63 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping facilities near Shipman, Illinois include several developed campgrounds within a 30-minute drive radius. Beaver Dam State Park Campground offers tent, RV, and cabin camping with numerous amenities including electric hookups, showers, and fire rings. Other nearby options include Pere Marquette State Park Campground in Grafton and Country Bend Campground in Litchfield, which provides seasonal camping from April through November with a variety of accommodation types including tent sites, RV spaces, cabins and glamping options. Most established campgrounds in the area feature picnic tables, drinking water, and trash collection facilities.
Reservations are recommended for most campgrounds in the region, particularly during summer weekends and holidays when sites fill quickly. Most campgrounds in the Shipman area remain open year-round, though amenities may be limited during winter months. Roads to major campgrounds are generally well-maintained and accessible by standard vehicles. Water and electric hookups are common at established sites, with many offering full sewer connections for RVs. Bathrooms and shower facilities vary in cleanliness and maintenance between locations. A visitor noted: "The campsites are small and a bit pricey, but it is a great family friendly place. Good pizza and amazing ice cream at the store! Kid fun and themed activities, bounce trampoline pillow, pool, etc."
Camping experiences in the Shipman area often center around water recreation, with several campgrounds situated near lakes or ponds that support fishing and boating activities. Beaver Dam State Park features walking trails around its lake with multiple fishing spots and boat access. Most campgrounds provide shaded sites under mature trees, offering relief during hot summer months. Families particularly appreciate campgrounds with playgrounds and recreational facilities. Rustic Acres Jellystone receives positive reviews for its family-oriented activities and amenities. Campers report mixed experiences with noise levels, with some locations offering peaceful settings while others maintain a more social atmosphere. Several visitors have mentioned the helpfulness of camp hosts and staff at area campgrounds, contributing to an overall positive camping experience despite occasional maintenance issues with facilities.
"The trail map is very basic and not totally accurate. The trails are poorly marked but with basic knowledge of your compass points you can figure them out."
"There is a nice walking trail path that goes around the exterior of the lake. The lake has boat access and some good fishing spots. There is also a restaurant and store on the lake."
"Great little campground just outside of Grafton, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. The campground is located in an open grove of old trees. There were owls when we were there."
"Campgrounds close to Pere Marquette Lodge. Is located just north of Grafton that has many food and drink and antique shops. Campground is on the Illinois River with the Mississippi River nearby."
from $10 - $20 / night
Check Availability"This beautiful campground has many things to offer and is only a few minutes from the local drive in movie theater in Litchfield Illinois."
"Pretty scenery to walk around. Plenty of lakes/ponds to fish. We couldn't boat while there due to COVID but look forward to going back and taking our kayaks. Attentive and Friendly camp hosts."
from $25 - $40 / night
Check Availability"Conveniently located just outside of St Louis. We camped here for a trip to the city for St Louis cardinals game and zoo. My kids loved the jumping pillow at the park."
"It's not in the prettiest location, very industrial and the train tracks run close. First night one came through blowing its horns around 5am."
"We chose this campground because it was near our route and we needed a place to stay for one night."
"It’s a beautiful place with good people but could definitely use some updating on the playground, signage, and drive."
"They have really awesome trails to ride. I would recommend to anyone wanting a place to play on their toys. It’s 20 a day to ride. 35 for water and electric."
from $35 / night
Check Availability"I've been to 370 Lakeside Park many times to walk around the huge lake and to hear concerts in the summer, but I had never camped there. Still haven't. I'll explain."
"All hookups were conveniently located. Shower house and restrooms were clean and well maintained/cleaned every day. Had a lakefront site but didn’t get to fish this time."
from $35 - $60 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $15 - $16 / night
GuideThe location to St. Louis is great, and the utility hookups for RV were convenient, but there was ZERO privacy at the sites and hiking trail were extremely limited. Great coverage for Verizon and Starlink.
ScoutThis is the bigger campground between hickory point and deer run options. The shower house, snack shop, and city water are onsite. There are vault toilets near the primitive camping, as well as another water spigot. Playground, pavillion, and sand volleyball court give options to entertain kids, with plenty of fishing, trails, and lake views to entertain the adults. We primitive camped here at the closest site to the parking. #57 is the closest, with the rest of the primitive sites being more of a trek to the site. However, the privacy, quietness, and views are 100% worth the trek to us. We did camp with a doggo, who does bark at passerby’s that are “too close” in her opinion but otherwise doesn’t. All the campers during our stay except for one very disruptive couple, did not complain at all and many came to give her loves or treats to help prevent further barking when they passed by. And honestly, the couple that did make the comment, clearly need to be at different campgrounds because the host had to come break them up after quiet hours began and they didn’t respect that rule. We also then were woken up by the same couple as they were packing up the next morning due to them yelling at each other. The hosts did try to make sure they slowed down while passing this site though, and I do believe if we had made some sort of complaint to them, they would have handled it immediately. We love this campground, and honestly we feel as if anywhere there are rvs allowed, you will likely have someone make a comment about the dog. It’s never been other tent campers, even the ones on electric sites. The snack shop has ice (currently $3 even a bag, with hosts including tax in the $3 to make it easier for campers), firewood bundles (not sure on price) as well as many smaller campground necessities including snacks and drinks, some fishing tackle, and some other camping things such as bug spray and sunblock. I did not check any prices on those. There is technically a bait shop also nearby, though between two longer stays here and at deer run, we’ve only seen him open once. And according to one of the hosts, he doesn’t seem to have “regular hours” other than he’s for sure closed Sundays and Mondays. The following Tuesday after learning this, he was also closed all day. So I’m not sure about anything there. He does also have an ice machine outside though.
ScoutCouple camping here, spent multiple nights in a row in primitive camping here. As mentioned, only well water available on the campgrounds here, however you still have access to amenities available at hickory point just a short drive away. Shower house and city water available that way. Playground for kiddos on site. Lots of people bring pets, including equestrian for those campsite. Those do include the post to tie up on at each site. The hosts (bob and dawn were really checking in on us that stay, including being able to help when we accidentally killed our car battery. They also made thorough and consistent rounds which we appreciated. Also had Lynn, one of the idnr guys here, come back at the end of his shift to make sure we had learned about the storms coming in. He even checked in again the next chance he got to make sure we were okay still. We did end up leaving early, to which there is not refunds (I think this is state parks in general) however at $6 a night for primitive, we took that loss especially during an extreme heat warning (for multiple days). If you want a quieter campsite, I would recommend this one over hickory point as hickory point seems to be more RVers instead of the more primitive style of camping tends to be.
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.
GuideBeautiful grounds. Paved level sites. Great path around the lake. Wish there were trees
GuideThe grounds are so well maintained. The spaces are level and paved. The path around the lake is awesome. A lot of activities in one location. My only issue is no shade. It’s a newer facility so the trees are not mature.
ScoutThis is close to the Arch but not well maintained and security is lacking, No staff onsite and the gate is broken. we heard gunshots at 2 AM and left early the next day.
TravelerWe've stayed at Hickory Point before, but this was our first time at Deer Run. It has not disappointed! The primitive sites (there are 5 with no electric or water hookups) are off set in the back of the campground, providing privacy and quiet, which is what we were going for this time. The primitive sites without electric or water are $6 a night, and you can for pay up to 14 nights at a time. There are electric and water hook up sites for $8 a night, they just aren't as private but still lovely! The showers are at the Hickory Point campground (just a minute or two drive) and available for use with the Deer Run camp sites as well. There are well water spigots at Dee Run and Hickory Point, but the city water spigot is at Hickory Point only. It rained quite a bit our first two nights here, but there are so many trees covering the primitive sites you couldn't really feel it until it was thunder storming. We stayed nice and dry inside the tent. There are a LOT of sassy raccoons who will still your food - and the containers that never had food in them in fact- as well waking up to crows cawing every morning- may not be everyone's thing, but I sure enjoy that aspect. The hosts are fantastic and make rounds every 2-3 hours each day, anything we've needed they e been able to help with or point us in the direction to go next. Great campground to stay at, whether for a night or a week, no complaints here thus far!
ScoutWe camped here for 5 nights. It is so clean and well maintained. It’s quietly tucked in along the Mississippi River (except for a train that runs nearby). Nice level concrete pads with electric hookup! Water (not potable) and dump available. It’s close proximity to everything in the St. Louis area can’t be beat!
Camping sites near Shipman, Illinois sit on gently rolling prairie terrain at approximately 600 feet elevation. Seasonal fluctuations create varied camping conditions, with summer highs averaging 85-90°F and winter temperatures frequently dropping below freezing. The region experiences moderately high rainfall in spring months, making early summer and fall typically the most comfortable camping seasons.
Fishing opportunities: Beaver Dam State Park features a lake with multiple access points for anglers. A visitor noted, "There is a nice walking trail path that goes around the exterior of the lake. The lake has boat access and some good fishing spots. There is also a restaurant and store on the lake." Some amenities are particularly appreciated: "A nice feature is located next to the boat ramp, a fish cleaning pavilion complete with pull down hoses."
Walking trails: Pere Marquette State Park Campground offers hiking trails with notable elevation changes unusual for Illinois. "Pere Marquette has many options for your stay... the hiking is worth the effort. The views from the bluffs are gorgeous," reports one camper. Another mentions, "We did a 7 mile loop that led us to an amazing overlook."
Water recreation: Multiple lakes and ponds near Shipman support non-motorized boating. At St. Peters' 370 Lakeside Park, "The park/campground rents paddleboats, kayaks, and canoes in addition to different kinds of bikes. There is a walking trail around the lake (4+ miles)." This park offers accessible water activities for various skill levels.
Campground layouts: Tent campers appreciate the designated primitive areas at several parks. At Beaver Dam State Park Campground, "Primitive tent camping area is very spacious but bathrooms were dirty and gross." Site selection varies widely: "All sites are shaded and mostly level with pull-thru or back-in parking. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring with a grate over it."
Breakfast options: Several campgrounds feature on-site or nearby dining. A camper at Beaver Dam State Park mentions, "There is also a restaurant and store on the lake. The breakfast at the restaurant is great!" Similarly, Pere Marquette State Park has dining options: "The Lodge has great character and a wonderful great room. There is a restaurant inside the main building with decent food."
Wildlife viewing: The region offers opportunities to observe various wildlife. One camper noted about St. Peters' 370 Lakeside Park, "You can see all kinds of wildlife in and around the lake - deer, bald eagles, pelicans, ducks, snakes." At Pere Marquette, winter offers special wildlife viewing: "In winter there are a lot of eagles feeding in the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers which meet at the park."
Seasonal considerations: Many campgrounds operate year-round but with varying conditions. A camper at Beaver Dam noted, "Mosquitoes are bad, remember to bring repellent." Winter camping provides different experiences: "Quiet midweek in tent camping area except for heavy equipment in field nearby. Large campground with open space and playground for kids."
Bathroom facilities: Quality varies significantly between campgrounds. One camper reported, "The restroom and shower house is very clean," while another noted at the same location, "bathrooms were dirty and gross. The women's bathroom near T3 didn't have toilet paper the entire three days we stayed there."
Site privacy: Many campgrounds have limited separation between sites. At Country Bend Campground, the layout can be challenging: "The sites are sunk down, poorly rocked and extremely narrow. The majority of sites are backup only, which is a recipe for disaster with all of the rain central Illinois has had this Spring." Weather impacts site conditions significantly.
Activity planning: Rustic Acres Jellystone offers organized events for children. A visitor shared, "Kid fun and themed activities, bounce trampoline pillow, pool, etc. Friendly staff and good security." Another family appreciated the range of activities: "Great fishing, nice price for all the amenities."
Playground access: Multiple campgrounds feature play areas for children. Country Bend Campground provides extensive recreation options: "Family friendly atmosphere, big inground pool, 18 hole putt putt, lots of outdoor games, planned activities on the weekends." These facilities help keep children engaged throughout your stay.
Budget considerations: Campsite rates vary widely based on amenities and location. One camper noted about Rustic Acres Jellystone, "The campsites are small and a bit pricey, but it is a great family friendly place. Good pizza and amazing ice cream at the store!" Consider what amenities matter most to your family when selecting a campground.
Hookup availability: Most established campgrounds offer various hookup options. At St. Louis NE-Granite City KOA, "We had tram tickets for the arch so we needed a shore power hookup for run the AC for our dog. This was a good spot for that." Site utilities can vary: "The site I was in had full hook ups. The water pressure was so strong that I could barely open the water pump!"
Site dimensions: RV sites range from spacious to challenging. At Beaver Dam State Park, "I was in site 26 and you have to back between the two other sites into this one. Not difficult in my van but it could get interesting with a camper. I don't think you would have the room to pull in and circle out."
Reservation timing: Securing preferred sites often requires advance planning. At St. Peters' 370 Lakeside Park, long-term stays offer additional benefits: "One couple I talked to was camping long term and they got a free membership to the St Peter's RecPlex recreation center with their long term spot (they said something about having to book a least a month out to get this perk)."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Shipman, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, Shipman, IL offers a wide range of camping options, with 63 campgrounds and RV parks near Shipman, IL and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
Which is the most popular campground near Shipman, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Shipman, IL is Beaver Dam State Park Campground with a 3.4-star rating from 11 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Shipman, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Shipman, IL.
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