63 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Several campgrounds near Highland, Illinois provide camping access along the shores of Carlyle Lake, the largest lake in Illinois. Major established options include Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area's Illini Campground, Dam West Campground, and Coles Creek Recreation Area, all offering tent, RV, and some cabin accommodations. Rustic Acres Jellystone, located about 15 miles northwest of Highland, provides family-oriented camping with tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin rentals. Tomahawk Campground in Pocahontas offers year-round camping approximately 8 miles from Highland.
Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally, with peak availability from April through October. Dam West Campground specifically operates from March 30 to October 30, while Boulder Recreation Area runs from April 13 to October 12. Reservations are recommended for weekend stays during summer months when lakeside sites fill quickly. Many campgrounds offer electric hookups, water access, and sanitary dump stations for RVs. Shower and toilet facilities are available at most established sites, though amenities vary by location. A camper wrote, "Dam West Campground is heavenly and peaceful. Lots of migrant waterfowl. Pelicans, egrets, blue herons."
Lakefront access represents a significant draw for campers visiting the Highland area, with multiple campgrounds offering waterfront sites along Carlyle Lake. Dam West Campground receives particularly high ratings for its lakeside sites, which provide direct water views. Scott AFB FamCamp, while primarily serving military personnel, offers a quieter alternative with lake access about 25 miles southwest of Highland. Campers frequently mention the region's wildlife viewing opportunities, particularly bird watching along the lake shores. Horseshoe Lake State Park Campground, located near Granite City, provides another option with electric hookups and basic amenities. A recent review noted that at Dam West, "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."
"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"We chose this campground because it was near our route and we needed a place to stay for one night."
"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"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"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 - $250 / night
Check Availability"Great spot in a beautiful area close to St. Louis. No power but access to drinking water and waste water dump for just 8$."
"Horseshoe Lake is one of my most visited parks and most favorite park in the STL and surrounding areas. First off absolutely beautiful land and peace is easily achieved."
"You are on the entire opposite side of the base, away from everything, absolutely everything.."
"GREAT location for camping, especially if you run out of items and need to get something close by. Very natural, and amazing views and the feel is spectacular."
"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
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!
GuidePulled in after the office had closed. They knew we would show up late. Around 1930. Still light outside. Opened the after hours check in and there was nothing for us. Or a map. Luckily there was a number to call. We called. Lady said she was on break and would call us back. Never did. After digging through emails, we finally found what site they had assigned to us. Very small print. Due to this app we were able to use the map posted. However there was no p10 site. Just up to p09. Called the lady back. Said there’s a p10 but that she would move us to p9 in the system. Just decide to stay because we’ve been driving all day. Beautiful grounds/location. Enjoyed a nice sunset. It’s sad it’s “kept up” by these people who can’t help someone because they are on break. Appears a lot of the campers live here. Which to me doesn’t matter. But it does when you can’t help someone for 5 min. Campers are nice. Bath house is a bit dirty. But usable. Skipping a shower tonight but the toilets and sink work.
GuideThe campground is nicely shaded with large trees but not to the point that there isn't grass. Think of camping in a large manicured city park without the city. The town of Grafton is a bonus. Many restaurants and pubs.
ScoutPower / water at sites, single dump site available, at far end of runway, trees around all sites. Has a bathroom / shower / laundry bld. Nice for short visits. Annoying for more than a week.
GuideWe only booked 1 night. Location was great but we had to make lot spaces a few times due to the uneven conditions of the lot spaces. Fortunately there was a nice gentleman who worked here and found a space that suited us better. The sites to the back are much better than the ones to the front! The view of the Arch is amazing but a little sketchy … especially at night! But it worked for the night!
TravelerI've stayed here a couple times and generally like the park. I appreciate owners investing in urban RV parks and I don't expect much for amenities in these kinds of settings. The staff were pleasant on a pre-arrival phone call and at check-in—but once there was an issue, the office staff member became very argumentative and rude, consistent with other online reviews.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY WARNING DO NOT use the 30A receptacles here unless you have a surge protector with an Electrical Management System (EMS) that explicitly confirms correct wiring before connecting your RV. My equipment detected a Line/Neutral Reversal on some 30A receptacles; the 50A receptacles appeared to be wired correctly.
When I reported this life-safety hazard, the staffer’s response was, “Don’t use your surge protector—they’re not compatible with our system.” As a licensed Electrical Engineer with 30+ years of experience, I can state that this is 100% nonsense. The surge protector was correctly doing its job by flagging a major wiring fault. Do not follow the staff's advice when they tell you not to use your surge protector to "make it work." That is irresponsible advice that is literally endangering your safety.
The staff also insisted that they don't have a problem because previous 30A users without surge protectors had “no problems.” This is plausible because a Line/Neutral reversal doesn’t usually affect RV operation but the statement shows their complete lack of understanding of the actual problem.
A Line/Neutral reversal energizes the neutral side of the RV's electrical system. This means the RV chassis, appliance housings, and internal neutrals, which should be near ground potential, all become live, creating a serious shock or electrocution hazard if someone touches those RV components while grounded.
The sites are basic with level concrete pads in good condition and other utilities (water/sewer) were fine. Excellent location near the historic St. Charles district. WiFi is unusable—bring your own Internet source. Restrooms and showers are dated and not in great condition. There was also no hand soap at the bathroom sinks all weekend.
This park should be a 7/10 rating, but the electrical hazard drops it to a 5/10. The staff bring the rating down further to a 3/10.
GuideVery nice park. This is a big busy campground they have plenty of staff to handle the rush. Level concrete sites with FHU will definitely stay here again
RangerThis campground is heavenly and peaceful. Lots of migrant waterfowl. Pelicans, egrets, blue herons….
GuidePere Marquette Campground is a little gym, just past Grafton, Missouri. It is located in the Great River Road, and within 10 minutes to restaurants and bars. There is a Lodge located next door which also serves a wonderful breakfast.
Carlyle Lake sits at the heart of camping spots near Highland, Illinois, spanning 26,000 acres with over 80 miles of shoreline. Most campgrounds in this region maintain operations from April through October, with seasonal closures often extending into winter months. Water levels can fluctuate significantly throughout the year, occasionally causing temporary closures of lower-elevation campsites during heavy spring rains.
Fishing opportunities: Boulder Recreation Area provides direct lake access with multiple shoreline fishing spots. "We had a nearly private cove to fish as well," notes Julie M. about nearby Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Swimming options: Coles Creek Recreation Area features a dedicated beach for campers. "There is a beach very near the campground that is within walking distance. There are also pools located near to the campground that can be used by the public," explains Jeanie H.
Boating access: Several campgrounds offer proximity to marinas with boat launching facilities. "Overlooks the marina so you can watch boats come and go," writes Joanna M. about Boulder Rec. Area, which provides easy water access.
Spacious campsites: Many sites offer generous spacing compared to commercial campgrounds. At Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area, "Some sites are spacious, others are pretty cramped. The loop that we stayed on was close to the water with views of Carlyle Lake," reports Allen S.
Clean facilities: Bathroom and shower facilities receive consistent praise at many locations. "The bathrooms and shower facilities are FABULOUS, and super clean. They smell like the laundry facilities as well, so great all around there," notes heather S. about Dam West Spillway.
Lakefront views: Premium sites with direct water views are highly coveted. "We had a lake front site with beachfront access. It was flat ground, everyone was so nice and it was so clean and the area was lovely," shares Sarah J. about her stay at Dam West Spillway.
Reservation timing: For peak summer weekends, plan far ahead. "The campground filled up by 11am on Friday, which was a surprise to us. We lucked out and were able to reserve one of the last spots," warns Brooke C. from her experience at Eldon Hazlet.
Water quality issues: Some campers report problems with drinking water supplies. "Only complaint that I have was the potable water supply. I filled by trailer's tank at the drinking water supply when you enter the campground. It was extremely dirty with a lot of copper colored solids," cautions Allen S. about Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Facility variation: Bathroom facilities vary significantly between campgrounds. At Dam West Spillway, "The fairly clean shower house for the whole campground is up near the entrance (it also has a laundry room, but I did not check it out)," mentions Annie C.
Playground access: Multiple play areas keep children entertained. At Eldon Hazlet State Park, "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," explains Brooke C.
Special events: Some campgrounds organize seasonal activities for families. "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," shares Aimee T. about Eldon Hazlet State Park.
Nature opportunities: Wildlife viewing adds educational value for children. "Lots of migrant waterfowl. Pelicans, egrets, blue herons," observes Shawn about the variety of birds at Dam West Campground.
Site leveling challenges: Come prepared with leveling blocks at certain campgrounds. At Scott AFB FamCamp, "A lot of spots are not level, so come prepared. Some spots are shaded. Some spots are in full sun," advises MGySgt K.
Hookup availability: Hookup options vary widely between campgrounds and specific sites. "Sites are either full hookup, or electric. Many can be reserved online some are FCFS," explains Shane E. about Boulder Recreation Area.
Dump station congestion: During busy checkout periods, plan for potential delays. "Does not have sewer hook up. One dump station that is clean, black water hose provided, but used a lot. Expect to wait your turn," warns MGySgt K. about Scott AFB FamCamp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Highland, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Highland, IL is Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 26 reviews.
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