Established Camping
Thomson Causeway
Warning 3 Alerts are In Effect
There are 3 alerts for this campground. Camp safely!
Warning 3 Alerts are In Effect
There are 3 alerts for this campground. Camp safely!
Attention Campers! Beginning 2024, the Mississippi River Project's new Check-out time will be 12 pm. The new Check-in time will be 2 pm.
Attention Campers! Beginning 2024, the Mississippi River Project's new Check-out time will be 12 pm. The new Check-in time will be 2 pm.
Due to construction, intermittent closures of campsites will be in effect throughout the season. Closures will affect availability in all loops except Potter's North.
About
US Army Corps of Engineers
Mississippi River - Pools 11-22
Overview
Thomson Causeway provides the unique experience of island camping on the great Mississippi River and it's well worth a try! The western edge of the recreation area offers visitors an unobstructed view of the widest spot on the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 3.5 miles from shore-to-shore. Here, campers can enjoy memorable views of the river and the valley, and partake in plenty of great water activities.
Recreation
Popular activities include fishing, hiking, hunting,__biking and boating. Common fish species include the channel catfish, bluegill, walleye, large mouth bass,__and northern pike. The Central Trail section of the famous Mississippi River Trail passes beside the campground, offering visitors miles of walking and biking trails along the river bank.
Facilities
Of the 125 reservable campsites, 120 have electric hookups and 5 campsites do not have electric hookups and are for tents only. Campsites in the Hickory, Potters South, and Potters North camping loops have water available at each individual campsite. Thomson Causeway provides the comforts of modern camping, including drinking water, an accessible flush toilet, electrical hookups, shower house and boat ramp, while still providing visitors with an authentic outdoor experience. This park also offers 2 reservable picnic shelters for day use.
Natural Features
The campground is built mainly on an island in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. Slow moving water on the eastern edge of the main recreation area creates a rich environment in which wildlife and fish abound.
contact_info
For local information, please call (563) 362-8839 or call (815) 259-3628 for general information.
Nearby Attractions
Head northbound along the river to see the Ayers Sand Prairie State Nature Preserve or the Mississippi Palisades State Park. Visit the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center and Fulton's Dutch Windmill. Or watch a minor league baseball game at the Clinton Lumberkings stadium.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonGood
- AT&TGood
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Great camping spot
This is a beautiful spot on the outskirts of a small town. The train museum is open for a few hours on weekends. Other towns are nearby with more things to do. This campground has sites relatively close together. Some look out over the water for beautiful views. It was mostly full when we went. We enjoyed looking at the variety of campers. A Westy van was beautifully set up for last fe on the road. Water lilies are the natural decorations. The boat launch is among the campsites. It launches you right into the greenery on the water. It kinda looks like green hiking trails if you didn’t know the water was there. The recreation area is just outside of town. The paved bike route heads along the Mississippi and connects towns. We explored up towards Savanna. It’s a nice trail to explore riverside life. This campground would be better for us if there was a bit more separation between campsites. Otherwise we are happy we discovered this area.
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Beautiful Mississippi Views
Thomson:
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer)
Overall Rating: 4.5. Some great water views. Some open water and some water covered w blooming lilies - blooming while we were there .
Price 2023: $12 per night w senior discount.
Usage during visit: Very heavy.
Site Privacy: Varies. Some lake sites become moderately to very private w trailer in the site.
Site Spacing: Some lake sites are pretty close
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Yes
Campground Noise: Pretty quiet. There are children on bikes - Not a bother.
Road Noise: Far off main road
Through Traffic in campground: Not in loops.
Electric Hookup: Yes
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes, Belford entering the campground
Potable Water Available: At the site.
Bathroom: Pit toilets and flush
Showers: Yes, not in every loop. Note, the one in the picnic area is only lightly used.
Pull Throughs: Some
Cell Service (AT&T). Fair in our loop.
Setting: Lakeside and along woods.
Weather: Some lightening storms.
Bugs: Mosquitoes. Be ready.
Host: Around
Rig size: Large rigs are there.
Sites:
On water or clear view- some of best: Open water.: 69, 68, 67, 65, 60, 59, 58 Lily pads: 54,55,56 , 46,47,49,51, 40,41,43, 34,36,38, 30,32,33( getting close to cg entry road. ) (Some inner loop sites have an obstructive water view. But, little privacy. These sites, I did not list. )
Back up to woods but no view of water: best of woods sites :9,11,13,15,17,19,8,3,5 Still good: 100,102,104,106,108,110 , 112, 126
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Spacious campsite, beautiful place but insects everywhere Spacious campsite, beautiful place but insects everywhere
I should’ve taken the other reviews, more seriously about the number of insects in this campsites (see pictures) there were hundreds of thousands  we couldn’t enjoy our stay. We just arrived late spent the night woke up and left because the situation was unbearable. The camp workers were scraping them with shovels. Maybe this site would be better during the colder months. This was one of the worst camping experience that I had so far. 
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Location
Thomson Causeway is located in Illinois
Directions
Take IL Route 84 to Thomson, Illinois. Turn west onto Main Street, then turn south onto Lewis Avenue.
Address
PO Box 398
Thomson, IL 61285
Coordinates
41.9516667 N
90.1108333 W