Searching for the best camping near Smithton, IL? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Find the best campgrounds near Smithton, IL. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
"We loved our stay at Babler, aside from the snow & wind - the park is great! Review below ⬇️
⛺️ S I T E R E V I E W ⛺️
📍 Dr. Edmund A."
"Nice state park close to St Louis. Good, if short, trails. The campground is used a lot by RV and campers, not so much by tenters. Lots of campsites had electric."
$10 - $65 / night
"There is hiking trails which was wonderful. There is a winery nearby. My campsite was amazing, it was clean and wasn't too far from the restrooms. There is picnic tables and fire rings."
"A few drive up sites and lots of hike in spots around a quarry turned lake. Beautiful and clean setting. We stayed in site 24. There were picnic tables and a fire pit at our site."
"Stayed at a walk-in site for a night and enjoyed it. Some sites are closer to the highway and cars flying down the road can make it hard to sleep but after midnight, they stopped."
"The campground is located in a gym of a park located along the Missouri River. Reservations are required and the sites are in high demand. Tent camping only. There is water available in the park."
GuideWe loved our stay at Babler, aside from the snow & wind - the park is great! Review below ⬇️
⛺️ S I T E R E V I E W ⛺️
📍 Dr. Edmund A. Babler State Park Wildwood, MO
💰 $12-$21/night
🗓 Feb 19-21, 2022
Site 48 ⚡️💧
🦮 Pets Welcome (on leash at all times)
➕Concrete Pads, Quiet, Close to Interstate 40, Paved Roads, Easy to Access, Gated Overnight with access code
➖Small/Close Sites, No Water in Off Season, Only Vault Toilets - No Showers in Off Season
📶 AT&T Service 4 out of 5
🚮 Dump Station located behind bathhouse. NO WATER during off season!
🚻AMENITIES •Playground •Hiking, Biking & Equestrian Trails •Wood & Ice •Interpretive Programs •Visitor Center •Special Use Area •Laundry, Flush Toilets & Showers ON SEASON ONLY!
🏕SITES Reservable 12 Months-FCFS in off season 72 Reservable 8 Accessible sites Basic - Electric Concrete Back In Lantern Hook, Picnic Table & Fire Ring
⏰ HOURS/DATES April - October 7:am - 9:pm Nov - March 7:am - 6:pm
🔺Park Office 8:30am - 4:pm M-F
🔺Visitor Center April - Oct 9:am - 4:30pm W - Sun Nov - March 9:am - 4:pm - Sat-Sun Dec - Feb CLOSED
RangerReally nice place when you get into the woods. There is hiking trails which was wonderful. There is a winery nearby. My campsite was amazing, it was clean and wasn't too far from the restrooms. There is picnic tables and fire rings. I usually bring my own firewood because i believe in the leave no trace rule. I would definitly come back to this site
LegendMcNair 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.)
Overall Rating: 4 Price 2024: $ 9w interagency pass Security: no Usage during visit: 1/3 Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: no Site Spacing: closer Pad surface: blacktop Reservations: Required Campground Noise: No Outside Road Noise: no Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: yes Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: Nice flush Showers: small private Cell Service (AT&T): 2-3 bars Setting: near lake Recent Weather: 80s Insects: no Host: yes Rig Size: large Sites: Outside sites are by far the best. 16,17,18 are favorites .
LegendEast Dam ACE, IL: Not an interesting view from here, but well maintained campground . Quiet.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 4 for cleanliness and location for travels on nearby highway. Spillway is not particularly pretty. Price 2024: $9 w interagency pass Security: No gate Usage during visit: 60% during the week Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: No Site Spacing: Good Pad surface: Blacktop Reservations: Required. Can be made upon arrival through rec.gov Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: No Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: At nearby ACE campground Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: In adjacent day use area Showers: No. Nearby - check w host. Pull Throughs: Some Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars Setting: along Kaskasia River/ spillway Recent Weather: 80s Insects: no Host: yes Rig Size: large Sites: Some sites are along the spillway.
GuideReally 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.
LegendNice little campground close to down town St Louis (when the leaves are down I bet you can see the Arch). Campsites are nice and flat with the standard picnic tables and fire rings. No showers, but decent toilets. The nice thing is the campground is staffed by rangers in the day, and at night they sometimes take a security swing through the campground. Nice lake for fishing and boating.
TravelerTook the youngest kids for their first camping trip, and it could not have been better. Plenty of space, site was level for our tents and had a nice, soft carpet of pine needles, facilities in great shape (didn't use the showers, but they looked decent and were fairly popular), nice sink in the laundry room we used to fill our dish-washing tubs, good neighbors, nobody too noisy and folks generally kind and friendly. Really enjoyed being on the tents-only side of the campground--allowed for a clear, wide view of the landscape and the fall colors. Hiking is some of the best in Missouri.
I will say that the "walk-in" sites didn't seem to have much privacy and weren't very far from the parking lot, if that matters to you.
All in all, you can't get much better for tent camping.
LegendNice state park close to St Louis. Good, if short, trails. The campground is used a lot by RV and campers, not so much by tenters. Lots of campsites had electric. All had the standard pininic tables and fire rings, and the campground has a decent and clean shower house. You might end up pitching your tent on a parking pad as many tent sites don't have level grassy spots for your tent. Sites are not very private, and some are right on top of the next. I like sites 65 and 58 for their privacy or grassy tent spots.
GuideWe stayed here as we blitzed across the country (16 hour days!!) This was the perfect flat spot right off of the highway for us to pull in, open our roof top tent, eat some freeze dried food and go to bed.
There is a 24/7 security guard who takes you to your site (Security and maybe because one could easily get lost?) Showers and restrooms are located throughout the campground.
Truthfully, we were only there for maybe 8 hours before we got back in the car and took off again. I would definitely stay again in our larger trailer if we find ourselves in the area because of it's location to St. Louis it's a clear draw for those who want to visit the city and stay... not in the city.
Discover the charm of tent camping near Smithton, Illinois, where nature meets comfort and adventure awaits. With a variety of campgrounds offering unique amenities and experiences, you're sure to find the perfect spot for your next outdoor getaway.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Smithton, IL is World Shooting and Recreational Complex with a 3-star rating from 1 review.
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Smithton, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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