recomendations for campgrounds southern illinois

Thanks Dreamer. We will be checking that one out when it stops raining. Here for a few days, and now that we are in the site, will stay here this time. We are waterfront, so some advantage to this site.

doxiemom11 wrote:
We are currently at Carlyle Lake COE - we will be checking out all the COE parks here on the lake, but currently at Coles Creek. Be aware that this is an old park - very nice, but the driveways on the sites are narrower than our rig is and it's currently wet from rain. We had a hard time finding a site where we wouldn't sink into mud either getting in, or on the site. This park is somewhat challenging if you are in a big rig, pulling a trailer.

Just north of Coles Creek is Boulder COE park with large sites and a few full hookups. CLICKY

dreamer.

We are currently at Carlyle Lake COE - we will be checking out all the COE parks here on the lake, but currently at Coles Creek. Be aware that this is an old park - very nice, but the driveways on the sites are narrower than our rig is and it's currently wet from rain. We had a hard time finding a site where we wouldn't sink into mud either getting in, or on the site. This park is somewhat challenging if you are in a big rig, pulling a trailer.

Dick_B wrote:
Whittington Woods in Benton. Nice people, wooded campground.

X2 We stayed here in Feb this year on our way to New orleans, VERY nice guy to deal with at the office! Nice grounds even though it was winter we could see this would be a nice place to stay when the weather is nice, wooded and full book ups.

We would and probably will stay there again.

Dan

If you are not necessarily heading down to the Shawnee Forest area Carlyle Lake is 43 miles NW of Mt. Vernon. The Corp parks have some FHU sites. Those are nicely groomed parks. The Eldon Hazlet SP has electric and is in a wooded setting.
The Pharaoh campground at Garden of the Gods is a nice, 12 sites, tall pines, pump water and no hookups, $10?.

its about 75 miles, but spent 4 days at Lake Glendale Recreation Area - Oak Point Campground in the Shawnee National Forrest a couple weeks ago (turkey hunting). Water & electric hookups with dump station on the way out. beautiful wooded area on small lake. Sites are a little small, but good gravel surface with picnic table and fire ring. I was able to squeeze in my 37ft Class A with room for slides.

Another vote for Rend Lake, especially if you like wooded sites.

Doug

Ditto Whittington Woods. Loved it. Beautiful shade trees. Some of the sites at the corps of engineers campground are not level. We liked South Sandusky Campground the best and they do have some full hookup sites. They usually have a 14 day stay limit.

Dick_B wrote:
Whittington Woods in Benton. Nice people, wooded campground.

Plus you can visit the place where George Harrison stayed in Benton when he was the first Beatle to visit the U.S. back in 1963, prior to the Beatles invasion in 1964!

You could camp where he went camping at Garden of the Gods campground on the Shawnee National Forest.

Or you could stay where he did in his sister's former house, now the Hard Day's Night Bed and Breakfast.

Just did Rend Lake 2 weeks ago. Nice park. Be aware that they are re-doing one of the full hookup loops in the south creek area, so FHU sites may be in short supply.