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Water

Established Camping

Washington County State Recreation Area

Closed For the Season

This campground is closed for the season from October 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025.

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Washington County State Recreation Area, near Nashville, Illinois, is a solid choice for campers looking for a peaceful spot to unwind. With a beautiful lake at its center, this campground offers a mix of tent, RV, and cabin accommodations, making it suitable for various camping styles.

The Shady Rest campground features electric hookups and plenty of trees for shade, creating a comfortable environment for your stay. Campers have noted the clean facilities, including well-kept bathrooms and showers, which are a big plus after a day of exploring. As one visitor mentioned, “The bathhouse was very well kept and clean,” ensuring you can freshen up easily.

For those who enjoy fishing or hiking, the area around the lake provides ample opportunities to connect with nature. Reviewers have highlighted the quiet atmosphere, making it a perfect place to relax after a day of activities. One camper remarked, “Nice and quiet, perfect place to crash for the night in our van.”

While the campground is spacious, some sites can feel a bit close together, but the friendly vibe and beautiful surroundings more than make up for it. Whether you're stopping for a night or planning a longer stay, Washington County State Recreation Area has the essentials for a great camping experience.

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Location

Washington County State Recreation Area is located in Illinois

Detail location of campground

Directions

Located 4 miles south of Nashville, the park is in close proximity to Interstate 64, and Illinois Highways 15 and 127. Going East on I64 use exit 50 at Nashville, go south on Illinois Highway 127, go through Nashville, approximately 8 miles. Turn left onto Conservation Rd., at entrance to Washington County Conservation Area. Going West on I64 use exit 50 at Nashville, go south on Illinois Highway 127, go through Nashville, approximately 8 miles. Turn left onto Conservation Rd., at entrance to Washington County Conservation Area.

Address

18500 Conservation Dr
Nashville, IL 62263

Coordinates

38.28000034 N
89.36300097 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Water Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.0

out of 5

13 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 9, 2024

Nice stop

Easy to find. Affordable overnight stay with electric. Beautiful lake. Friendly campers and hosts. Pit toilets. Spotty Verizon.

Site34
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Angie A., July 9, 2024
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Angie A., July 9, 2024
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Angie A., July 9, 2024
Reviewed Nov. 10, 2023

Nice and quiet

Nice and quiet, perfect place to crash for the night in our van.

Month of VisitNovember
Reviewed Oct. 18, 2021

Nice quiet spot and easy to get to

We stayed here one night on our road trip across the country. It wasn't much of a detour off of Highway 64 which made it nice and convenient since we were in a time crunch. There are actually 3 campgrounds here. One is Shady Rest (where we stayed) which has electric hookups. The other 2 campgrounds don't have hookups - Lonely Oaks and Little Bears. We were only there for a quick night so didn't see a lot but seemed like a nice enough campgrounds.

Note: no cards accepted. We had to run back to the town of Nashville to get some cash from the ATM.

Site41
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Sarah S., October 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Sarah S., October 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Sarah S., October 18, 2021
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Oct. 6, 2021

State rec area with 3 campgrounds

Huge area with 3 campgrounds: lonely oaks campground (tent) little bears campground (tent) and shady rest (RV with hook ups). Shady Rest Sites have electrical hook ups for RVs there are good amount of trees and shade — just a basic nice campground spaced out from your neighbors. About 100 sites between all three campgrounds. Arrived mid week in October and only at 25% capacity. Really nice and easy.

Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Jul. 13, 2021

Nice find

Nice campsite! Hidden amongst the corn fields…little town of Nashville had ample supplies for restocking! Tent area was flat! Quiet after 10pm. Lots of nature sounds at night.

Sitetent site
Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed May. 16, 2021

Shady Rest campground

Really great campground. Good mix of tents and RVs. Bath house was very well kept and clean. 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. My tent site was clean, good flat spot for tent, picnic table and fire pit with attached grill.

The Concession building in the park is closing. No boat rentals, selling everything he has on the shelf.

Caught a few bass and and good amount of hiking. Large trail around the whole lake, smaller trails lead to sites around the different campgrounds.

SiteShady Rest site 37
Month of VisitMay
  • camp fire
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by AC , May 16, 2021
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by AC , May 16, 2021
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Oct. 14, 2020

Great time

Very quiet, not a lot of people. Plenty of spaces and lake was nice.

  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by AC , October 14, 2020
  • Play button icon
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by AC , October 14, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 26, 2020

Nice little park

This is a nice little park in southern Illinois. It is surrounded by cornfields, however the park is wooded. The park surrounds a very pretty lake and I have attached a picture.

The host was very nice and helpful. The bathhouse was clean and had hot water for the showers.

  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Rod , September 26, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 12, 2020

Campground is Okay

We just stayed here for one night traveling back from Yellowstone. Campsites seem fine and level, but somewhat close together.

There was one obnoxious camper who was making a lot of noise after hours right across from the host. I’m no prude but some loud mouth dropping f-bombs with a zillion kids around is not okay.

Dump station was just fine.

Reviewed May. 25, 2019

Decent campground

Basic amenities,  bath house just ok, bad showers,  fishing not great

Month of VisitMay
Reviewed Apr. 11, 2019

Dark sky, great stargazing

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. Water and electric is available at most sites. The campground is pretty far from any big metro area, so the sky was real dark, great for picking out constellations. We listened o Whip-por-will calls around the campfire.

  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Joel R., April 11, 2019
Reviewed Aug. 26, 2018

Bring a boat!!

My wife and I stayed at this campground for two nights along our cross-country road trip. We wanted to hit up a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game and this campground was close enough. We were there during the weekday so there was barely anybody around. The lake is enormous and there are plenty of fishing access points including a large dock so bring a boat!!

  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Rosie R., August 26, 2018
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Rosie R., August 26, 2018
  • Review photo of Washington County State Recreation Area by Rosie R., August 26, 2018
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Jul. 31, 2018

Cabin rental Washington County Lake IL

It is overcrowded all through the week in the RV area with no great views of the lake, sadly. 2. cabins.but overpriced due to no running water or nearby ttoilet but more private and great lake views Awesome fishing here and boat rentals

SiteCabin B
Month of VisitJuly

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Washington County State Recreation Area have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Washington County State Recreation Area has water hookups and sewer hookups.

  • Are fires allowed at Washington County State Recreation Area?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Washington County State Recreation Area, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.