Vincent S.
Ranger
RangerTurkey Bayou Campground
Free.Toilet. Gravel drive 4 miles but watch for potholes! beautiful scenery. Raccoons!!!
Camping near Vienna, IL
3 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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Camping in Vienna, Illinois centers on the Shawnee National Forest region, with a mix of established campgrounds and dispersed options. The Shawnee Forest Campground provides full hookup RV sites on a converted golf course with fishing ponds, while nearby Lake Glendale Recreation Area offers boat-in access and primitive camping. Several campgrounds like Oak Point Campground accommodate both tent and RV camping, with dispersed options available at Jackson Falls for those seeking a more remote experience.
Road access to most camping areas remains reliable year-round, though some campground facilities operate seasonally. Several campgrounds like Redbud at Bell Smith Springs operate from March to December, while others maintain year-round availability. "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," noted one camper about Shawnee Forest Campground. Cell service varies throughout the region, with better coverage near Vienna proper and diminished signals in more remote forest areas. Many campgrounds provide basic amenities like picnic tables and fire rings, though dispersed camping areas typically lack facilities.
Campers particularly appreciate the fishing opportunities throughout the region, with multiple campgrounds featuring ponds or lake access. The converted golf course at Shawnee Forest Campground creates unique walking paths around fishing ponds, though reviews mention some path maintenance issues. Reviews highlight the convenience of the area for exploring nearby natural attractions. As one visitor noted, "We camped with friends here for a long weekend. It was an old golf course which made great walking and bike trails. Kids loved that. We hiked in Little Grand Canyon and ate at Giant City Lodge." Proximity to highlights like Garden of the Gods makes Vienna an excellent base camp for exploring the Shawnee National Forest region, with most campgrounds situated within reasonable driving distance of these natural attractions.
Best Campgrounds near Vienna (134)
1. Shawnee Forest Campground
"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."
"Super friendly camp host, conveniently located off the interstate and feels pretty secure and tranquil. I will say some of the gravel was washed out which is surprising given how dry it’s been."
Check Availabilityfrom $40 / night
2. Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs
"However, by Saturday morning (Easter weekend) all but 5 sites had cleared out and we had the place nearly to ourselves for the rest of the stay. "
"This campground is super remote and is near a couple trails with waterfalls."
Check Availabilityfrom $15 / night
3. Jackson Falls
"Jackson offers some of the best rock climbing in southern Illinois. There are about 60 climbing areas along the sandstone bluffs and freestanding boulders, with multiple routes."
"We are a Jeep family so I may have more experience than others in off-roading. We opted to turn around and stay at the main parking lot which is VERY accessible."
4. Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
"Had very nice trails, very clean. Forest is beautiful. We camped at the primitive area spot 11. Spots are pretty dam close to each other. There is camping you can walk off to."
"Great campground away from roads and noise. Goreville is small local town with grocery store and service station for supplies. South LOOP sites 1-23 are first come sites."
Check Availabilityfrom $18 / night
5. Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
"Ferne Cliffe State Park is situated in the Shawnee National Forest, in the southern part of Illinois."
"Dog friendly, pretty well spaced out campsites but some are used as paths with to get to farther back campsites. Good set up, not too close to neighbors and it’s heavily wooded in between."
6. Oak Point - Lake Glendale
"Our favorite in all of Illinois!!"
"Tucked into the tall pines of the Shawnee national forest, this park offers a handful of gorgeous sites for campers to enjoy, many that back right up to Lake Glendale."
Check Availabilityfrom $10 - $20 / night
7. Lake Glendale Recreation Area
"Lake Glendale is a true southern Illinois gem. They have recently improved the shower houses, the kids love the playground, and there is SO much shade!"
"Ill Iron Forge, Garden of the Gods and Trail of Tears segments on ATT cell service was spotty but I drove to Dixon Springs SP where there was a cell tower."
Check Availabilityfrom $12 - $44 / night
8. Dutchman Lake Camp
"We pulled in around midnight and left at 8 am."
"It’s off the highway down Amish/Dutch country. It has a maintained gravel road beautiful lake and in June it’s covered with lightening bugs. Lots of wild flowers and the sunset- WOW!"
9. Oak Point Campground
"Tucked into the tall pines of the Shawnee national forest, this park offers a handful of gorgeous sites for campers to enjoy, many that back right up to Lake Glendale."
"Next depending on which site you pick it can be a short walk to the lake and direct put in of your water craft. A very cool feature is that several of the sites are double."
10. Dixon Springs State Park Campground
"We were a bit nervous about this campground when reading reviews and seeing the location (there is an Impact Incarceration Program that shares the border), but I'm glad we found it."
"There was a couple nice playgrounds for the kids to play on and plenty to walk around and see."
Drive Time
- 24 min from Paducah, KY
- 58 min from Cape Girardeau, MO
- 1 hr 45 min from Evansville, IN
- 2 hrs 5 min from Owensboro, KY
Recent Camping Photos near Vienna, IL
133 Photos of 134 Vienna Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Equestrian Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
Turkey Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State ParkT
Backpack Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
Group Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park
Oak Point Campground
Oak Point - Lake Glendale
Dixon Springs State Park Campground
Lake Glendale Recreation Area
Jackson Falls
Riverview Campground
Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs
Recent Reviews near Vienna, IL
831 Reviews of 134 Vienna Campgrounds
- Vincent S.Ranger
Trail of Tears State Forest
Remove from free dispersed. $8 a night. Not free.
- WWendy
TravelerGun Creek
This is a 100 site campground on Rend Lake in Illinois. Lots of trees. Level paved sites unless you book right by the lake. Some are very steep. Bring lots to level with! We are in site 92. Away from the lake but beautiful sunshine.
- Ronald C.
GuideGun Creek
Great place easy on off the hyw sites are old so you may need to block up your RV to level it . Some sites only have electric so be careful when you book it. Heard some road noise from the HYW but the campsite had plenty of room
Loren B.TravelerNickell Branch Campground
Awesome
MickandKarla W.
LegendWhittington Woods Campground
Decent Campground
We had never stayed at Whittington Woods, but several of our camping friends have stayed here over the years while traveling through the area. At a recent RV open house, we talked with the campground (CG) owners and decided to switch our reservation from another private CG to Whittington Woods to check it out. The owners suggested sites 92 or 97, and we were able to reserve back-in site 92 with FHUs for our two-night stay. Site 92 is one of the better sites, with a large yard and good separation from neighboring sites. The CG was easy to find off I-57—follow your GPS or the signs. Check-in was quick, and we were escorted to our site. Unfortunately, one of the CG’s regular guests had set up in our reserved site 92 instead of site 93. After a brief discussion between our owner/escort and the guest, moving him was clearly not going to be a quick process. We were offered a couple of other available sites and decided to take site 93. Site 93 was a significant downgrade, with only a sliver of yard and very little separation from site 94. The sewer and electrical connections are near the center of the gravel pad, while the electrical breaker is on the opposite side of site 94. The water connection is at the very back, requiring more than 30 feet of hose for our rig. The owners were very nice, probably too nice when dealing with their“regulars,” and made the situation more tolerable by giving us a good discount for site 93. We received two bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. We normally get good performance from our T-Mobile internet with two bars, but download speed was only 41.2 Mbps. The CG Wi-Fi was better at 69.3 Mbps download. There are a lot of mature trees, so satellite/Starlink reception could be iffy depending on the site. The CG is conveniently located near I-57 and right off IL-37, although there was quite a bit of highway noise that was manageable for us. The property provides plenty of room for walking, especially with a dog, and has a decent-sized dog park. There are quite a few full-timers and regulars, with some keeping their sites well maintained and others not so much. We also saw some of the same latitude given to“regulars” when it came to keeping dogs on a leash and picking up after them. They have 5 pull throughs that are mainly used for overnighters that are handy but close together. We understand why several of our friends regularly stay here for a night or two while traveling to and from Florida. Whittington Woods is conveniently located off I-57 and offers FHUs, making the CG a practical overnight stop. Our home base is only about an hour and a half away, however, and we have better options in the area when we need a final stop to flush tanks before heading home.
- MickandKarla W.Legend
Marion/Shawnee National Forest KOA Holiday
Different than Most KOA Holidays
We were heading back to our home base and decided to check out this new KOA Holiday and dump our tanks before heading home. The campground (CG) was approximately 10 miles and 20 minutes off I-57 on southern Illinois backcountry roads. Along the way, we encountered a suspiciously low power line that our 13.5'-high rig cleared. Small KOA signs guided us all the way in. We've stayed at many KOAs and particularly enjoyed KOA Holidays for their service and amenities, but this CG was not what we expected. We arrived at a large gravel parking area and found a check-in room at the end of a warehouse, with envelopes on a bulletin board and a phone number to request an escort. Since the RV sites were down a steep hill, we checked our assigned Creek Side site 26 before moving our rig. Sites 23–26 sat in a bowl at the bottom of the CG, with little room to maneuver our 41' fifth wheel and F450. The escort number went to voicemail, but we reached the manager using the CG brochure number. He agreed our rig wouldn't fit and moved us to back-in site 18 on the hill. All RV sites were back-ins. Creek Side sites appeared better suited for smaller RVs, although larger rigs might fit sites 23 and 24. We later discovered the main KOA office near the marina, which handled cabin check-ins, food, and boat rentals. Sites 1–19 were former pull-through motorcoach sites converted to back-ins, with utilities on the opposite side to accommodate other RVs. Our site 18 was exceptionally wide but close to neighboring sites. We positioned our rig toward the right side of the gravel pad (facing the site) to maintain reasonable access to hookups. The electrical pedestal was at the far back, requiring approximately 35' of power cord to accommodate our toy hauler's rear deck. The wide pad provided plenty of parking for a tow vehicle or boat. However, the CG brochure listed a $75 fee for parking boats or trailers at sites, and a marina sign listed a $50 launch fee. We couldn't determine how these fees applied. Water pressure was excellent, so use a regulator. CG Wi-Fi delivered 20.9 Mbps, Verizon had two bars, and T-Mobile had three. Our T-Mobile Home Internet delivered 358 Mbps, allowing us to stream golf and football. With no trees around the RV sites, satellite reception shouldn't be a problem. Some sites had limited lake views, but don't expect panoramic views or direct lake access. The CG had undergone considerable improvements, including attractive cabins, several right on the lake. KOA cabins were mixed with privately owned cabins, while lake access was concentrated near the small marina and swimming area. We expected more direct lake access and walking trails, but neither was available from the RV sites. A standard fenced KOA dog park was available, but longer walks with our pup were limited to a short path around the fishing pond, gravel areas, and CG roads. Considerable work and investment had gone into this CG, but our experience didn't entice us to return.
- MickandKarla W.Legend
Columbus-Belmont State Park
Nice Surprise
Columbus-Belmont State Park is a bit of a drive on country roads, but well worth the effort. We originally reserved site 28, but a large tree and its low-hanging branches presented clearance problems for our 40' fifth wheel. We spoke with the very friendly camp host, who moved us to back-in site 25 with full hookups (50/30/20 AMP). The sites are positioned at 90 degrees to the CG road, but there was enough room to maneuver our big rig into the site with a few adjustments. Our site and several others had some slope and pitch to the pads, so additional leveling blocks may be necessary. The extra effort was well worth the trouble. Water pressure was okay. We had one bar on Verizon and two bars on T-Mobile. The CG did not provide Wi-Fi, but our T-Mobile Home Internet worked exceptionally well, with download speeds of 345 Mbps. There were numerous large, mature trees throughout the CG, so satellite reception, including Starlink, could be challenging depending on the site and whether you can reposition the dish to find a clear view of the sky. We've stayed at hundreds of campgrounds over the years, but until Columbus-Belmont, we'd never used the word"immaculate" to describe one. The CG sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, and our site 25 had a beautiful river view from our toy hauler's deck. The park also has plenty of interesting Civil War history to explore. Barge operations along the river below the CG generated some daytime noise, but nothing we found particularly bothersome. Between the immaculate grounds, beautiful setting, and historical significance, Columbus-Belmont was well worth the drive and a place we'd gladly return to.
- DDavid B.Traveler
General Watkins Conservation Area
Nice quiet little spot. 4 spots. Have fire rings and picnic tables.
Guide to Vienna
Dispersed camping opportunities near Vienna, Illinois center primarily around Shawnee National Forest at elevations ranging from 340 to 700 feet above sea level. The region features sandstone bluffs, natural springs, and oak-hickory forests across its rolling terrain. Summer temperatures typically range from 75-95°F with high humidity, while winter camping requires preparation for freezing temperatures and occasional snow.
What to do
Waterfall hunting: 3-mile hike at Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area leads to multiple water features. "Just around the corner(or down the trail at the start of camp) is a network of hiking trails. They scurry around cliffs, falls and ravines. We found small pools perfect for a summer dip. Half the hikers were carrying towels so it must be a common plan," notes one visitor.
Lake recreation: paddling and fishing at Lake Glendale Recreation Area offers boat rentals and multiple access points. "Electric motors only on the lake," according to visitors, with multiple campers noting the lake trail that connects all facilities: "The trail around the lake is about 3 miles; a nice hike that really gives you a good look at the park."
Rock climbing: advanced technical routes at Jackson Falls attract climbers from across the region. "This place is popular with climbers," notes one visitor, while another adds: "Beautiful location. Definitely off the beaten path. There was another group of campers but they camped on the trail."
What campers like
Dark skies for stargazing: The remote locations mean minimal light pollution. At Ferne Clyffe State Park, campers enjoy clear night viewing. "There was a ton of wildlife though and it was really neat to listen to all the different species throughout the night. Overall the grounds are quite nice."
Peaceful morning walks: Most campgrounds feature interconnected trail systems. "There are lots of well maintained trails to hike... hikes that include bluffs, caves, creeks, etc. Our favorite is Hawk's Cave Trail. It's an easy hike and the kids explored the caves for hours!"
Wildlife observation opportunities: Early risers often spot deer, foxes, and various bird species. "Also in this park is a little lake and a gorgeous waterfall. We will be back again next year. One of our favorites!" reports a Turkey Ridge camper.
What you should know
Seasonal facility closures: Many campground amenities operate on limited schedules. At Dixon Springs State Park Campground, "Pool was closed on Labor Day weekend???" notes one camper, while another mentions: "There is a minimum security correctional facility on the property... You will hear them from your campsite - it's about it 300' away."
Road access limitations: Heavy rain can impact accessibility to certain areas. A Jackson Falls visitor cautions: "Grave Road getting there was a bit rough for my Ram Promaster. Hill down to trail head could get slick if wet weather. Was alittle nervous getting out after it had rained."
Poison ivy prevalence: The plant grows throughout the region. "The poison ivy is EVERYWHERE. Anywhere you see trees and bushes, there will be poison ivy. It was definitely nerve wracking putting up the hammock," warns one Dixon Springs visitor.
Tips for camping with families
Swimming options: fee-based access to swimming areas provides relief during summer months. "A nearby beach is available to enjoy during the summer as well as hiking trails," notes an Oak Point Campground visitor. Another adds: "A short jont down the road you have a boat loading area to go out on the lake, a public picnic area, and a beach where you can swim (for a small fee) or rent paddle boats."
Kid-friendly hiking routes: Several trails accommodate younger hikers. "Rebman trail is good for anyone including little kids," suggests one camper, while another family mentions their camping ritual: "We have been coming to Oak Point since 2006... A playground located in the electric area for the kiddos to play in and around."
Firefly viewing opportunities: Late spring and early summer evenings offer natural light shows. "Once darkness hit the fireflies in the forest were magnificent!" exclaims a Deer Ridge visitor.
Tips from RVers
Site selection criteria: Many campgrounds have limited level sites. At Shawnee Forest Campground, a camper advises: "The sites are spacious and have picnic tables and fire rings. Full hookups is a plus. Super convenient to 24 but not too close that it is loud. The sites are loose gravel and not level front to back, so you need to unhook."
Water and electrical connections: Hookup locations vary by campground. "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."
Cell service reliability: Coverage varies significantly across the region. At Shawnee Forest Campground, visitors report: "Their WiFi was very good. We got two bars on Verizon," making it one of the best places to camp near Vienna, Illinois for remote workers needing connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What amenities do Vienna campgrounds offer for visitors?
What amenities do Vienna campgrounds offer for visitors?
Campgrounds near Vienna offer diverse amenities to enhance your stay. South Marcum Campground is considered one of the nicest in Illinois, featuring numerous bathrooms, lakefront sites, and wooded options. Just a short drive from Vienna, Oak Point - Lake Glendale provides water and electric hookups at mostly private sites backing up to Lake Glendale, with a beach available for swimming. Many area campgrounds feature fishing opportunities, with Shawnee Forest Campground offering three catch-and-release ponds. Visitors can generally expect picnic tables, fire pits, and access to trails, while developed campgrounds typically provide restrooms, showers, and drinking water, creating comfortable bases for exploring the region's natural attractions.
What RV camping options are available in Vienna?
What RV camping options are available in Vienna?
Shawnee Forest Campground offers excellent RV accommodations in Vienna with spacious, level sites featuring full hook-ups. This campground was converted from a golf course in 2016 and can accommodate larger rigs - reviewers mention successfully parking 35-foot motorhomes with attached vehicles. For RV campers looking to explore beyond Vienna, South Sandusky Campground at Rend Lake offers full hookups with spacious sites that can accommodate big rigs. It's a Corps of Engineers campground where America the Beautiful passes are accepted. The campground is well-maintained and offers a variety of amenities that make it suitable for extended RV stays.
Where are the campgrounds near Vienna, Illinois located?
Where are the campgrounds near Vienna, Illinois located?
Vienna, Illinois is surrounded by several excellent camping options in the scenic Shawnee National Forest region. Shawnee Forest Campground is conveniently located in Vienna itself with easy access to the tunnel state trail (about 9 miles to the tunnel). Just a short drive from Vienna, you'll find Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park situated in a beautiful limestone setting within the Shawnee National Forest. Other nearby options include Rend Lake campgrounds and various sites throughout the Shawnee Forest area, all within reasonable driving distance of Vienna.
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