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Located in the Middle of Southern Illinois just Off I-24 it is a great place to stay while you explore all the the Shawnee Forest. From Giant City to Garden of the Gods. The Tunnel Hill bike trail is a half mile away and Cache River is just down the road. We have 60 Full Hook up sites. Large pull through sites up to 120 feet long. We have Shower Houses and Laundry Facilities. Our Campground is Open Year Round.
$40 / night
Apple Creek Conservation Area is located in northeast Cape Girardeau County, three miles east of New Wells on Route CC. The Missouri Department of Conservation created Apple Creek Conservation Area in 1986 with the purchase of 2,100 acres from several landowners.
Steep hills and narrow valleys characterize this area, and approximately 2.5 miles of Apple Creek stream frontage forms its northern border.
The Conservation Department has created watering ponds and planted food plots and agricultural crops within the forest to provide additional food sources for wildlife.
Horseback riders can ride directly to their own Class C Equestrian campground on the trail, or drive to it in their vehicles. Up to 25 riders can be accommodated at the site, which includes picnic tables, drinking water, cooking grills, toilets, parking and showers. The campground is well-shaded by an abundance of trees, and you must protect the trees by tying horses to the hitching rails. No horse rental is available.
Located on a northwest finger of beautiful Kinkaid Lake, Johnson Creek Recreation Area offers a variety of outdoor activities. Here you will find something for everyone in the family, from camping and kayaking to hiking along the lake, biking the scenic roads and horseback riding. Recreation Area Brochure/Map
This 34 acre farm in Western Kentucky is surrounded on all sides by rolling woodland and farmland. Wildlife, sunsets and starlit skies abound.
**Visit us April 8th, 2024 for the total Solar Eclipse!
$30 - $90 / night
Get a true Ondessonk camping experience by sleeping among the trees or under a waterfall. One of the highlights of an Ondessonk visit, our 3-sided treehouse cabin units take full advantage of their natural surroundings. They are intentionally designed and located to maximize visitors’ experience of tranquility and inspiration of nature. All cabin units have fire pits, benches, picnic tables, a potable water spigot, an outhouse, and are within a short walk to a shower house. There are also many areas at Camp to pitch a tent, or for those who don’t wish to rough it, rent a hostel-style room in our St. Noel Center.
$6 - $16 / night
Legend
We’d seen signs for Shawnee Forest Campground (CG) many times as we headed out and back from our St. Louis home base and wanted to check this CG out. We followed our GPS to the clearly marked CG entrance but our GPS showed we still had about a half mile to go. We checked in at the little office and were given the choice of pull through sites with FHUs 12 or 21. We chose site 21. The gravel roads are slightly narrow with some trees but we did not have any issues getting to site 21. The water and electric(50/30/20 AMP) are at the back of the gravel pad. There are two sewer hookups, which was nice. The water pressure was good around 50 psi. Their WiFi was very good. There are mature trees here and there in the CG, so satellite should not be an issue. We got two bars on Verizon. Each of the bath houses have a washer and dryer. Our site was not level and with all the rain we had, there were water puddles at the steps. There are some nice sites in this CG but we were not offered one of the better ones even though there were plenty of sites open in the upper 26- 50 site area. If we come back, we’ll know where to ask for a site. They have a small lake and two ponds for fishing. There's no formal dog area, but there are paved trails around the large CG area, which made it nice to walk our dogs.
Scout
This campground provides large spots, drinking water, vault toliets, dumpsters, picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and contactless check in. I also appreciate the value of these sites. It really is a reasonable rate for forest camping.
ScoutWe stayed 4 days and had a great time. The camp was clean and well maintained. The staff are very friendly and helpful and was more than happy to offer places to visit in the area, places to eat and provide assistance as needed. The trails are paved so we had a nice area to walk (twice around the lake from our site was 3 miles). :) We plan to visit again!
ScoutGreat little stop, everything is clean and a fresh shower was refreshing.
GuideStayed here on the way to and from Florida (home in Minnesota). Very nice campground. Well maintained, big sites for our 40ft fifth wheel, great sunrise/sunset views, and the bathrooms are very clean and well lite. The gentleman/host that greeted us at the office upon arrival was polite and helpful. Will definitely stay again!
Guide
We stayed at Giant City in February on a very cold weekend. It was still a fantastic trip! The campsites, fire pits and pit toilets were well maintained. The shorter trails in the park were beautiful even in the winter. The Lodge also had excellent food and a very cozy feel. Definitely visit the Lodge!!
ScoutCame to this campsite with my boyfriend and I as well as our two dogs. We were in spot 51, we have a large 8 person tent and need water & electricity so we rent out RV spots instead of the typical tent spots. When we arrived after our 15 hour drive, someone decided to park in our site. Once they moved we were able to start putting up our tent which was on a hill so we were slanted throughout the night. A family rented out the entire rest of the cul-de-sac, which isn’t the parks fault, but they claimed the pavilion and surrounding area. I would call this more of “suburb camping” because there are hardly any trees for privacy, large open fields of grass, and you are 2 minutes from the highway, food, and gas stations. It is only a single bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower instead of any stalls. They provide WiFi that did not work for us, we had better connection with our cellular data. No garbages anywhere in the campsite, thankfully we had our own garbage bags and tossed it in the dumpster before we left. It was fine to crash for one night, but I wouldn’t want to stay here for an extended period of time.
GuideThis was one of the best I have stayed out. I met some nice people, Manager helped me get my electric set up, (user error), Facilities clean and very nice, roads and park well taken care of..
ScoutEasy access, very clean facilities and lots to do and see nearby, friendly service. The constant interstate noise is a bit annoying
RangerThis campground is very clean! Large open sites- shade is minimal for most sites but we had a beautiful large site with some shade (site 51). They have new trees planted.
There is no pool or activities for kids but we went out and explored the area
Beautiful walking/bike paths around the property
Hosts were very kind and helpful, we felt very welcomed!
There is some freeway noise but didn’t bother us at all
Laundry and bathroom facilities were very clean - was great to do a laundry mid trip!
GuideIt's a level spot with gravel, so it's a "clean" place in damp weather. No much right there, but Apple Creek is a very short distance north on the gravel road. The creek is a good place to fish and you can launch a kayak the boat ramp. A picnic table and trash can were also on the site.
RangerThere are numerous state park campgrounds in the area, but we stayed here for the full Hookups and available wifi. Just of I-24, was a plus as well. We did hear traffic noise from the interstate, but it was tolerable. Showers were clean. With a discount from this app, we saved $16 off our stay. Close by are dining options and a dollar general.
Traveler
We spent 5 nights on Site A5 at Crab Orchard Campground. All sites are FC/FS. Full hookups are in Loop B & it was full. Overall the campground was full but not very many people around. Appears many locals take spots on the weekends & then hold onto them during the week. The 2 nearest to us we saw on Sunday (Easter) and the only 1 more time during the 5 days. Someone in one of the sites by the late (A9, A11 or A13 I think) said they saw snakes but we never saw any and our dogs would have noticed.
Showers and restrooms are nice. Ones in Loop A are no new (Loop Bs are new) but still nice. Lots of hot water.
Lots of trails (within 10-30 minute drive). Fishing was good (especially catfish and crappie). Went into Carbondale a few times. Also went South to Alto Pass but wineries all closed on Tuesday; locals told us they are open more hours during summer.
ScoutThis is a very spacious campsite. The bathrooms and new laundry room are clean.
Guide
Lots of choice camping spots! Serene and private. Beautiful rolling farmland, just minutes from town. They also offer tiny home rentals, yurt-style glamping tents, RV spots with 30 amp, 50 amp and 110 outlets, and The Art Barn for larger groups, retreats or family reunions.
GuideEasy in/out, reasonable rates, but pretty plain. Used to be a golf course, so few spots have any trees that could provide shade as of 2022. Host was nice, matter of fact and all business.
Stayed here twice, once on the way out to Yellowstone, and once on the way back. The nearby town is small and kind of dumpy.
Was fine for a one night stay. Giving it an average, 3 star rating.
ScoutGreat spot just a quick trip, good Wi-Fi, nice setting easy to get in and out.
GuideCheap campground that is clean and quiet. The back in site we had overlooked the lake. For the price, you can’t beat the view. If I return to the area, I would stay here again
ScoutEasy access from interstate, full hook-ups, clean bathhouse and friendly camp hosts. Only stayed one night, quick stop on way home but will definitely be back when we when head this way again.
Guide
I’ve stayed here a couple of time, car camping and tent camping. You have to walk from the parking lot into the basic sites but they are super close. Trying here was nice, and campsites a quiet and well taken care of. My only complain is the trails in this park are not clearly marked and they do not offer maps you can take with you. Other than it’s a great place!
GuideNice campground, loved having electric, water, and sewer hookups.
GuideCame here for a weekend getaway, to camp, hike and visit wineries, and was not disappointed. The campground is good, and camp hosts very friendly and helpful. Lots of trees for shade. Narrow roads with tight curves, along with the trees, made for a bit of a challenge. The hiking trails are beautiful, and not too crowded. There are many wineries within a short drive of the camp, which made for a fun afternoon. Really enjoyed our weekend here, and plan to return.
RangerSpacious and level sites with full hook-ups. The campground is convenient to all of the attractions in the area. There is easy access to the tunnel state trail in Vienna. It’s about a 9 mile ride to the tunnel. Be sure to visit Garden of the Gods. Really remarkable.
We very much enjoyed our stay and will return!
ScoutPerfect place! You can go fishing (catch & release). Visit Garden of the Gods and much more! Friendly, helpful , clean and easy sites to pull into.
GuideWe camped with friends here for a long weekend. Sites were fairly flat. We had site 58 & 59. Lots of green space not many trees for shade. It was an old golf course which made great walking and bike trails. Kids loved that.
Only complaint was the road noise. Great thing is it is right off the highway, bad thing is you can hear the Highway. 🤪
We hiked in Little Grand Canyon. And ate at Giant City Lodge and played at the Castle park. This campground was a good location for those things. We plan on coming back to hike Garden if the Gods.
Also it was nice that it was open year round. We camped in November and the shower house was working.
ScoutThis is an old golf course. Lots of green grass not many trees. Friendly staff. Very clean. Close to I-24. Would definitely stay again when traveling through area.
ScoutWhile they cater mainly to RV's, they do allow pitching tents. Angela was super friendly and helpful in selecting a site best for pitching a tent. It was moderately busy with RVs. The bathrooms were very clean and grounds generally well kept. It's quiet at night but it is near the highway and a relatively slow main road, so you will get some traffic noise, especially if your not in a motor home. All in, it was a great quick stop for us as we travel north.
Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With various campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the scenic trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Thebes, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Thebes, IL is Shawnee Forest Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 33 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Thebes, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Thebes, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
