Best Glamping near Rend Lake

South Marcum Campground and North Marcum Day Use Area house upscale glamping accommodations on the scenic shores of Rend Lake, with options including canvas tents and eco-friendly structures equipped with electric hookups and premium amenities. The glamping sites feature comfortable bedding, climate control options, and rustic-luxury touches while maintaining proximity to the water. According to a camper, "Just beautiful, the Corp of Engineering's really take care of these camp grounds, very clean, most have new showers." The sites balance wilderness immersion with modern comforts, including picnic tables and fire pits for evening gatherings, while several locations offer water hookups and designated glamping zones separate from conventional camping areas.

Walking trails connect glamping sites to swimming beaches, boat launches, and fishing areas where guests can experience the natural beauty of Rend Lake while returning to comfortable accommodations. Paved bike paths wind through wooded areas and alongside shorelines, connecting various recreational areas within the park system. The nearby Archway RV Park extends the boutique camping experience with additional year-round glamping options that include full amenities. "Swimming and bird watching" opportunities abound, as one visitor noted, highlighting that "the lake is an important bird habitat making it a great place for my fellow bird watchers to go!" Most glamping locations remain open from March through November, though some accommodations are available during winter months for those seeking off-season solitude and unique experiences in this southern Illinois destination.

Map showing campgrounds near Rend Lake, Illinois

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Best Glamping Sites Near Rend Lake (26)

1. Gun Creek
21 Reviews
Whittington, IL
3 miles
Website
+1 (618) 724-2493
$18 - $30 / night
"There are sites with electric, water, and sewer. Several sites are right on Rend Lake. Most sites have concrete picnic tables and fire rings."

"One of the first campgrounds that you come to at Rend Lake when you get off the highway, this campground has lots of positives and few negatives."
2. South Sandusky Campground
19 Reviews
Sesser, IL
2 miles
Website
+1 (618) 724-2493
$16 - $26 / night
"Very clean, nice shower houses, playgrounds, picnic tables, fire pits. Quiet, shady, paved roads. All of the Rend Lake campgrounds are similar. Restaurants and shopping nearby. Great fishing."

"Well maintained on beautiful Rend Lake in southern Illinois. Reservations accepted on reservation.gov. Walk ins also welcome."

3. South Marcum Campground
17 Reviews
Benton, IL
2 miles
Website
+1 (618) 724-2493
$16 - $44 / night
"This is hands-down the nicest campground on Rend Lake."

"South Marcum Campground is a Corp of Engineers campground just of I-57 in southern Illinois with over 100 reservable campsites. Sites have 30 & 50 amp Electric hookups."
4. Benton KOA
13 Reviews
Benton, IL
4 miles
Website
+1 (618) 439-4860
"Yes, there is highway noise. It's a KOA. Convenience of being easy off an interstate has its tradeoffs. That said, excellent staff, clean, professional KOA"

"T-Mobile worked well- issues connecting to site Wi-Fi- staff pleasant- clean- didn’t use showers- small camp store available"

5. North Sandusky Campground
6 Reviews
Sesser, IL
2 miles
Website
+1 (618) 724-2493
$18 - $26 / night
"North Sandusky Campground is a gem in Southern Illinois. Many of the sites are backed up to Rend lake and the others back up to the woods. The sites all seem to be fairly well maintained and roomy."

"What can I say, all the places around Rend Lake are great. Really enjoyed camping here, stayed a week. I’ll be back."
6. South Sandusky Day Use
4 Reviews
Rend Lake, IL
1 mile
Website
+1 (618) 724-2493
"Friendly and helpful gate staff. Large sites."

7. Archway RV Park
16 Reviews
Mount Vernon, IL
18 miles
Website
+1 (618) 244-0399
$60 / night
"Long first day drive, but so handy and staff couldn’t be more accommodating to our late arrivals. Just far enough from Interstate so noise isn’t an issue. Lots of services at the same exit."

"Upon arrival I was greeted nicely and checked in quickly. While beginning setup, I noticed an issue with the power at my particular spot and decided to let the staff know of the issue."
8. North Marcum Day Use Area
2 Reviews
Rend Lake, IL
1 mile
Website
+1 (618) 724-2493
"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!"

9. Dam West Area (day-Use)
1 Review
Benton, IL
1 mile
Website
+1 (618) 724-2493
$30 / night
10. Coy and Wilmas One Stop
1 Review
Rend Lake, IL
2 miles
Website
+1 (618) 625-2101
"Pretty nice place, clean and close to stores."

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Recent Glamping Photos near Rend Lake

1 Photos of 26 Rend Lake Campgrounds

Art S.
Pine Ridge

Glamping Reviews near Rend Lake

266 Reviews of 26 Rend Lake Campgrounds

J K.
Legend
Aug. 6, 2019
South Marcum Campground
Best campground on Rend Lake!
This is hands-down the nicest campground on Rend Lake. With hundreds of sites to choose from with some being tucked into the woods and others sitting right on the lake including some walking intense fights this campground is one of the nicest that you’ll find in Illinois. Plenty of bathrooms and bath houses as well as playgrounds and spacious campsites for larger RVs and plenty of access to the lake.
Aimee T.
Guide
Sep. 6, 2018
Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Great family campground
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. Sites are pretty level, are gravel, wooded, and spacious. There are several 'loops'' of sites that extend out and have water views. The shower houses are clean and air conditioned, there's a nice camp store that serves breakfast and basic lunches, and there is a nice large zero entry pool for a $5 fee on weekends. The campground hosts are sprinkled througout the grounds and are always friendly and accommodating. 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. Better get there at least a week in advance for the halloweeen festivities- it fills up!
E
Ed H.
Scout
Apr. 10, 2018
South Sandusky Campground
Rend Lake South Sandusky Campground
Plenty of trees, lots of sites directly on the water. Very clean, nice shower houses, playgrounds, picnic tables, fire pits. Quiet, shady, paved roads. All of the Rend Lake campgrounds are similar. Restaurants and shopping nearby. Great fishing. Friendly area!
D
David N.
Scout
Sep. 9, 2019
Shawnee Forest Campground
Great place
Gary and his family are very polite and very happy to be helpful. Great prices. Burn pit and cooking grill above the pit at every site I visited. Clean Air condition in the bathroom. Showers work great. I stayed here twice, my family and I had a great time and met some really nice people.
M
Mary F.
Scout
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.
Joel R.
Legend
Apr. 7, 2021
South Marcum Campground
Convenient to I-57
South Marcum Campground is a Corp of Engineers campground just of I-57 in southern Illinois with over 100 reservable campsites. Sites have 30 & 50 amp Electric hookups. There is a dump station, hot showers, flush toilets, and drinking. Also a playground in the Whispering Pines loop. The campground is on Rend Lake with swimming, fishing and boating. Most sites are level. Some are pull-through. The sites are set up to provide some privacy, and are not right on top of each other.
Priscilla B.
Traveler
Sep. 7, 2019
Shawnee Forest Campground
Converted Golf Course w/fishing ponds
Relatively new. Has great potential. Located in Vienna, IL near Shawnee National Forest. It has 3 fish & release ponds. Sites were a bit hilly which stands to reason since it was converted from a golf course in 2016. Some sites are pretty long. It accommodated our 35ft. MH with attached car. Some sites are close together with very little shade. The campground had lots of open sites during our stay (3rd week in Aug), but during our stay 2 other short stay campers came in & they parked them right next to us. -Full hook ups available -Hosts were very friendly & provided insight to area. -Bath house - provided air conditioning. Although new & spacious there were only 4 in the entire campground & the toilet & shower were in same space. Upon arrival only 1 was open near us. Subsequently the 2nd was closed due to a water valve malfunction & wasn’t re-opened during our stay. My husband likes level sites & facilities he could use. He said he wouldn’t come back any time soon.
C
Crystal H.
Guide
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.
Joel R.
Legend
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.