swimming in a nearby watering hole.
We heard the toilets and shower house were brought a portable toilet since we have small kids who might not make it to the outhouse so we never used the campground toilet/facilities.
Definitely our vibe of being more secluded and on the water.
Scout
People are very nice and the campgrounds are clean. Plenty of site room and clean and updated shower and washing machines. Rates have gone up to $40 per night
TravelerMy mistake for not researching this place further but it was listed on the dyrt’s free camping sites, but this is a paid/reservation based site. Unfortunately we arrived passed check in (which starts at 3pm) and couldn’t stay here for the night
LegendOur Garmin RV GPS’ conflicted with our new Ford RV navigation, wanting to take us a more direct route and Garmin through town to this city park. Either route would have worked but suggest you locate the campground(CG) on the map and verify the route with Google Maps or Waze. Check-in was at the camp host site near where you enter the campground near the shower house building in the center of the CG. After a quick check-in we were escorted to site 13 with FHUs. This site is technically a back-in but our host brought us around by the swing set to make it an easy pull-through. The utilities worked well and we got 3 bars on Verizon. There are a lot of mature trees. They have a nice shower house complete with laundry. This CG was well kept and a great choice for an overnight stay as we headed to our home base near St. Louis, MO.
Traveler
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! 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.
ScoutWe had a fantastic time here. We came during Fourth of July and never felt like it was overly crowded. Sites were spacious but wasn’t much privacy, which didn’t bother us because it allowed for our kids to play with the other kids easily. Our site was adjacent to numerous paths that easily led to the beach, playground, the rocky path for fishing, and a secluded swimming hole. We couldn’t have asked for a better location for our family and our interests. We did not use the toilets or showers, although it looked like they were in working order as others were using then. We had a cloudless night and the stars were spectacular.
Guide
We stayed in buddy sites 81 and 82. Buddy sites are large, have full hookup, fire pits, and picnic tables. Lots of dogs around, pricing was about $50 a night per site. Restrooms had showers as well which made it easy to rinse off the mud. Great time all around.
GuideCamp sites in the middle are on the smaller end but side sites have plenty of room. Drive is paved and pretty level. They have tubes kayaks and cannons
Guide
Turkey Run is a fabulous state park with a nice campground. My only complaint about the campground is that many sites are in an open, level area without a lot of trees or bushes between them. You don’t have a lot of privacy. Two sections of the campground, with the higher numbered sites, are much more wooded. If I go again, I will try to be there!
But the campground has two large modern bathrooms that are cleaned regularly. It also has clean well maintained vault toilets throughout the campground. Best of all, from the back of the campground you can access Trail 7, a moderate level trail that leads unexpectedly to a small stream running past a recessed cave. It’s a peaceful spot.
Be advised that a “moderate” hike at Turkey Run can be challenging, with plenty of steps up and down the hillsides. Many of the trails go along stream beds, so you often need to make your way across the rocks to avoid wet feet. Be prepared with hiking boots and sticks.
There are two covered bridges on the edges of the park. Be sure to check them out!
GuideTurkey Run is arguably the most popular campground (and state park) in Indiana and has its pros and cons.
It is definitely designed to accommodate RVs, as the majority of the sites are situated in an open field. There are a few dozen sites that are in “loops” that are situated in shaded areas. Some camp sites have zero privacy while others have a little. Either way, if you’re here on a weekend, you’ll definitely have neighbors close by. You can see the entire campground via google maps street view, just FYI
This is a very family friendly campground and you will see lots of kids on bicycles flying around. I’ve stayed here a few times, and no matter the day of the week or the time of year, there are always lots of kids.
This campground has a raccoon “problem” due to campers having poor camp etiquette and feeding them. They come out of the woods towards dusk looking for food. They will come right up to you without hesitation, so don’t be alarmed if there’s one next to you while you cook s’mores over your fire (ask me how I know, hah). They will take any food that is left out. Do not turn your back to your dinner table at any time if there’s food out.
On my last visit to turkey run (I’ve camped here 3 or 4 times) I arrived to my campsite and someone had left dog food out for the raccoons in little piles all over the place which was super disappointing. Additionally, my neighbors didn’t put their campfire out when they packed up and left.
Perhaps I’m just used to camping in other areas where you have to worry about bears and burning the forests down…But campers here just aren’t as mindful or respectful of the campground.
The restrooms and showers (at least the one I use at this campground) is modernized and cleaned daily but there’s no dish pit/wash room available if you cook. Just be prepared to clean up accordingly and put trash in trash receptacles. There are a few vault toilets in the campground as well.
You can hike from the CG into the state park (highly recommend. It’s gorgeous!) just wear shoes that youre willing to get wet.
Overall, it’s a beautiful state park with a conveniently located campground. It’s not the best campground ever but for Indiana standards, it’s great. Even with my complaints, I always return because I enjoy visiting and hiking through the state park.
Guide
This 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).
TravelerI wrote out a 4 paragraph review and somehow it was just completley erased. Will update later.
Guide
Nice campground with out of this world views!
Guide
This is a lovely campground with large dispersed camp sites. There is an on-site restaurant that has stayed busy, and we are here the second weekend of April. Cafe also sells firewood when in stock and rents out boats and kayaks. John, the host is very sweet! Electric only with a dump station. Bathrooms are clean and well maintained, I like that size of the showers. Fishing is good. A beautiful weekend for our first time here.
ScoutWhile this is always listed among the top Indiana state parks because of its amazing beauty and historic sites, the campgrounds are not up to the same level. The shower houses are old. No sinks, no flush toilets, no solid doors for privacy. Just curtains. So yes, that means put/vault toilets only, and there is no light for a middle of the night visit except the flashlight you will hopefully remember. Other state parks in the area do have modern shower houses. If you are disabled or just prefer better hygiene amenities, camp at Raccoon Lake SRA and take day trips to Turkey Run. I’m not sure of the status of nearby Shades Stare Park comfort facilities since we haven’t camped there yet.
Traveler
15 site campground, must call for reservations. Sites are on the smaller side but the higher number sites (13,14,15) can take larger RVs. Site 8 drops off quite a bit to the back so be sure to have appropriate leveling blocks. Clean, modern shower house.
TravelerI can only speak about the non-electric sites. It was a weeknight so I only saw 2 other occupied campsites in the whole area (did not see the campers though). Being that it was empty it wasn’t bad. If it was full I think it wouldn’t be quite so nice. It’s very open.
GuideBeautiful park. All sites are very close and covered with hard concrete or rocks. Best for RV or pull behind. All sites powered. Not recommended for tent camping.
GuideBeautiful campground located right off I-74! The sites are mostly wooded and relatively level. Clean, spacious shower houses. Only complaint I have are the weeds being quite tall between sites.
Guide
First backpacking trip in the Midwest and this was a surprisingly scenic place with a great backpacking sites! We did forest glen river ridge trail; started from the staff parking lot and walked about 8 miles to the east camp. We had a big group and took sites 3 and 5 because they were on a flatter ground. All sites were well shaded and there was even an OUTHOUSE!!! The rangers told us the water from the Vermilion River was safe to drink with filtration but note that you do have to walk down to the river and up to the campsites. Both sites came with a picnic table and a fire ring. Had a lovely time even with the thunderstorm.
ScoutCamped for a weekend trip. We had 3 sites and made one a home base. Grounds were full due to unseasonably warm weather but everyone was pleasant and respectful
ScoutCheck in was easy
GuideLarge campground with spacious sites. The pictures for each site and details they give while booking are pretty good. However, it said 202 was level and for a tent there's def a bit of a slope (manageable but definitely present). The women at the gate was friendly and buying firewood from her was easy. Only checked out the pit toilets near our site, but they were incredibly clean!
Traveler
First stop on a cross county trip. We were directed to Catfish Bay for tent camping. It was lightly drizzling and on an overcast day most of the tree-covered campsites were dark. There are some nice sites right on the water (be prepared to walk your gear in from parking lot). Site #21 was private, with more open sky and a shorter walk to parking/outhouse. The outhouse was in really rough shape--looked like it hadn't been swept out or hosed down for awhile. Won't be back.
ScoutBig, semiforested plots, which are far enough apart to feel very private. Extremely pretty sites, but the firepits are overflowing with ash and not well maintained. There aren't any showers, and the potties aren't just pit toilets, they're old school outhouses with no lights, and bug nests everywhere, including a wasp nest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Penfield, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Penfield, IL is Attica Family Campground with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.
