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Best Tent Camping near Thebes, IL

395 Reviews

Tent campgrounds around Thebes, Illinois offer options for camping in natural settings across southern Illinois and neighboring Missouri. Turkey Ridge Campground at Ferne Clyffe State Park provides dedicated tent sites with walk-in access approximately 40 miles northeast of Thebes. Closer options include Lake Girardeau Conservation Area in Missouri with primitive tent sites in a more secluded environment about 30 miles west of Thebes. Dutchman Lake Camp offers dispersed tent camping with drive-in and walk-in options.

Most tent sites in the region feature basic amenities. The Turkey Ridge area includes picnic tables, fire rings, and access to drinking water and toilets, though shower facilities may be limited or unavailable at some campgrounds. Lake Girardeau Conservation Area offers more primitive conditions with vault toilets but no running water, making it necessary for campers to bring their own drinking water supply. Several tent campgrounds permit fires in designated rings, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. Sites typically have uneven, natural terrain that may require careful tent placement.

The backcountry tent experience varies significantly between locations. Ferne Clyffe State Park provides tent campers with access to numerous hiking trails featuring scenic bluffs, caves, and waterfalls. One camper noted the "sites are well-separated by a lot of shady trees" providing natural privacy between campsites. The more primitive dispersed tent camping areas like Dutchman Lake Camp allow for a more secluded experience but with fewer amenities. Lake Girardeau Conservation tent sites, while limited in number, offer good access to fishing opportunities. According to one visitor, "It is secluded and nice to just get away, but each campsite is very close to each other so there is not a lot of privacy."

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Best Tent Sites Near Thebes, Illinois (15)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Thebes, IL

6 Photos of 15 Thebes Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Thebes, IL

395 Reviews of 15 Thebes Campgrounds

  • S
    Oct. 7, 2020

    Giant City State Park Campground

    No privacy at tent camp, hike amazing!

    So first of all- I think it’s fair to state before I leave a review that my husband and I prefer primitive and private camping. The fewer people we see while we’re out, the better. We live in a city so when we camp, we want the opposite. If you enjoy RV camping or don’t mind not so Private spots, this is a decent spot to spend the night. If you like primitive/private camping- il fill you in below!

    We do tent camping and Saw there were walk-in sites and hike in sites at this campground. Usually walk-in sites are pretty private and dispersed well - atleast where we’ve been before. The 14 “primitive” camping sites were right next to eachothwr with little to no privacy at all. Good tree cover for shade but otherwise you’re basically setting up your tent and area in an open field. That was a little disappointing to us because it wasn’t what we thought we would find. The RV spots also seem super close together but again- we like things spread out so maybe it would be an OK place for some.

    The vault toilets near the tent sites were...as clean as vault toilets get! And we did not use tje shower facilities so can’t speak on that.

    If we had been just the 2 of us, we would’ve hiked in to do our camping along one of the hiking paths but we were meeting two other friends and were unsure if they would want to hike miles to a spot so we opted for the tent spots just after the RV campground. If you want more privacy for an evening of camping, you’ll need to come with your gear packed up decently enough to hike it out atleast a mile onto the trails. There is camping allowed along the trails as long as you are 100 ft from the trail so that was an option, but in certain spots along the trail it’s challenging to find a clearing (hammocks would be great along the trail). There is also an official primitive camping site halfway through the 12 mile loop of the Red Ceder Trail. We day hiked almost the whole loop but made a Weird little detour so we didn’t get to check these spots out.

    We were hoping to find a campsite that- as get as difficulty of accessibility level- was in between a 6 mile hike and the tent spots in the field but there isn’t any official spot like that even tho there’s tons of space and potential for it. Rant over about the campground. Let’s talk about the hiking! The hiking was truly awesome and felt like it balanced out my disappointment with the campground. Doing the whole 12 mile loop of tje Red Cedar Trail was a challenge for us! We really enjoyed it. In some spots, the trail markers are a little confusing, but overall it’s decently marked and the map is somewhat helpful just to kindve know vaguely where you are. The 2nd day, we went back and did about half rhe loop and also checked out the more popular section of the trails back there that include Giant City Nature Trail, Devils Stand Table, and a few others. Very cool rock formations. Pretty busy in the weekend over there but the test of the trails away from that area with those big landmarks was completely deserted and there are some super cool rock formations not on the map at all.

    Over all, this was a fun 4 days. We would return and plan on hiking out into the trails to camp for our evenings. If you like privacy around your campfire at night, I can’t recommend the campground.

  • Napunani
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Trail of Tears State Park Campground

    Back-up to the Mississippi River

    PRO 

    Senior discount saving $6 

    Able to reserve on-line 365 days prior to arriving 

    Very friendly and helpful camp host 

    Unobstructed view of the Mississippi River 

    Great dark sky viewing 

    No highway/road noise, but... 

    Asphalt parking pad surrounded by grass 

    Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

    One hook lantern pole 

    Moveable wooden picnic table in the grass 

    Toilet/shower building.35 miles from campground very nice and very clean with ample TP and hand soap 

    Firewood for sale by camp host $5 

    Mississippi River Scenic Overlook was very nice V

    Visitor Center has small museum (no admission fee) on the Trail of Tears Native American tribal migration 

    Coin-operated laundromat on South Hope Street Jackson after the roundabout 12 miles from campground 

    Tractors Restaurant Main Street Jackson very good diner type restaurant 

    CONS

    $8.50 reservation fee for online self made reservation 

    Sites that back to the river very close to each other. We stepped out our door onto the neighbors stinky slinky. Insufficient space to deploy awning. 

    Electrical utility connection is on passenger side of the campsite#6 

    Sewer connection was high above ground so drainage was up hill. Camp host warned us upon arrival we may need to use dump station to get tanks totally drained. 

    Site 6 not level side-to-side 

    Lots of trains, day and night with train horn blaring due to road crossing at campground Lots of river barge noise 

    Only one single unisex pit toilet in campground 

    No park headquarters or entrance gate office for check-in. Sign in campground informing how to conduct virtual check in. 

    No security gate closed overnight 

    No ranger patrolling campground

    No WiFi 

    2 bars Verizon LTE

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 13, 2020

    Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs

    Fun swimming holes and good hiking

    21 campsites with a fire ring/barrel, lantern post and picnic table. A couple of the campsites had damaged fire rings. Most sites should be able to fit medium size trailers, other sites have trees in the way. Vault toilets and a water station. Very quiet, clean and peaceful. Trail system is about 8 miles and has great views. Don’t forget to bring your swimming suit!

  • Cameron
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Bean Ridge Pond Campground

    Free, primitive campground, loud partiers

    Got here on a Saturday night in late September and both of the campsites were available. Campsites consist of a clearing with a fire pit and a picnic table. No litter. No toilets. Very slow and spotty AT&T service: I was able to text but not access the Internet. The area is very pretty. Soft ground for staking a tent. Bugs were alright, no need for bug spray. There’s water access at the pond, but it’s obviously stagnant and very brackish. Big downside was a convoy of Jeeps full of partiers rolled down to the pond at 12:30am and hung out down there blasting music for an hour, which is a real sleep ruiner. This might be a local party spot, so be aware and maybe pack earplugs if you’re coming on a weekend. Upside is that it’s in a National Forest, so if both sites are taken, you can always dispersed camp

  • Katie B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 3, 2025

    Dutchman Lake Camp

    Great stop for the night

    We pulled in around midnight and left at 8 am. There’s a large turnaround that could fit many vehicles, but someone was already parked there and we didn’t want to disturb them and also wanted our privacy. There a space for a vehicle to pull off and walk around some boulders to set up a camp, complete with a fire ring. Some bike-packers were already set up there. Close to the lake there is another spot for one or two vehicles. The lake surface had a lot of bug activity - no thanks! We ended up choosing a grassy space next to the curve in the road in between our neighbors. Very peaceful! No bugs.

  • Chelsea D.
    Apr. 23, 2020

    Pine Hills

    Beautiful new Picnic shelter, quiet campground

    This is a very basic campground with some shade. No hookups, really good for tent camping. The new picnic shelter is beautiful and there is seating around a fire pit. This forest does a great job of keeping restrooms very clean.

  • Jessica R.
    May. 18, 2020

    Shawnee Forest Campground

    Quiet

    The sites are nice and level. Quiet in the area. Picnic table and fire ring at every site. Park offers firewood. Pond for fishing so bring your poles. It's catch and release. Manager is very friendly and accommodates you as possible.

  • Brennan M.
    Jul. 26, 2020

    Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Very RV heavy

    I actually didn't end up camping here because it looked like a rock site. I maybe saw two tents, everyone else in big RV's. If you are doing tent camping I would look elsewhere. I might've missed an area that was more tent friendly but I didn't see it. I would do primitive with a tent probably.

  • Joy H.
    Oct. 9, 2017

    Giant City State Park Campground

    Great experience!

    Camped here for a weekend and was not disappointed! There are multiple easy to get to "primitive" campsites for tent camping but all are within an easy walk of the outhouse, water hydrant, and parking lot. There are several easy hikes within a short drive to other areas of the park. The park also has a 6 mile hike-in campsite for backpacking and a lot of electrical hookups for RV camping. The trails are over cliffs and through gorgeous boulders.

Guide to Thebes

Tent camping near Thebes, Illinois, offers a variety of scenic spots perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from secluded sites to well-equipped campgrounds, there's something for everyone.

Ideal Spots for Fishing and Water Activities

Amenities for a Comfortable Stay

  • Whippoorwill Lake Campground Resort offers a range of amenities including drinking water, showers, and picnic tables, making it a well-reviewed choice for families.
  • For a more rustic experience, Apple Creek Conservation Area provides basic facilities like trash disposal and fire pits, ideal for those looking to disconnect.
  • Willow Springs Campground boasts reservable sites with drinking water and firewood available, ensuring a comfortable camping experience.

Local Attractions and Scenic Trails

  • Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park is surrounded by stunning trails and natural features, perfect for hiking and exploring the local flora and fauna.
  • The Dutchman Lake Camp offers beautiful scenery and is a great spot for a peaceful retreat, with easy access to hiking trails.
  • Fishing Pier provides a serene environment for fishing and enjoying nature, with several nearby trails for hiking enthusiasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Thebes, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Thebes, IL is Willow Springs Campground with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Thebes, IL?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Thebes, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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