Located in Herod Illinois within the Shawnee National Forest,this is a must stop if in the area…read more The views and scenery are absolutely breathtaking. You can hike,camp,pinic or nature watch. The Observation Trail features unique rock formations and scenic views. Make sure you have gas and essentials as there is nothing available in the area.

I live in Milwaukee and the drive here is long but worth it! Having lived in Chicago, I recall this…read morewas on my Illinois Bucket List (along with Starved Rock), and it should be on everyone's Bucket List. The main hike is a short loop with incredible views! Pictures really don't do it justice. And pictures you'll want to take! It's an easy enough hike for all in the family, do wear hiking shoes, running shoes / sneakers, something more than shower slip ons and flip flops, as you'll want safety on the rocks. We were there in late July 2024, and construction had parking lots and trails closed or blocked, but we walked the road to another trail, which was just as beautiful and not popular at all. When we called down to make camping reservations I laughed at a lady who said their campsite closes after July 4th because "the bees take over the forest." Hiking that less popular trail, sure enough, millions of bees were humming in one of the rock structures, bee careful, bee safe! (We were perfectly fine, and crazy old lady wasn't so crazy afterall.) Garden of the Gods is similar to Wisconsin's Devil's Lake, but for those who have never been - put it on your Bucket List!

Stayed here while on my visit to Garden of the Gods - it's a 3-4 minute drive or a 10 minute walk…read morewhich is not bad at all. There are around 10-12 campsites and they are all first come first serve with a $10 surcharge. I think if you plan ahead, its kind of scary not knowing if you will be able to get a campsite but we came in the middle of March on a weekend (granted it was cold camping as it snowed a bit during the night) but there were plenty of campsites still available. I think my favorite part of this campground is the view from where you are staying. Right next to the area, especially if you are staying on the right hand side when you're driving into the park, is a huge valley and at least my campsite had a little viewing area. It was absolutely beautiful and kind of similar views to what you would see at Garden of the Gods. On the contrary, my least favorite thing is that its cash only, so if you don't have cash... well good luck. Overall, love staying here due to the views and big campsite. I will probably stray away from coming here during peak season in case I am not able to get a site but other than that, loved my experience. Will say that it gets pretty cold at night because its on the mountains, so there's a lot of wind.

I'll be honest, I am a planner. I like to have most of my stuff planned, especially when traveling…read moresomewhere new. Pharaoh gave me a bit of reluctance to go here as it was in the peak fall season when we visited, and I was worried we would drive and then not have a place to stay. For $10 a night, it wasn't a deal we could pass up. Luckily, we pulled up and there were two campsites open. General thoughts / suggestions / advice: - it's a first come, first serve basis. So they don't take RSVPs. - there's not an attendant or office to talk to anyone; you're basically on your own. Be sure to take photos of the map if hiking. - the campsites are very large. The space in between them is big enough you could almost fit another site in between. - there's a water pump (yes, you have to pump/twirl to get the water) for drinking - the sites are pretty well shaded so it's not unbearably hot but not terribly sunny either. - the outhouses are honestly the worst part of this place. No running water = a dark abyss of the unknown. There aren't lights in the outhouses either so be sure to bring a light of some sort. - there is NO FIREWOOD ANYWHERE NEAR, so you MUST bring your own or buy it in the closest town on your way as there is NONE within a 30 minute area of the place. - no attendant / no monitoring. This place truly gives you the full camping, primitive experience so don't be annoyingly loud and ruin the experience for other people as there aren't any cops or rangers that inspect the place, only in the mornings. - within 15 minutes walking of the Garden of the Gods rock structures, so great location. Overall, for the price, it's a great campground. The bathrooms could use a little improvement, but other than that, it's worth the affordability and the open sites are great selling features!

Cleanliness : high marks…read more Grounds : well maintained Playground : swings / slide, very basic Staff : friendly and helpful Views : main road is visible but the site is nestled back amidst mature trees. Wood carved animal totems on site are a nice feature. Other : they have a well designed and maintained chicken coop w 3 dozen or so Rhode Island Reds and a few other breeds. The chickens free range in the day. We raise chickens and can appreciate their set up

What a quaint spot for our overnight stay on our long trek back to Reno, NV. The restrooms/showers…read moreare closed due to COVID-19, so be sure you are self-contained if you stop here. They still have full hook-ups. The ground are well-kept and have statues carved from wood around the site - Rocky (from Bullwinkle, not the boxer ); Abraham Lincoln; and a rooster on top of a pig on top of a horse - not kidding. Oh, and there are real roosters and hens walking around. Super cool! The sites are gravel and level with fire rings. While the campground is very quiet, there is interstate noise at night - be aware. Also, there seems to be a waste water treatment facility nearby - the occasional funk is not so amazing. Great for an overnight stay or a long weekend away with the kids, especially once the pool opens back up.

My husband and I have been camping several times at Crab Orchard Campgrounds. We love it there. The…read morecampgrounds are kept clean, restrooms and shower houses are very clean. Staff is friendly and goes out of their way to be helpful. Every lot has a nice scenic view. You have the opportunity to fish and swim at the beach. We enjoy just walking around the campgrounds. The campground is dog friendly, and all dogs are on a leash or small pen. We are looking forward to many more visits here. The Grizzell.

Brought out 6 year old and 8 year old to camp for the weekend. Before we knew it we had kids from…read moreseveral other camp sites at our site so my husband brought out the s'mores and began fixing them for everyone. He cut a limb from the tree in our yard for 1 of the boys and all of a sudden a man filming him with a phone started walking towards us yelling at him. This was one of the camp host.My husband explained what he was doing and the man continued to film in in front of all the children and yell about the stick he pulled from the tree. My husband apologized and said it wouldn't happen again. About an hour later about an hour later the refugee police pulled up and said that the man had called him grumbling about the tree. We were ticked and fined. I have read other reviews on the FB website where people have written about this particular camp host.

We were in Paducah to attend the 2026 Quilt show. The reservation process was simple, affordable,…read moreand completed several months in advance. Check-in was efficient, and the staff was exceptionally helpful. Throughout our stay, we experienced no issues with the water supply, electrical, or sewage systems. Our pull-through site accommodated our 35-foot trailer without difficulty. While the Wi-Fi, as is common in RV parks, was not optimal for streaming, it was sufficient for basic phone and tablet use. The water had a noticeable chlorine taste, but our in-line filter and Brita pitcher resolved this. Paducah was conveniently located, offering a wider selection of stores and restaurants than anticipated. The campground offered various activities during our visit. Each morning, a vendor sold fresh baked goods, jams, and jellies, which we found to be very good. Mark Cope provided a BBQ wagon, and his BBQ and potato salad were also excellent. The park also hosted an ice cream social and a wine tasting by "Purple Toad Winery," a family-owned winery in Paducah, KY. There is a lake on-site where fishing is available, and bait is sold. We will certainly choose Fern Lake Campground for our next visit.

Had reservations for a two night stay. Check in was quick and friendly. Site was clean and level…read more Wi-Fi was strong. Right off of 24w. Very quiet and peaceful. Downtown area 15 minutes away. Walked to dinner (great Mexican restaurant). Would stay again!

A coupe of things on this campground. 1. It is more long…read moreterm. It appears most of the sites are occupied by traveling workers. 2. Folks were very friendly. 3. Full hook ups and normal worked great. 4. We were only pass through as we were in for an archery tournament. The site we were on was a fresh build and had not been packed so the camper settled when we backed in and I had to pull up to add a couple Of blocks to back up on. Th site was level enough to use auto leveling but I went ahead and hooked back up and added the blocks just in case it settled anymore. We basically just slept there.

Great place to stay! Good area, close to interstate. Close to interstate, with good access to…read morelocal businesses.

Stayed here for the 2017 solar eclipse and it was such an amazing experience! Not only did we get…read morelucky with clear skies and having some amateur astronomers staying in the campground, but the campground itself was great! The grounds were very well kept, the bathroom was always clean, and the family that runs the place was so nice and helpful. There are some nice hiking trails that branch off the campgrounds as well, just watch out for horse poop! I had never been to the southern Illinois area but now that I know of a great place to stay, I will definitely be back! Thank you Ben and Patty for this great place!

We loved this campground. It has great sites all with hookups for RV's and water. We just came…read morewith friends for some tent camping and had a great time. The facilities were all well maintained and most sites were pretty good sized. Just know there is no store nearby so bring wood and all the supplies you need. You won't be able to buy anything here. Super close to South Sandusky beach which is really the best beach and picnic area I know of at Rend Lake.

We camped here again this year. Chose a larger, more private campsite this time but in the same…read moreloop. We stayed five nights this time and encountered a monsoon on the morning we left. We had to take cover in the women's shower, where we scared the cleaning lady to death when she walked in on our family of six and two dogs! Never a dull moment! We explored the area this time and checked out some of the other campgrounds. We found the main shower house for the South Sandusky Campground and used it instead of the one on our loop. It was WAY nicer and larger. There was a letter at the entry gate that told of updates throughout the different campgrounds but nothing in our loop. I hope that changes soon because there is space and a need for a bigger bathroom/shower house. Last time we stayed here they really seemed to enforce the rules, specifically quiet time. Our first night this year we were kept up until almost 1 am because of the drunken people two campsites down. We went and spoke to the people that oversee the campground and thankfully we didn't encounter that the rest of the trip. A little noise is expected, screaming and cars going up and down the road while your trying to sleep wasn't cutting it. It was super busy on the Friday and Saturday nights that we were there and things still seemed maintained. That was good. *Tip* Be sure to check out the spillway while your there. Beautiful, but watch out for snakes! We had a raccoon the first two nights. It ate 16 buns and two bags of chips. We had stuff on top of those totes and he still got into them. We used bungee cords the other nights and were okay. He also didn't care that we had two big dogs and that we were up around the fire. He just came right up and wanted to help himself.

Great campground and incredibly close to green belt…read more The hosts are nice...she accidentally overbooked and we didn't get full hookup, so it was free. Appreciated it... Went on Fri and got to see the town at the BMX track 100 yards away. Great local scene. Loved this place!

We had the BEST experience last night. No problem finding it via google. Quiet--in deep woods…read more Clean bathrooms, hot showers. Next morning we took a long walk along a nature/Bike trail connecting the park to the campus of university of southern Indiana university. Our dog loved it--she could finally get out and RUN!!! Leaves and weather were gorgeous. While leaving, passed huge swimming pool and AMAZING water slide in another area of park. Closed now (early November), but would be a blast (and probably more crowded) in summer. Highly recommend this place.