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Best Campgrounds near Bismarck, IL

351 Reviews

Central Illinois offers several established campgrounds within 30 miles of Bismarck, with options ranging from tent-only primitive sites to full-service RV parks. Kickapoo State Recreation Area near Oakwood provides both electric and non-electric campsites in wooded settings, while Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area offers more remote camping experiences with fewer amenities. Most camping areas in this region accommodate both tents and RVs, with select locations like Turkey Run State Park also featuring cabin rentals and glamping options.

Camping season generally runs from April through October, though some facilities like Prairie Pines and D&W Lake RV Park remain open year-round. Most campgrounds require reservations, particularly during summer weekends when spaces fill quickly. "The sites for RVs are HUGE. The roads are nice and wide and the views are beautiful," noted one visitor about Kickapoo State Recreation Area. Water access varies significantly between locations, with some offering boat launches, fishing piers, and paddling opportunities while others have limited facilities. Cell service is generally reliable throughout the area, but visitors should check specific campground rules regarding alcohol, as some parks strictly prohibit it.

Campers consistently highlight the mix of wooded privacy and water recreation opportunities as key attractions. Several campgrounds feature multiple lakes for fishing and boating, with Kickapoo offering canoe and kayak rentals during peak season. Trail systems connect many of the camping areas, providing hiking and mountain biking opportunities. A recent review noted, "This park has very nice hiking trails and a swimming beach. The kids had a great time, and I got to kick back and relax." Proximity to natural features like rivers and forests creates wildlife viewing opportunities, with deer and turkey commonly spotted. Noise levels vary by location, with some campers mentioning issues with nearby speedways during weekend events. Most campgrounds maintain shower facilities and restrooms, though maintenance quality differs across locations.

Map showing campgrounds near Bismarck, IllinoisExplore the Map

Best Camping Sites Near Bismarck, Illinois (48)

    1. Kickapoo State Recreation Area

    29 Reviews
    Oakwood, IL
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 442-4915

    $10 - $20 / night

    "Stayed here on Dec. 10, 2021 (yes the night of all the tornadoes throughout the Illinois/Kentucky/Tennessee area), I and everyone else at the campsite got pretty lucky, we were just outside the path of"

    "Great little campground in Central Illinois. Some pretty trails overlooking, beside, and sometimes through water."

    2. Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area

    2 Reviews
    Collison, IL
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 442-4915

    "This park has very nice hiking trails and a swimming beach. The kids had a great time, and I got to kick back and relax."

    3. Turkey Run State Park Campground

    71 Reviews
    Marshall, IN
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 597-2635

    $20 - $32 / night

    "Short drive from Chicago (3 hours?) and you are in lush forest. You have to pick the right campsite or you will have no cover and big campers on either side of you."

    "It is definitely designed to accommodate RVs, as the majority of the sites are situated in an open field. There are a few dozen sites that are in “loops” that are situated in shaded areas."

    4. Harry L Swartz Campground

    9 Reviews
    Penfield, IL
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 595-5692

    "Arrived on Sunday and nearly had the place to ourselves. Campgrounds are far removed from town and very quiet, large enough to feel isolated. Host sells ice and firewood for a reasonable price."

    "The drive into the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve winds between a few ponds. We saw many families fishing around each of them. Once at the campground, check in with the camp host."

    5. Forest Glen County Preserve

    2 Reviews
    Georgetown, IL
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 662-2142

    $17 - $27 / night

    "There is a nearby water source but it will need to be filtered. Other things to do...walk in the prairie, hike, climb a tower, play at the playground, picnic, etc... it’s a very nice place to visit."

    6. Vermilion County Park Forest Glen Preserve

    1 Review
    Georgetown, IL
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 662-2142

    "We did forest glen river ridge trail; started from the staff parking lot and walked about 8 miles to the east camp. We had a big group and took sites 3 and 5 because they were on a flatter ground."

    7. Off The Trail Campground

    1 Review
    Attica, IN
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 762-6189

    $9 - $49 / night

    "Lots of dogs around, pricing was about $50 a night per site. Restrooms had showers as well which made it easy to rinse off the mud. Great time all around."

    8. Shades State Park Campground

    29 Reviews
    Alamo, IN
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (765) 435-2810

    $12 - $21 / night

    "The park roads are easy to walk, and trails abound!  Trails range in difficulty, so read the park pamphlet before setting out.  Views are amazing from the trails! "

    "Located north of turkey run state park shades offers all the hiking and scenic terrain with less amenities and less crowds. Sugar creek cuts through the ancient sandstone floor creating canyon walls."

    9. D & W Lake RV Park

    14 Reviews
    Champaign, IL
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 356-3732

    "Stayed here 2 nights on our way to Northern Illinois, easy access off the interstate, sites are spacious, grounds are well maintained, staff was very courteous and friendly, nice lake with trail around"

    "It is close to the main highway, but far enough to not be noticeable.  Sites are level and in good condition.  Owner greets you on entering and then guides you to your site.  "

    10. Prairie Pines Campground

    7 Reviews
    Gifford, IL
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 893-0438

    "It's on the outskirts of town on the old Chanute AFB. They have lovely tree coverage, it's close to lots of amenities like grocery shopping, sports complex, urgent care, quick interstate access."

    "Close to Champaign, IL off I 57 is this charming, open and clean grass covered park. Large sites with full hook ups, picnic table and scattered large trees near an Air Force base."

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Recent Camping Photos near Bismarck, IL

122 Photos of 48 Bismarck Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Bismarck, IL

351 Reviews of 48 Bismarck Campgrounds

  • Cynthia K.
    Sep. 23, 2025

    Shades State Park Campground

    Primitive camping

      This is a primitive state park near Turkey Run State Park In Midwestern Indiana. First named The Shades Of Death State Park.

     The gatehouse is your only source of information. There's no nature center or visitor center. Get a park map! They do charge admission.

    This is a hikers park & it has some of the most rugged trails in Indiana. The Pine Hills Nature Preserve is maintained by the park. There's a parking area available to hike to the trailhead inside Shades. The Devils Backbone is a popular trail, but definitely on the rugged side. If you take small children(I wouldn't!) watch them carefully. 

    Trail 1 is.75M, but considered rugged. It has a lot of scenic views & a unique waterfall. Trails 4 & 5 have ladders. 

    Deers Mill Covered Bridge is on the property & there's a canoe launch. This is not a drive through bridge. The picnic area is a drive thru loop & is very nice. There's also a couple of shelters. The pond looked pretty scummy & my husband wouldn't fish in it.

     The campground is primitive camping- nonelectric. Water is available. There is a dump station. There is trail access if you don't want to drive. There's one modern showerhouse & several pit toilets. Choose your site carefully! Whitetail Loop has the showers & toilets. We did a drive thru & most all the sites looked very nice. There were mostly tents with a few popups. This wouldn't be a campground I would choose if I had a big rig.

  • Cynthia K.
    Sep. 16, 2025

    Turkey Run State Park Campground

    Nice State Park Campground

    Turkey Run State Park. Arguably one of the top 5 state parks in Indiana.

    Lots of hiking opportunities, including the fabulous Trail 3 which should be a National Trail IMO. Go hike early before 10 am. This area gets crazy busy after that. 

    Nice nature center.

    2 covered bridges.

     A swimming pool in season.

     A historic inn with a restaurant. You can rent cabins also. 

    The Lusk home has tours every Saturday in season. 

    The campground is a mile or so west of the entrance to the park.

     Electric only. 270 sites. Water is available.

     There's modern bath houses with hot showers.

     We were site 218, which is technically the Turkey Hollow area. The bath house there was clean. We liked our loop for spacious sites( for a state park).

     The Twin Oaks loop seemed denser.

     There's a double dump near the exit. There's also one dump at the end of a loop by site 60. We were happy the other 4 campers trying to dump forgot about it! 

    Trail 7 access is also at the end by site 44. It's not marked on the map.

     The camp store has the usual camping supplies & gift items. Ice & wood. 

    We enjoyed our weekend here! Even though it rained Saturday.

  • Kathy L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2025

    Prophetstown State Park Campground

    Great campground

    Great campground. Really nice campground - clean, sites with some shade (especially the section with full hookups). Lots of families enjoying camping, kids relishing the freedom of riding bikes and skateboards (unfortunately too few with helmets including one with a major black eye). Nice walking trails right off of campground. Aquatic center in park. We would return - except that crossing the country on highway 70 is brutal

  • Nadiehsda B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 21, 2025

    Newton County Fairgrounds

    2025 Fair Week (1st time)

    We stayed at the Newton County Fairgrounds during fair week & had a great experience. The grounds were clean & well kept. It was easy to get around even with all the fair activity going on. Our campsite had water & electric only, just like all of the others. The bathrooms & showers were in good condition considering how busy the week was.

    The fair itself was a lot of fun! From the 4-H shows to the carnival rides & food vendors, there was always something going on. The kids loved it! It felt very family-friendly & welcoming.

    The only thing to note is that cell service & wifi can be a little spotty, but honestly that gave us more time to just enjoy the fair & each other. Overall, we would definitely come back & recommend it to anyone looking for a good small-town fair experience with a convenient place to stay.

    Cannot wait until next year!!

  • L
    Aug. 20, 2025

    Shades State Park Campground

    It was very clean, nicely spaced, and shaded.

    Very nice campground! It was close by Turkey Run State Park, which had amazing trails, that are pictured below. (We definitely recommend Trail 3!) The campground itself was very nice and clean, as well as shaded and pretty. We were camping in August, so it wasn't very busy and we got peace. There were many fun things to do in Turkey Run, although the pool was closed in August. There was also a fun little ice cream place and store in downtown Marshall! 

      Great place overall!

  • T
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Sugar Creek Campground and Canoe Rental LLC

    Horrible experience

    To much money rv/campsites way way to small they charge for EVERYTHING INCLUDING GUEST TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO CAMP , u can only have 4 people then its 10$ per each for a weekend ridiculous

  • T
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Sugar Creek Campground and Canoe Rental LLC

    Ripped off for sure read your itinerary is what she told me 4 times instead of trying to make it right !!!!

    Experience was good , except do not get sites 33, 34 or 35 we had maybe 5ft between us and the camper beside us , no way and the electricity hookup is right there so putting out awning was so very dangerous!!!! Bc the water dripped straight onto the electric hookup and who knows if someone may have a cut or anything wrong with there cord electric shock for sure !!!! Visitors JUST TO VISIT TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO CAMP THERE 5$ each Could not cook out or anything bc there’s no room in between your camper and your neighbor’s camper They tell u to look at the four day itinerary, but we’ve always just called or got on the website and booked our site, but it is pretty ridiculous for a camper to hold six or eight and you can only have four people and then on top of that an arm and a leg just for a float to float downstream which the gal young gal told me it was 2 miles 2 to 4 hour trip and it took us an hour so basically got ripped off pretty good this weekend so make sure to read your email b4 going here ! Thank goodness we had family bc we had absolutely no room for anything Bugs horrible And they tell you to have dogs on leash , no one had their dogs on leash except us . A blue healer tried to bite one of us ! It was pouring down and the guy on golf cart while we’re trying to hurry in the rain was so worried about our card he couldn’t wait till we was leaving to turn it in . They give u a code so why not put it in your phone bc if u lose there card they charge u 40$ Seems like more of a money thing to us . We enjoy camping but my gosh break the bank here for sure no gravel on sites hardly mainly dirt and sand so come prepared to sweep your caper or rv every hour . Very very tiny sites and unacceptable for us and anyone wanting to enjoy outside of your camper with your awning

Guide to Bismarck

Camping near Bismarck, Illinois, offers a mix of beautiful nature and family-friendly activities. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are several campgrounds that cater to different needs and preferences.

What to do

  • Hiking and Exploring: Turkey Run State Park Campground is a great spot for hiking. One visitor mentioned, "From the back of the campground, you can access Trail 7, a moderate level trail that leads unexpectedly to a small stream running past a recessed cave." This park is perfect for those who love nature and want to explore scenic trails.

  • Fishing and Boating: At Cecil M Harden Lake Raccoon State Recreation Area, you can enjoy fishing and kayaking. A camper noted, "Great areas to walk your dog," which hints at the park's family-friendly atmosphere and access to water activities.

  • Amusement Park Fun: Indiana Beach Campground is close to an amusement park, making it a hit for families. One reviewer said, "Check-in quick and easy... A big bonus was that there is a shuttle bus that runs to the amusement park every half hour."

What campers like

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms and showers. A visitor at Raccoon State Recreation Area remarked, "Campground is well maintained. Bathhouse clean, plenty of showers, flush toilets."
  • Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Many campgrounds, like Prophetstown State Park Campground, are designed for families. One camper shared, "This park has it all. Multiple playgrounds for the kids, great hiking/biking trails."
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy the spaciousness of sites at places like Turkey Run State Park Campground. A review mentioned, "The campground has two large modern bathrooms that are cleaned regularly."

What you should know

  • Crowded Weekends: Many campgrounds can get busy, especially on weekends. A camper at Turkey Run noted, "If you’re here on a weekend, you’ll definitely have neighbors close by."
  • Wildlife Encounters: Be prepared for raccoons at some campgrounds. One camper humorously warned, "They will come right up to you without hesitation, so don’t be alarmed if there’s one next to you while you cook s’mores over your fire."
  • Site Conditions: Some sites may not be as level as advertised. A visitor at Raccoon State Recreation Area mentioned, "Described the pad as level when it was actually about a 30% grade."

Tips for camping with families

  • Plan for Activities: Choose campgrounds with nearby attractions. For example, Indiana Beach Campground offers a water park, which is a hit with kids. One reviewer said, "The water park in the summer is a hit for our kids."
  • Bring Entertainment: Keep kids engaged with outdoor games or crafts. A camper at Crawfordsville KOA noted, "Lots of free activities for kids. Friendly and helpful staff."
  • Check for Amenities: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds and family-friendly facilities. Prophetstown State Park Campground has multiple playgrounds, making it a great choice for families.

Tips from RVers

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure the site can accommodate your RV. A camper at Terre Haute Campground mentioned, "Most sites are gravel... Sites are very close together."
  • Be Mindful of Utilities: Some campgrounds may have limited water hookups. A visitor at Crawfordsville KOA shared, "There is only water hooks on every other site."
  • Watch for Tight Turns: If you're driving a big rig, be cautious of tight turns in campgrounds. One camper at Terre Haute Campground said, "They were able to move us to another site... What was the purpose of asking at reservation time the information about our RV and truck if you are not going to use it?"

Camping around Bismarck, IL, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RV enthusiast seeking adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular campground near Bismarck, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Bismarck, IL is Kickapoo State Recreation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 29 reviews.

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