1 campground with availability next weekend
Cabin camping near Whittington ranges from rustic cabin rentals with basic amenities to deluxe cabins with electric hookups, suiting a wide range of comfort levels. Cabin options near Whittington include Whittington Woods Campground and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park Campground, which offer rustic accommodations for those seeking a forested retreat. Whittington Woods Campground provides cabins with electric hookups, while Wayne Fitzgerrell offers more basic cabin accommodations in a state park setting. Both locations feature picnic tables and fire rings at cabin sites, and are situated near Rend Lake, providing water recreation opportunities. Bathroom facilities vary by location, with some cabins requiring guests to use centralized shower houses or restrooms. "Under new ownership but many cabins from $40 a night on up, nice shower houses, electric sewer and water at a lot of sites, great trails, well marked maps available."
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. Primitive cabin options at Arrowhead Lake Campground provide more basic accommodations, while KOA-style cabins at Benton KOA offer additional amenities. Most cabins require advance reservations, especially during summer months when waterfront cabin sites fill quickly. Pet policies vary significantly between locations - Whittington Woods and Wayne Fitzgerrell both allow pets at their cabin sites, though additional fees may apply. A camper wrote: "We stayed in Shawnee Lodge in camp campus. Camp amenities include: lodges, cabins, shelters, parking, fire pits/fireplaces all with wood supplied."
Most cabins include beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries. Kitchen facilities range from basic to fully equipped depending on the cabin type and location. Rustic cabin rentals typically offer limited cooking options beyond fire rings or grills, while furnished cabins may include small refrigerators or microwaves. Nearby Benton offers grocery and supply options, though campers should arrive prepared with essentials. Washington County State Recreation Area cabins are noted for their lake views but have no running water or nearby toilets, requiring more self-sufficiency. A review mentioned: "It is overcrowded all through the week in the RV area with no great views of the lake, sadly. Two cabins but overpriced due to no running water or nearby toilet but more private and great lake views."
"There are sites with electric, water, and sewer. Several sites are right on Rend Lake. Most sites have concrete picnic tables and fire rings."
"RV or tent, book online at Recreation.Gov not all spots are level. Electric on most but not all have water. Campfire area and picnic table provided."
Available next weekend
from $20 - $30 / night
"South Marcum Campground is a Corp of Engineers campground just of I-57 in southern Illinois with over 100 reservable campsites. Sites have 30 & 50 amp Electric hookups."
"Lovely lake. If you have an E-bike, you can ride MILES around the lower portion of the lake.
We were in spot 57. Spectacular views of the lake. Lots of trees. Large spaces."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $16 - $44 / night
"So I took a drive through the Class A campground just to see it. Here’s what I discovered: the primitive section is far removed from the Class A (by a mile or two). The Class A section is HUGE!"
"Wayne Fitzgerald State Park is on Rend Lake, just off I-57 in Southern Illinois. It’s a great place for camping, fishing and bikes."
"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."
"Beautiful campground with mature trees providing lots of shade on the 100F weekend we were there. Gravel sites, level. A lot of common ground, shaded, picnic shelters."
"The gravel patio featured a huge wheelchair-accessible picnic table, fire pit with cooking grate, stand-up charcoal grill, wooden swing, and bench."
"T-Mobile worked well- issues connecting to site Wi-Fi- staff pleasant- clean- didn’t use showers- small camp store available"
"Hundreds of campsites, marinas with boat rentals, beaches and stores nearby in case you need something. This area is truly a southern Illinois gem!"
"Large spacious sites, close to swimming beaches, although not walking distance. Tree covered and offer some privacy. Great place to meet with family and friends."
"This is primarily a RV park near I-64 and on a highway. Noisy!! Bad noisy. Camp site was nice. Grassy, level, near a picnic shelter with tables. Shade trees. But only about 2-3 such sites."
"We were going to overnight park at Loves but had problems with our generator. 93 degrees at 11 pm so we splurged for a site and paid $71 for full hookups."
from $60 - $75 / night
"Just beautiful, the Corp of Engineering’s really take care of these camp grounds, very clean, most have new showers. Love it here, just wish I could stay all year round.🚴♀️🚣♀️🏊♂️"
"This is an beautiful little beach on Rend lake. The lake is an important bird habitat making it a great place for my fellow bord watchers to go!"
"Very clean, level sites, large lake with a well maintained walking trail. Lake side sites, wooded sites and regular sites in the middle. Water, 30 and 50 amp, shower house, small laundry facility."
"Campground was nice and clean, has a beautiful walking trail, the camp host was nice. The restrooms and showers were super clean. Enjoyed our stay will definitely be back."
"Showers ran cold at first but after a few mins it gets warmer! There were plenty of pit toliets through out the campground and trash cans."
"This is a small lake management by the state of Illinois. The campground is usually not crowded, but some weekends do get busy. There is a shower/bathroom that was clean each time we were there."
TravelerThis 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.
GuideGreat 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
LegendWe 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.
LegendWe 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.
GuideGreat campsite very large easy to get in and additional parking for your truck right next to your trailer
ScoutRend Lake, in Whittington, Il is just a great place to camp. From primitive to full hook ups they have what you need for a Corps of Engineers campground.
GuideI stayed at a walk-to tent site for which the price was $8 per night. Pretty solid Verizon cell signal. Clean showers and well kept. The place did sound pretty loud as far as older partiers, though around 9pm, it was near silent. I'd definitely stay here again.
GuideCampground was quiet and peaceful when I was there. Numerous trails within the park and I had them to myself while out hiking.
GuideWe arrived at 7 picked a spot in the fcfs area and were surprised that it was almost empty. We got a premium site on the water, with no other campers in sight. The website says the reservation areas were full but that was not true, you have to book 4 days in advance. The camp host was great! It will be on my list of places to overnight in the future. But the lake is beautiful and you could spend multiple days there if you wanted!
Cabin camping options near Whittington, Illinois center around Rend Lake, which spans over 18,900 acres in Franklin and Jefferson counties. The lake features 162 miles of shoreline and sits at an elevation of 405 feet. Winter cabin rentals typically experience average temperatures between 25-45°F, while summer cabin stays see temperatures between 65-90°F with higher humidity levels.
Fishing access at lakefront sites: Gun Creek provides cabin and camping options with direct lake access for fishing. "What a beautiful campground, it's our second time here. Some spots do have a fairly good slope to them," notes Jeff F. about Gun Creek.
Hike the lake trail: Washington County State Recreation Area offers trails around its lake for campers staying in their cabins. A visitor mentioned, "Large trail around the whole lake, smaller trails lead to sites around the different campgrounds," and noted they "caught a few bass and and good amount of hiking" during their stay at Washington County State Recreation Area.
Wildlife viewing: South Marcum Campground provides excellent wildlife viewing opportunities for cabin campers. "Abundant Wildlife" is how one visitor titled their review, explaining: "We had 3 of the sites closest to the lake with only electric. Bathhouses were a little bit of a walk. The sites were pretty level. The campground is well kept, about 20 minutes from any groceries so come with your necessities."
Dark skies for stargazing: The cabins at Washington County State Recreation Area provide excellent night sky viewing. "The campground is pretty far from any big metro area, so the sky was real dark, great for picking out constellations. We listened to Whip-por-will calls around the campfire," writes one reviewer.
Large, shaded sites: Whittington Woods Campground offers cabin rentals with mature trees. "Beautiful campground with mature trees providing lots of shade on the 100F weekend we were there. Gravel sites, level. A lot of common ground, shaded, picnic shelters. Short drive to Rend Lake, bike trails, kayaks, fishing," according to Jan S.
Lake views: Many cabins at South Marcum Campground offer views of Rend Lake. One camper noted: "If I was in any other spot this would probably be a 4/5, but spot 56 has a crazy lake view and is on the tip of an outlook with pretty nice privacy!"
Seasonal availability: Most cabin rental areas near Whittington have limited seasons. Gun Creek operates from "March 14 to November 30" according to their information, while South Marcum runs from "March 28 to November 2."
Distance to amenities: When staying in cabins near Whittington, plan to bring supplies. A reviewer at South Marcum noted: "The campground is well kept, about 20 minutes from any groceries so come with your necessities."
Cash payment requirements: Some cabin rental facilities require cash payment. A visitor to Washington County noted: "No cards accepted. We had to run back to the town of Nashville to get some cash from the ATM."
Bathroom access: Arrowhead Lake Campground cabins have clean bathrooms but note their hours. A visitor mentioned: "It's valuable to note that the worker said they close the bathhouse at 8. Fantastic prices and such a hidden gem."
Child-friendly amenities: South Marcum has a playground in one area. "Also a playground in the Whispering Pines loop. The campground is on Rend Lake with swimming, fishing and boating," mentions Joel R.
Check site location for privacy: When booking cabins with families at Gun Creek, verify the site location. "Site 29 is very close and the picnic bench is literally 8 feet away from the back of the pad of site 30. Don't expect much in the way of privacy," warns one reviewer.
Seasonal noise considerations: Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park Campground can get busy during peak seasons. "We went on Labor Day weekend and there were a number of sites open. Many of the sites are walk up only. The sites have a lot of room to enjoy a relaxing weekend or set up yard games," notes Cody S.
Site leveling challenges: Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park cabins and RV sites may require leveling equipment. One camper warned: "Lots of interstate noise. Many sites are very off level. CHECK carefully."
Hookup configurations: Benton KOA offers various cabin options with different utility setups. "This is not a typical KOA. The spaces were large and roomy. Showers and bathroom were very nice, too," mentions Joel R.
Site reservation strategies: At Wayne Fitzgerrell, a reviewer explained the cabin and site reservation process: "The stay was pleasant and the lake was very nice but the reservation system and finding a spot was overly complicated for a first timer. Basically people show up and throw a cooler or tent onto a site to claim it and then leave. They have to pay for the spot by 8pm."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Whittington, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Whittington, IL is Gun Creek with a 4.7-star rating from 27 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 35 cabin camping locations near Whittington, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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