65 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping areas near Salem, Illinois feature several water-focused destinations on major lakes and rivers. Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area, located about 15 miles east of Salem, provides tent, RV, and cabin camping options with sites that offer good separation between neighbors. Carlyle Lake, Illinois' largest manmade lake, anchors multiple campgrounds including Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area and several Corps of Engineers facilities like Dam West and Coles Creek, with options ranging from primitive tent camping to full-hookup RV sites and rental cabins. These mixed-use campgrounds typically offer electric hookups, with many providing water access directly from the sites.
Reservations are highly recommended for most developed campgrounds in the region, particularly during summer weekends when waterfront sites fill quickly. Campgrounds operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers accept America the Beautiful passes for discounted rates. Many campgrounds on Carlyle Lake and Rend Lake operate seasonally from spring through fall, though some remain open year-round. Weather can significantly impact camping experiences, with potential for flooding at some locations during heavy rain periods. Cell service is generally adequate throughout the region, with 2-3 bars reported at most campgrounds. According to one visitor, "South Sandusky campground is a Corps of Engineers campground on Rend Lake, just off I-57 in Southern Illinois. 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."
Waterfront access stands out as the primary draw for campers in this region. Many developed campgrounds feature sites directly on Carlyle Lake or Rend Lake, offering fishing, boating, and swimming opportunities. A recent review noted that 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!" Shaded campsites are prevalent throughout the area's campgrounds, providing relief during hot summer months. Most campgrounds maintain clean facilities with bathhouses and showers, though amenities vary by location. Several visitors commented positively about the spaciousness of sites, particularly at North Sandusky Campground where the sites "all seem to be fairly well maintained and roomy." Wildlife viewing opportunities abound, with one camper mentioning hearing whip-poor-will calls around their campfire at Washington County State Recreation Area.
"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."
"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"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"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"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!"
"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."
"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."
from $60 - $75 / 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"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"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 - $125 / night
Check Availability"Overall Rating: 4 for cleanliness and location for travels on nearby highway. Spillway is not particularly pretty."
"Every camping spot has trees surrounding it so it’s very"
GuideMet up with some family at this campground had a nice time. Everything was clean. The bathrooms were magnificently clean at the South Sandusky in Rend Lake. The lake was nice. There was lots of trees very very nice campground.
TravelerThis is a county fairgrounds/park. There's a few sites with hookups that cost 25$ or you can camp anywhere here without hookups for 15$. It's an honor system box by the bathroom. It's super easy to find, take exit 105 off I70 and head north about a quarter mile. There's a dirt road on the right with camping signs pointing you in. The road in goes through a cemetery and after that is the park.
TravelerBL, the camp could use a Camp Host or Mayor. Stayed 1 night. We used the bathhouse and walked the grounds- so did a lot of other people; especially in the morning up to lunch. Quiet camp -Aircraft noise held off until 08:00 (bonus). Men’s shower side had great water pressure and temp- water fixtures were dated, dirty and temperamental (2 shower heads-1 working) also, cozy up to your multi-legged friends (spider webs and bugs were in competition for our shower space), Laundry is $1.50/wash&dry. I’ve stayed at a good many FamCamps: Lake Martin Rec -AL Uchee Creek-GA Destin Army Inf CTR-FL Robins AFB FamCamp-GA Round Pond -NY Kings Creek-VA Ellsworth AFB-SD Blue Angel Rec-FL Anniston Army Depot-AL Sigsbee-FL That’s my starter list! So, I’d like to see this one level up. It’s in a good area (we come through every couple years) and I think it could get a few more interested in it, if it were managed just a little bit better.
GuideRight off the freeway. We were going to overnight park at Loves but had problems with our generator. 93 degrees at 11 pm so we splurged for a site and paid $71 for full hookups. It’s a small campground, more like a parking lot, so easy in and out. They have a handful of cabins and a wash house.
There are two unisex bathrooms, each with multiple toilets and showers, which is weird because you have to lock the outer door for privacy while using the facilities. Good for a parent with small children, I guess, but I felt like I was hogging the bathroom.
There is a small pond at the back of the grounds and a kid was fishing it. They also have a fenced in dog park. No shade in that area, but nice touch!
ScoutBeautiful campground! Walk-in tent site. Late arrival. Bathrooms are spotless.
TravelerThis place was amazing other than the humidity (mid july). Showed up and the hosts were super nice and helped me to my spot. They have lots of camper spots, most seemed like long term campers. I used a tent and had a great spot near the lake. No other tent campers around. They have a good open spot for tents that you just find a spot and set up. Campers seemed nice and we re quiet.
GuideFull hook up. Level. Parked in large trees. Concerned we might not be able to get our slide out, but it was okay. Shaded. Great water views. Lots of boat activity. Gave we “party cove” vibes. But family friend party cove.
GuideGreat views. Lots of water view sites. Just not a lot to do in the area. Hosts are very kind
GuideLovely lake. If you have an E-bike, you can ride MILES around the lower portion of the lake.
We were in spot 57. Spectacular views of the lake. Lots of trees. Large spaces. Nice concrete picnic table. But boy oh boy was this space unlevel. We were down 13 inches low in the back. The best we could get it was 6 inches off. A camper may not be as much an issue… but a class A, it’s rough.
Camping sites near Salem, Illinois cluster around three major bodies of water: Carlyle Lake, Rend Lake, and Forbes Lake. These water-based destinations sit in a region with elevations typically between 450-550 feet above sea level and experience warm summers with temperatures regularly exceeding 85°F from June through August. Several campgrounds operate on a seasonal schedule from April through October, with a few offering year-round accessibility during milder winter months when nighttime temperatures rarely drop below 20°F.
Swimming opportunities: Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area features a dedicated swimming area, though maintenance varies based on state funding. "There's a swimming pool and campground store. The pool was closed when we were there but looked nice," reports a visitor to Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
Fishing access: Multiple designated fishing areas exist around Carlyle Lake, particularly at the spillway locations. "Depending on what site you stay in you will have an amazing view of the lake. With several picnic areas and the marina close. I have enjoyed camping and fishing at this campground," notes a camper at Boulder Recreation Area.
Hiking options: Several campgrounds connect to trail systems with varying difficulty levels. At Stephen A. Forbes State Park, one camper shared: "Main trail was nice but could be better marked. Lost our way a few times but still a good hike. Definitely want to go back when the restaurant is open (mid-May I believe)."
Lake views: Many sites at Dam West Campground offer direct lake access or views. "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," explains one visitor.
Spacious sites: Several campgrounds feature larger-than-average sites with good separation. At Coles Creek Recreation Area, a camper noted: "Large waterfront campsites, full hookup loop, and 4 other large loops that have electric."
Clean facilities: Campground cleanliness receives consistent positive mentions. "Bathroom was the cleanest I have seen at a campsite. The sites are close as it is a small campground. But it was easy as people were respectful of each others spaces and it was quiet," reported a camper at Okaw Valley Kampground.
Reservation timing: During peak season, especially weekends, advance reservations become essential. "There is a 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," explains a visitor to Eldon Hazlet.
Flooding concerns: Several campgrounds experience periodic closures due to high water. "This park offers playground areas and more. Cabins, campsites with power or no power the choice is yours. This is one State Park I enjoy visiting. However there are times this park cannot be accessed because of flooding," notes a visitor to Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.
Varying cell service: Connectivity ranges from adequate to poor depending on location. "Cell service was only 1-2 bars LTE with AT&T but able to stream with hotspot to the SmartTV with only 1 bar so not bad," shared a Stephen A. Forbes visitor.
Playground access: Multiple campgrounds offer playground facilities for children. "There are three playground areas, a basketball court, sand volleyball and a pool during summer months. Lots of families with kids, bike rides and plenty of other lake and outdoor activities in the area," noted a camper at Eldon Hazlet.
Educational opportunities: Some campgrounds provide structured activities for children. A visitor to Dam West Spillway mentioned: "It has activities for children on the weekends. The campsites have sewer and water on some sites, as well as other sites with electricity available."
Beach proximity: Several campgrounds feature swimming beaches within walking distance. "Big, spacious campsites with really pretty, big trees for lots of shade. The bathroom and shower facilities are FABULOUS, and super clean. Marina and beach are close, and most of the drive up sites are concrete or at least rocked," notes another Dam West visitor.
Site leveling: Several campgrounds feature uneven sites requiring adjustment. At Stephen A. Forbes State Park, one RVer mentioned: "We were here 1st week of April. Still rather cool weather but had a great time. There are 3 loops only one of which is reservable & we were at the rear of that loop."
Water quality issues: Some campgrounds experience seasonal water challenges. "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," reported a visitor to Eldon Hazlet.
Electrical hookup options: Most campgrounds offer 30-amp service, with limited 50-amp availability. At Archway RV Park, a camper noted: "Full-hookups with only a 50amp connection so if you are using 30 make sure you have a 50/30 adapter. Overall very nice campground, well maintained."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Salem, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Salem, IL is Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area with a 3.8-star rating from 13 reviews.
What parks are near Salem, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 parks near Salem, IL that allow camping, notably Carlyle Lake and Rend Lake.
Keep Exploring
