Chelsea D.

The Dyrt Pro

Carterville, IL

Joined July 2019

A big family exploring together.

Nice little area for family fun time

We have a smaller travel trailer and it fit just fine, but the sites are on the smaller side. There were plenty of trees for hanging out hammocks, and lots of grassy areas for the kids to run around. We hiked the trail and it took us about 2 hours total. They were very well maintained. The bathrooms were out toilets, but they were immaculately cleaned! They also offer free firewood for campers, which was such a treat! We have already scheduled our next visit for next weekend. Also, there is a work camp next door, but we didn’t see or hear anyone. Staff drove by a few times delivering park maps and answering questions. Oh and we saw a baby fox, and enjoyed the chocolate factory fight across the street. :)

Would come back as a last resort...

This is a stop-over type of campground. The sites are very close together with no privacy. There are some pull-thru sites, which is convenient. It is right next to interstate 57, so unless you're inside your camper, you'll definitely be listening to the highway. This is a pet-friendly campground, and they have a little dog park. They have a shower/laundry facility which is also convenient, especially if you're out on a big trip. Overall, it's certainly not a bad campground, but the highway noise really bothered us.

A little close to Rt 13, but the lakeside sites are so nice!

While you can hear the highway, it's not super noticeable and easy to tune out. This campground has some beautiful sites right next to the lake. There is also a little beach for campers to enjoy. Friendly staff sometimes host little educational presentations for kids. They are currently working on some improvements on the campground, so you may see or hear some construction going on.

Beautiful new Picnic shelter, quiet campground

This is a very basic campground with some shade. No hookups, really good for tent camping. The new picnic shelter is beautiful and there is seating around a fire pit. This forest does a great job of keeping restrooms very clean.

Great for tent camping

I enjoy this campground, and the sites are nice & private, but a bit small.  The electric is iffy, but the sites are mostly shaded. There is a trail system so there is lots of hiking available here. You can also hop over to the Pounds Hollow rec area for a swim/paddle.

We LOVE this campground!

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! The campsites are pretty private and some of them are nice and large. There is a ton of hiking nearby, and we visited the Chocolate factory as well, which was a real treat.

Pharaoh Campground provides easy access to view Camel Rock

I really like this little campground. The sites area  bit close together, and popups are probably the only camper that can fit comfortably. This campground is very close to the Observation Trail where you can view Camel Rock. There is no electricity at this campground, and sometimes people bring very loud generators, and there isn't much that can be done about that. But it's usually pretty busy with tent-campers. This is one of the locations on the Forest that fills up more often than other campgrounds, especially on holiday weekends.

This is a nice quiet campground!

I love this campground. It's super quiet despite the gravel road nearby. The vault restroom is kept very clean. It has easy access to the River to River trail, and I love the CCC stonework. While we were there, a small pack of 3 local dogs wandered through the campground which was a bit concerning at first, but they were all friendly, so no issues there.

Not the best place for toddlers, but perfect for adults with older children!

The sites are pretty private and mostly wooded. There were acorns everywhere that our littles kept getting ahold of, and most of the trails are much longer than 2 miles, so there wasn't much to do with our two toddlers.

That being said, the hiking that we did do was amazing. This is beautiful country and the campground was nice.

The sites were a bit short and we couldn't park our tow vehicle in front of our 17' camper. So large campers beware. There are limited parking spots near the shower house.

The tent pads were huge, lots of space to play at each site.

We were really hoping to see a black bear but had no luck.

First to Review
Best campground ever!

Our kids had more fun at this campground than any other so far. They have the most amazing playgrounds (yes, two of them!) That we've ever seen. There were activities for kids of all ages, and they used a rubber composite on the ground at the playground so when kiddos fall, they aren't injured. There is also a beautiful walking/biking trail and canoe rentals.

The sites were extremely level and clean, electric and water hookups. The camp host was very friendly and had plenty of firewood and ice in stock.

Meh campground but worth it for the trails

The sites are gravel and some are extremely unlevel. Electric hookups. Pit toilets but the shower house was nice and clean. The trails in this CCC era park are marvelous. We also loved the Lodge for dinner and climbing the water tower. We will definitely be staying here again.

Southern Illinois treasure

This is our favorite campground in Central/southern illinois. The sites are very nice and most have shade. There is a beach for campers to use, and a really nice playground. Their bathrooms and showerhouse were impeccably clean, and many sites are right next to the lake.

Restroom situation needs attention

Overall this is a VERY nice campground. There is a camp store, firewood available, and even a pool! The trails around are nice and our family had fun hiking. HOWEVER: Unless you have a restroom in your rig, be prepared to walk up to the showerhouse. The pit toilets that were spread across the campground were in horrendous condition and had wasps, spiders, and other critters hanging out. With 4 kids in tow and a pop-up camper, we made the long treck to the shower house many times in one weekend. If we'd had a heads up, we would have stayed somewhere with more accessible restrooms.

Oh and lots of deer bed down in the grassy areas at night, which was a fun thing to see!

It's your average state campground

Electric only, no water or sewer hookups. Pit toilets. Nice and clean. People kept cutting through our campsite on their way to the playground, which is whatever, but some people are bothered by that kind of thing. Very laid back place overall.

Great family spot

The concessionaire stocks ice and wood, folks drive nice and slow for the kids, and there is a little playground for the kids to play on as well. Each campsite is surrounded by trees and it is nice and quiet. We love this campground!

A hidden gem in southern IL

A little hilly and the gravel sites are close together, but it has full hookup options, as well as just electric. The marina shop also provides kayak and canoe rentals. Little Grassy is a beautiful lake to explore!

Clean sites, friendly staff

We camped here on a pretty hot weekend, and most of the sites are well-shaded and mowed. We liked that we could walk down to the water and that there was a bike trail nearby that we could walk on.

Family friendly campground

This campground was clean, peaceful, and quiet. The sites are well-shaded, and the bathrooms/showerhouses were clean. Our kids enjoyed the playground and walking down to the lake. There is also a beach, but you have to pay $5/person which felt excessive for what it was. The fees were at the high end of what you find around here, so we will not be back often. But we did enjoy our time here.