Best Campgrounds near Trenton, IL

Campgrounds in the Trenton, Illinois area primarily cluster around Carlyle Lake, the largest lake in Illinois, with a mix of developed facilities and natural settings. Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area provides cabins and both powered and non-powered campsites through its Illini Campground, while several Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds like Dam West, Dam East, and Coles Creek Recreation Area offer additional camping opportunities around the lake. Most campgrounds accommodate tents, RVs, and some feature cabin rentals, with accessibility options ranging from boat-in sites to drive-up convenience for larger vehicles.

Seasonal considerations affect camping experiences throughout the region, with most campgrounds operating from spring through fall, typically April through October. Dam West Campground maintains a season from March 30 to October 30, while Boulder Recreation Area runs from April 13 to October 12. Flooding can occasionally restrict access to certain areas, particularly during spring months. The campgrounds typically feature electric hookups, with many offering water access directly at sites or nearby. Several developed campgrounds provide shower facilities, though availability varies by location. One visitor noted, "This is our favorite campground with 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."

Lakeside camping receives consistently high ratings from visitors, with many mixed-use campgrounds providing direct access to Carlyle Lake's shoreline. Concrete pads at many sites accommodate larger RVs, while shade trees provide relief during summer months. The Dam West area includes amenities like playgrounds and amphitheaters, with biking and walking paths connecting various recreation areas. Campers frequently mention the wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the region. As described in feedback on The Dyrt, "This campground is perfect for taking long walks and bike riding. There are two swimming pools close by but none in the campground." Additionally, several campgrounds in the area feature good fishing access, particularly with a boat, and many camping areas include beach access within walking distance of the campsites.

Best Camping Sites Near Trenton, Illinois (61)

    1. Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area

    26 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-3015

    $15 - $30 / night

    "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."

    2. Scott AFB FamCamp

    4 Reviews
    Mascoutah, IL
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 256-2067

    "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."

    3. Dam West Spillway

    10 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-5253

    $30 / night

    "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."

    4. Dam West Campground

    9 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-4410

    $20 - $60 / 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. "

    5. Coles Creek Recreation Area

    14 Reviews
    Keyesport, IL
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 226-3211

    $20 - $250 / night

    "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!"

    6. Dam East Recreation Area

    6 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-4410

    "Overall Rating: 4 for cleanliness and location for travels on nearby highway. Spillway is not particularly pretty."

    "Every camping spot has trees surrounding it so it’s very"

    7. COE Lake Carlyle McNair Campground

    4 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-2484

    "Quiet and plenty of trees and a walking path. A beach to swim at and a dock to fish off. A playground for kids. You can tent camp in a.few places but mai.ly for electric campers and.RV's."

    "There's miles and miles of walking and biking trails! The sites are pretty generously sized. The host was nice and the price was fantastic! I paid $42 for 4 nights."

    8. Horseshoe Lake State Park Campground

    10 Reviews
    Collinsville, IL
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 931-0270

    "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."

    9. Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground

    13 Reviews
    Keyesport, IL
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 226-3586

    $20 - $40 / night

    "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!"

    10. Tomahawk Campground

    1 Review
    Highland, IL
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 669-2781
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Recent Reviews near Trenton, IL

321 Reviews of 61 Trenton Campgrounds


  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2025

    Dam West Campground

    Beautiful campground at a minimum $

    This campground is heavenly and peaceful. Lots of migrant waterfowl. Pelicans, egrets, blue herons….

  • Chip
    Sep. 2, 2025

    World Shooting and Recreational Complex

    Lot's of full hookups

    This was our first camp in our new to us travel trailer. Not many trees.  Site has tons of camping sites so finding a spot should not be an issue.  This is the site of the American Trap Shooters Association "Grand" Event.  During that event the first couple weeks in August the campground is full.  We were here last weekend in August. Only one other camper within sight of our spot Friday night and they were gone Saturday morning.  There is a shower house I believe but could not access a couple of the doors I tried.  I imagine they had some unlocked but I didn't try all the doors when I was there.

  • Mickie S.
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Okaw Valley Kampground

    Great experience

    This is a great campground and the owners are awesome! My husband and I are riding our bicycles cross country. The day we checked into the campground,he had a Crohn's flare/bowel block and went to the hospital for 4 days. The owners stored our bikes, watched our tent, and even picked us up from the hospital! Such nice people! The campground is clean, has a great showerhouse, lots of trees, and even has recliners in the laundry room. I highly recommend staying here!

  • Lisa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 27, 2025

    Dam East - Mcnair Campground

    Peaceful and quiet

    Another really nice COE campground. With our pass for seniors, we only paid $10 for electric. The sites were a little closer together than normal COE’s but still plenty of room. Water spicket’s were placed throughout the park but not at each site. There was a lake with a swim beach and two playgrounds. Sites were very level. Nice and shady. Close to town. Well maintained showers.

  • Natasha T.
    Aug. 21, 2025

    Cahokia RV Parque

    Very clean place with reasonable prices. price

    They were so accommodating. Even on the phone I didnt feel like a burden

  • R
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Okaw Valley Kampground

    Great place to stay overnight

    The owner, Barb, was very friendly and helpful. We had a pull through just for overnight, and it was perfect.
    The park appeared well taken care of, and the pool looked clean.

  • Julie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Love's RV Hookup-Hamel IL 578

    Good for a truck stop, busy and loud

    Easy reservation system online. $60 is a bit pricey for one night. Electricity and water at each spot which are concrete slabs. Typical super busy truck stop with bright lights and lots of action but safe and convenient.

  • Stephanie S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2025

    Boulder Rec. Area - COE Campground

    Spacious and clean

    Campground was well maintained with spacious campsites. I tried to get a spot on the water but they were all reserved, they looked really nice so I would try to get it in the future. Showers were nice with air conditioning. I would say this is more of a campsite for RVs but it worked fine with our tent. Host was nice and helpful.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 6, 2025

    Okaw Valley Kampground

    Ok for a one night stay

    The owners are friendly. The pool is well-maintained and pleasant. The campsite is an old KOA frozen in time. It's clean but dated. Water and electricity are available on site with an old picnic table. Only one bathhouse (toilet, shower) is a bit far from our site.


Guide to Trenton

Camping spots near Trenton, Illinois center around Carlyle Lake, where average water levels vary by 5-10 feet seasonally due to flood control management. The recreation areas surrounding the lake feature extensive trail systems connecting multiple campgrounds, with most trails paved for multi-use activities. Most campgrounds maintain operating seasons from April through October, with some areas prone to closure during high water periods.

What to Do

Biking on paved trails: Boulder Recreation Area connects to an extensive trail system along Carlyle Lake. "Only stayed here once. Nothing bad but like others nearby even better," shares one visitor who appreciated the well-maintained paths around the Boulder Rec. Area.

Wildlife viewing: Early morning and evening hours provide prime opportunities for spotting deer and waterfowl. "Oh and lots of deer bed down in the grassy areas at night, which was a fun thing to see!" notes a camper at Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.

Fishing from shore: The spillway area offers accessible fishing spots without needing a boat. "Pretty nice area, there were alot of people when we were there. But alot of good trails and fishing at the spillway," mentions a visitor to Dam West Spillway.

Swimming at dedicated beaches: Several campgrounds offer beach access within walking distance. "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," reports a Dam West camper.

What Campers Like

Spacious campsites: Many campers appreciate the generous site sizing throughout the area. "Campsites are large with plenty of room for camper and vehicles," notes a visitor to Boulder Recreation Area.

Clean facilities: The shower houses and restrooms receive consistent praise for cleanliness. "The bathrooms and shower facilities are FABULOUS, and super clean. They smell like the laundry facilities as well, so great all around there," writes a Dam West Spillway visitor.

Water views: Lakefront sites are highly sought after but available with advance planning. "Our site was on the shore and had good spacing from others. The bathrooms, showers, and laundry all close by. Good hot water in the showers," reports a Boulder Recreation Area camper.

Affordable pricing: Corps of Engineers campgrounds offer discounts for federal pass holders. "Only negatives is that this campground is not open year-round," notes a visitor to Dam West Campground, where prices remain reasonable compared to private alternatives.

What You Should Know

Seasonal flooding affects access: Some campgrounds close temporarily during high water periods. "This park offers playground areas and more. Cabins, campsites with power or no power the choice is yours. However there are times this park cannot be accessed because of flooding," explains a camper at Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area.

Reservations essential for weekends: Popular sites book up quickly, especially during summer. "We arrived at this campground at 11am on a Friday only to find that that the first-come, first-serve sites were already full," reports a Dam West visitor.

Water quality concerns: Some visitors report issues with water supplies early in the season. "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," shares an Eldon Hazlet camper.

Varying bathroom standards: Facilities range from modern air-conditioned buildings to basic pit toilets. "The pit toilets that were spread across the campground were in horrendous condition and had wasps, spiders, and other critters hanging out," warns a visitor to Coles Creek Recreation Area.

Tips for Camping with Families

Playground options: Multiple recreation areas feature playground equipment for different age groups. "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," notes a visitor to Eldon Hazlet State Park.

Halloween events: Eldon Hazlet hosts special seasonal activities with advance planning required. "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. The campground also provides pumpkin painting contests and other fun activities," explains a camper.

Proximity to supplies: Most campgrounds maintain a 10-20 minute drive to retail options. "Walmart is just 5-10min away if needed as well as restaurants, gas station, and other amenities in Carlyle nearby," shares an Illini Campground visitor.

Varying beach conditions: Swimming areas may have limited facilities. "We were within a few minutes drive of the main lake beach and facilities that include a restaraunt and visitors center. A 7 minute drive gets you into the town of Carlyle which has all the necessities- food, gas and Walmart," explains an Eldon Hazlet camper.

Tips from RVers

Full hookup availability: Several campgrounds offer limited full-hookup sites. "If you are needing a full hookup site, make sure you book early!" advises a visitor to Coles Creek Recreation Area.

Level site considerations: Many concrete pads require minimal leveling. "We stayed in site #7 for one night in the spring. Some sites are spacious, others are pretty cramped," notes an Eldon Hazlet camper, highlighting the variability between sites.

Shower facility locations: Planning for bathroom access can improve the camping experience. "Unless you have a restroom in your rig, be prepared to walk up to the showerhouse," advises a visitor to Eldon Hazlet State Park.

Winter camping options: Limited camping spots remain open during off-season months. "I started in the East Spillway Loop as that's all that's open in the winter. Easy bike ride into the town of Carlyle," shares a camper at COE Lake Carlyle McNair Campground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular campground near Trenton, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Trenton, IL is Illini Campground — Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 26 reviews.