Best Tent Camping near Percy, IL

Searching for a tent campsite near Percy? Find the best information on tent camping near Percy, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.

Best Tent Sites Near Percy, Illinois (7)

    TJ V.'s photo of tent camping at Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL

    1. Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    16 Reviews
    47 Photos
    9 Saves
    Goreville, Illinois

    Turkey Ridge is for campers who want a serene outdoor experience. It is a Class C walk-in campground that includes camp pads, picnic tables, cooking grills and showers. Drinking water and toilets are located near the parking lots.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents
    • Trash

    $18 / night

    Camper-submitted photo at North Marcum Day Use Area near Rend Lake, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at North Marcum Day Use Area near Rend Lake, IL

    2. North Marcum Day Use Area

    2 Reviews
    1 Photo
    12 Saves
    Rend Lake, Illinois

    Overview

    Congratulations! Youve just discovered the perfect place to enjoy a wide variety of activities, events and nature at its best. Even a short visit to Rend Lake will impress you with the versatility of this magnificent area. Whether youre looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, youll find it here.

    Natural Features:

    North Marcum Day Use Area sits along the banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. Plenty of shade and a large sandy boat in are, make this day use area desirable for a day on scenic Rend Lake. Rend Lake is made up of 18,900 acres of water and 20,000 acres of land.

    Wildlife in the area includes white tailed deer, wild turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year.

    Recreation:

    Take a leisurely morning stroll, ski or sail lake waters, spend the afternoon viewing inspiring art exhibits and end your day by the warm glow of a campfire under starry night skies. The fields, forests and waters of Rend Lake provide a natural haven for wildlife and an outdoor wonderland for you. Boat, hike, fish, hunt, swim, and explore at your leisure. If you prefer a little less nature, visit one of the resorts around the lake and delight in superb lodging and dining. Just minutes away youll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.

    Facilities:

    North Marcum Day Use Area features two large picnic shelters with tables, grills, and drinking water. The shelters can accommodate up to 75 guests each, and the area has a boat ramp, playground, and dock all within walking distance.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Electric Hookups
    • Reservable
    • Tents
    • Group
    Camper-submitted photo at Apple Creek Conservation Area near Altenburg, MO

    3. Apple Creek Conservation Area

    1 Review
    1 Save
    Altenburg, Missouri

    Apple Creek Conservation Area is located in northeast Cape Girardeau County, three miles east of New Wells on Route CC. The Missouri Department of Conservation created Apple Creek Conservation Area in 1986 with the purchase of 2,100 acres from several landowners.

    Steep hills and narrow valleys characterize this area, and approximately 2.5 miles of Apple Creek stream frontage forms its northern border.

    The Conservation Department has created watering ponds and planted food plots and agricultural crops within the forest to provide additional food sources for wildlife.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Tents
    • Equestrian
    • Standard (Tent/RV)
    • Dispersed
    Tye K.'s photo of tent camping at Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL

    4. Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    3 Reviews
    10 Photos
    2 Saves
    Goreville, Illinois

    Backpackers enjoying their commune with nature will appreciate the solitude of the individual campsites in the Class C Backpack campground. Located a half-mile from the Turkey Ridge primitive campground parking lot, these woodland sites have cooking grills, toilets and showers. Water and trash receptacles are available at the Turkey Ridge parking lot. You're reminded to be careful with your fires and to pack out what you pack in.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Tents
    • Trash
    • Drinking Water
    Camper-submitted photo at Mandolin Grove near Mason, KS

    5. Mandolin Grove

    1 Review
    Mason, Illinois
    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents
    • Tent Cabin
    Camper-submitted photo at Spillway Group Area near Benton, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Spillway Group Area near Benton, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Spillway Group Area near Benton, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Spillway Group Area near Benton, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Spillway Group Area near Benton, IL
    Camper-submitted photo at Spillway Group Area near Benton, IL

    6. Spillway Group Area

    Be the first to review!
    8 Photos
    Benton, Illinois

    Overview

    Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, the perfect place to enjoy a wide variety of activities, events, and nature at its best. Even a short visit to Rend Lake will impress you with the versatility of this magnificent area. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossu, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here int he heart of Southern Illinois..

    Recreation

    Take a leisurely morning stroll, ski or sail lake waters, spend the afternoon viewing inspiring art exhibits and end your day by the warm glow of a campfire under starry night skies. The fields, forests and waters of Rend Lake provide a natural haven for wildlife and an outdoor wonderland for you. Boat, hike, fish, hunt, swim, and explore at your leisure. If you prefer a little less nature, visit one of the resorts around the lake and delight in superb lodging and dining. Just minutes away you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.

    Facilities

    Spillway Group Area offers 10 acres for company picnics, weddings, church gatherings, family reunions and many other outdoor events. The area includes a large shelter (250 capacity) with electricity and overhead lighting, an amphitheater (250 capacity), and a small gazebo (30 capacity), a swingset, and direct access to the Rend Lake Bike Trail. The area also offers picnic tables, flush toilets, and drinking water in order to provide a comfortable experience for guests.

    Natural Features

    Spillway Group Area sits along the banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. Situated to the North East side of the spillway, the spillway group area has one of the best views at Rend Lake. Rend Lake is made up of 18,900 acres of water and 20,000 acres of land.

    Nearby Attractions

    Rend Lake Dam Rend Lake Visitors Center Rend Lake Project Office

    contact_info

    For facility specific information, please call (618) 724-2493.

    • Electric Hookups
    • Tents
    • Group
    • Picnic Table

    $150 / night

    Camper-submitted photo at Sandstone Spring & Camp near Swansea, IL

    7. Sandstone Spring & Camp

    Be the first to review!
    7 Saves
    Swansea, Illinois

    Tent only camping. Deep in 300 million years old Carboniverous sandstone spring bed valley with fossils. Place to relax & take in the nature of this hidden gem in the city of Belleville, IL. No restrooms. No showers. Swimming in areas of spring is limited to shallow pools. But it is enough to cool you off.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents

    $28 - $38 / night

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Showing results 1-7 of 7 campgrounds

Recent Tent Reviews near Percy, Illinois

475 Reviews of 7 Percy Campgrounds


  • Michael M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Oct. 23, 2017

    Giant City State Park Campground

    Campground Improving in 2017

    There are currently 25 equestrian camp sites in this park in a different area than the normal RV and Tent campground. The campground is being upgraded this year in which I belive they are adding 50 amp full service to many of the electric only sites. There is currently walk in only unless you are reserving a horse camp. There are fantastic hiking trails and equestrian trails here and you would think you are in the mountains here. The geology is much like the Missouri area near the other bank of the Mississippi river. I have tent camped here and camped in a pop-up camper in the fall both times. Hiking is the best activity here unless you ride horses and that is great here too. This one and Wolf Creek on Lake Shelbyville are the best parks in Illinois for horse trails.

  • M
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Aug. 19, 2018

    South Sandusky Campground

    Picture perfect

    Full hookups to tent camping and spacious sites. This is a Corps of Engineer Campground so bring your America the Beautiful pass! Well maintained on beautiful Rend Lake in southern Illinois. Reservations accepted on reservation.gov. Walk ins also welcome.

  • Carrie J.
    Camper-submitted photo from South Marcum Campground
    Jul. 31, 2016

    South Marcum Campground

    Nice and quiet

    These sites are pretty run of the mill average camping sites. They're very close to the Illinois state fair grounds. There are tent sites as well as RV sites that are very close to the lake.

  • Bob P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Pine Hills
    Feb. 18, 2019

    Pine Hills

    Remotely lovely

    Tent sites with no electricity or water. Clean toilets and a covered pavilion for getting out of the rain when needed.

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Murphysboro State Park Campground
    Jul. 30, 2018

    Lake Murphysboro State Park Campground

    Murphy lake

    Camper area is well cared for but tent camping needed to be mowed desperately. Lots of bug spray required. the area is very hilly and narrow to drive through. Over all very nice place to camp!

  • Chelsea D.
    Camper-submitted photo from Pine Hills
    Apr. 23, 2020

    Pine Hills

    Beautiful new Picnic shelter, quiet campground

    This is a very basic campground with some shade. No hookups, really good for tent camping. The new picnic shelter is beautiful and there is seating around a fire pit. This forest does a great job of keeping restrooms very clean.

  • Brennan M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Jul. 26, 2020

    Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Very RV heavy

    I 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.

  • Chad K.
    Camper-submitted photo from Arrowhead Lake Campground
    Aug. 31, 2016

    Arrowhead Lake Campground

    Average

    We stayed here on our way to St. Louis and found it to be average. The campground was clean and run of the mill. The tent sites were adequate and semi level.

  • Kirstin A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Little Grassy Lake Campground
    Apr. 30, 2022

    Little Grassy Lake Campground

    Beautiful lake area!

    Great views and lots of waterfront sites. Stayed with family members who have a camper, some sites are on a hill so it makes it difficult to park an RV of camper. Tent sites around too. Lots of boats and fishing.

  • j
    Camper-submitted photo from COE Lake Carlyle McNair Campground
    May. 27, 2021

    COE Lake Carlyle McNair Campground

    Fantastic

    Cleanest bathrooms ever and heated and air conditioner. Quiet and plenty of trees and a walking path. A beach to swim at and a dock to fish off. A playground for kids. You can tent camp in a.few places but mai.ly for electric campers and.RV's. We camp here several times a year.

  • Gina J.
    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Jul. 15, 2018

    Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Great Hiking

    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 “. There was a ton of wildlife though and it was really neat to listen to all the different species throughout the night. Overall the grounds are quite nice.

  • A
    Camper-submitted photo from St. Francois State Park Campground
    Aug. 2, 2017

    St. Francois State Park Campground

    Great getaway close to St Louis

    We spent a Saturday and Sunday there camping in the electric site. They do have tent sites but we wanted to be closer to the river which was a 2min walk.

    Great place, awesome people and kid friendly. Definitely will be back!

  • Lori W.
    Camper-submitted photo from Arrowhead Lake Campground
    Sep. 20, 2021

    Arrowhead Lake Campground

    Arrowhead Campground

    Very clean, level sites, large lake with a well maintained walking trail. Lake side sites, wooded sites and regular sites in the middle. Water, 30 and 50 amp, shower house, small laundry facility. Wifi fiber being installed, boat ramp, primitive cabin, tent camping, large childrens playground. Very nice, quiet, clean. We come here often. $25.00/night.

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Apr. 6, 2021

    South Sandusky Campground

    Relaxing spot on the water

    South Sandusky campground is a Corps of Engineers campground on Rend Lake, just off I-57 in Southern Illinois. There are 8 tent sites & 119 sites with electric and full hook-ups. Most of the sites are wooded with space between them, and many have lake views. They are not very level so some adjustments were needed. There is a dump station, flush toilets, showers, a sand beach, boat ramp, 2 picnic shelters, a paved bike trail, and playgrounds. There is no internet. Sites can be reserved on the Internet at www.recreation.gov.

  • Julie M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area

    Quiet, peaceful waterfront escape!

    while there are many full service sites available, this campground offers dozens of rustic tent sites right next to Carlyle Lake as well! Our tent site was shaded and our one neighbor was quiet and friendly. We felt secluded yet had easy access to the campground shower house, swimming pool, wooded nature trail, campground hosts and camp store. We were within a few minutes drive of the main lake beach and facilities that include a restaraunt and visitors center. A 7 minute drive gets you into the town of Carlyle which has all the necessities- food, gas and Walmart.

    We were incredibly pleased with the quiet tranquility of this site and the views were fantastic. We woke up to hear the lake lapping at the shoreline. We had a nearly private cove to fish as well.

    This is a wonderful campground and we will certainly Be back again!

  • Tye K.
    Camper-submitted photo from Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Aug. 8, 2020

    Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Just an easy going stay

    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. Only issue I found at all was firewood is surprisingly difficult to come by.

  • C
    Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
    Oct. 6, 2019

    Gun Creek

    So beautiful

    There’s not a bad campsite here. There are sites with electric, water, and sewer. Several sites are right on Rend Lake. Most sites have concrete picnic tables and fire rings. The bath houses are really nice, they are individual shower houses that are clean and well lit. The grounds are very well maintained. The park was full while we stayed there, but was really quiet. You can tent camp or use a camper.

  • Frank H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Archway RV Park
    May. 25, 2022

    Archway RV Park

    Primarily RV

    I am tent camping as I travel westbound. This is primarily a RV park near I-64 and on a highway. Noisy!! Bad noisy. Camp site was nice. Grassy, level, near a picnic shelter with tables. Shade trees. But only about 2-3 such sites. No on sight water or electric. There are 2 private room restrooms with showers & sink. These are shared by all. Basics. Lots of stores & restaurants nearby.

  • M
    Camper-submitted photo from South Marcum Campground
    Aug. 23, 2020

    South Marcum Campground

    Pretty Nice Lakeside CG

    This is a very nice Corps of Engineers campground. The RV sites are paved and pretty level. Tent sites look nice too. Bathrooms are nice and clean. Didn’t use the shower facilities. The lake has a lot of boats flying around, but it’s placid after dark. Bugs weren’t bad at all.

    No water or sewer hookups on Site 86.

    Have fun!

  • Joy H.
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Oct. 9, 2017

    Giant City State Park Campground

    Great experience!

    Camped here for a weekend and was not disappointed! There are multiple easy to get to "primitive" campsites for tent camping but all are within an easy walk of the outhouse, water hydrant, and parking lot. There are several easy hikes within a short drive to other areas of the park. The park also has a 6 mile hike-in campsite for backpacking and a lot of electrical hookups for RV camping. The trails are over cliffs and through gorgeous boulders.

  • iloveitontop R.
    Camper-submitted photo from St. Francois State Park Campground
    Jun. 5, 2017

    St. Francois State Park Campground

    Nice Place to get away

    Not a huge campground but, Its a really simple beautiful place to enjoy Missouri's rolling hills. It is located 1 hour from St. Louis and 30 ish min from Elephant Rock State park. If your in the area check out the other amazing Missouri state parks while staying here. The Missouri Mines state park is maybe a 5 min drive and a neat place to see. Tent sites, Bathroom and some hammock spots.

  • Scott N.
    Camper-submitted photo from Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
    Sep. 24, 2018

    Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Spacious, great trails, and even better views.

    My brother and I camped here in September on a weekday. We were the only tent campers, so it was nice and peaceful. The sites are large and include a cooking grate. 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. A large portion of it is an equestrian trail, so the path was very wide. The veiws on the trail were amazing.

    Click here for my video.

    Click here for my write up.

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Oct. 7, 2020

    Giant City State Park Campground

    No privacy at tent camp, hike amazing!

    So first of all- I think it’s fair to state before I leave a review that my husband and I prefer primitive and private camping. The fewer people we see while we’re out, the better. We live in a city so when we camp, we want the opposite. If you enjoy RV camping or don’t mind not so Private spots, this is a decent spot to spend the night. If you like primitive/private camping- il fill you in below!

    We do tent camping and Saw there were walk-in sites and hike in sites at this campground. Usually walk-in sites are pretty private and dispersed well - atleast where we’ve been before. The 14 “primitive” camping sites were right next to eachothwr with little to no privacy at all. Good tree cover for shade but otherwise you’re basically setting up your tent and area in an open field. That was a little disappointing to us because it wasn’t what we thought we would find. The RV spots also seem super close together but again- we like things spread out so maybe it would be an OK place for some.

    The vault toilets near the tent sites were...as clean as vault toilets get! And we did not use tje shower facilities so can’t speak on that.

    If we had been just the 2 of us, we would’ve hiked in to do our camping along one of the hiking paths but we were meeting two other friends and were unsure if they would want to hike miles to a spot so we opted for the tent spots just after the RV campground. If you want more privacy for an evening of camping, you’ll need to come with your gear packed up decently enough to hike it out atleast a mile onto the trails. There is camping allowed along the trails as long as you are 100 ft from the trail so that was an option, but in certain spots along the trail it’s challenging to find a clearing (hammocks would be great along the trail). There is also an official primitive camping site halfway through the 12 mile loop of the Red Ceder Trail. We day hiked almost the whole loop but made a Weird little detour so we didn’t get to check these spots out.

    We were hoping to find a campsite that- as get as difficulty of accessibility level- was in between a 6 mile hike and the tent spots in the field but there isn’t any official spot like that even tho there’s tons of space and potential for it. Rant over about the campground. Let’s talk about the hiking! The hiking was truly awesome and felt like it balanced out my disappointment with the campground. Doing the whole 12 mile loop of tje Red Cedar Trail was a challenge for us! We really enjoyed it. In some spots, the trail markers are a little confusing, but overall it’s decently marked and the map is somewhat helpful just to kindve know vaguely where you are. The 2nd day, we went back and did about half rhe loop and also checked out the more popular section of the trails back there that include Giant City Nature Trail, Devils Stand Table, and a few others. Very cool rock formations. Pretty busy in the weekend over there but the test of the trails away from that area with those big landmarks was completely deserted and there are some super cool rock formations not on the map at all.

    Over all, this was a fun 4 days. We would return and plan on hiking out into the trails to camp for our evenings. If you like privacy around your campfire at night, I can’t recommend the campground.

  • Gina J.
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Jul. 15, 2018

    South Sandusky Campground

    Amazing View

    We love tent camping at South Sandusky. many of the site are right on the lake and the sunrise and sunsets are always gorgeous. they have quiet hours from 10-6 and the bathrooms and showers are always really clean (but there are still usually lots of small insects). It’s also just a short drive from the South Sandusky swimming beach. It’s sometimes pretty rocky in the water so we usually wear water shoes. If you camp for the hiking though this isn’t my favorite site. There are lots of bike trails but for just hiking there are much better places.

  • AC
    Camper-submitted photo from Washington County State Recreation Area
    May. 16, 2021

    Washington County State Recreation Area

    Shady Rest campground

    Really great campground. Good mix of tents and RVs. Bath house was very well kept and clean. Showers ran cold at first but after a few mins it gets warmer! There were plenty of pit toliets through out the campground and trash cans. My tent site was clean, good flat spot for tent, picnic table and fire pit with attached grill.

    The Concession building in the park is closing. No boat rentals, selling everything he has on the shelf.

    Caught a few bass and and good amount of hiking. Large trail around the whole lake, smaller trails lead to sites around the different campgrounds.

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
    Jul. 23, 2020

    Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area

    Large Campground, Good Amenities

    “Hazlet” has over 300 sites with electric hook-ups and 30+ tent sites. It is a popular destination for locals and those nearby during the summer and fall, but if you are able to choose your site early, there are quite a few options that will offer more privacy. Some sites sit directly on Carlyle Lake.

    There are many walking trails in and around the campground, plus a pool and campground store at the entrance. The bathrooms and showers are pretty well maintained and spread out well throughout the large campground.


Guide to Percy

Tent camping near Percy, Illinois offers a variety of scenic locations and amenities for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.

Tips for Tent Camping Near Percy

Local Activities for Tent Campers

Unique Features of Campgrounds Near Percy

  • The Spillway Group Area provides electric hookups and water hookups, making it suitable for those who want a bit more comfort while camping.
  • For a more rustic experience, Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park offers primitive sites with access to trails and a tranquil atmosphere.
  • Mandolin Grove allows pets and features picnic tables, making it a great choice for those traveling with furry friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Percy, IL?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Percy, IL is Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 16 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find tent camping near Percy, IL?

    TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Percy, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.