Deer Ridge Campground: attractive & shady; sites reasonably large, newer electric (20, 30 and 50 amps available). Sites graveled, some level. Two loops; the one with the playground is more popular & fills up more on weekends. Trails are nice, though could be somewhat better marked. (Trails in the disconnected section of the park, west of the town of Goreville, are another matter, and users will need a high-clearance 4WD vehicle to access the road to them!) Fishing lake in the park as well. Campground is popular with locals but still had room the weekend we were there. Restroom facilities etc. typical of Illinois state parks, kept clean. Campground hosts friendly. Firewood can be purchased in town. TV reception (via antenna) surprisingly good, perhaps because of the CG's location on top of a ridge. The (separate) tent-only campground was mostly walk-in sites, some close to the parking area & some way back in the woods - very nice. Pit toilets in that area; users would need to drive to Deer Ridge for the showers. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We were here in chilly November and still liked the park and area. It is not fancy. There are lots of trees and deer. The Ferne Clyffe and the trail that takes you to them is a must see! Most sites were level, tree covered, with 30 amp service. We camped in a 40 foot motor home. We camped here in a Motorhome.
What a pleasant and well maintained campground. However, the thing we liked about the location was the easy access to the very attractive trails. The most scenic trails are within 15 minutes walking distance from campground. It's also an easy walk to the lake. The campground is at the top of the escarpment so you do have a steep but not backbreaking climb back to the campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice state park on the edge of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.
Campground was under beautiful mature shade trees and sites were very spacious. Bathrooms and shower house was clean and modern. The campground hosts were most helpful and courteous. There are hiking trails, a small lake for fishing, a nature preserve, and a small bike trail outside the park. We used this park as a base for exploring the southern Illinois region, from the Tunnel Hill State Bike TRail in Vienna about 15 miles away, to Golconda on the Ohio River, and The Garden of the Gods south of Harrisburg. This is one of Illinois nicer state parks. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We camped here for a while. We paid a monthly rate while our new house was being constructed. The owners were extremely friendly, the camp site was clean and well maintained, bathrooms where clean and had plenty of hot water for showers, the full hook ups saved us alot of back breaking work, even though it was near the interstate it was very quiet. I would recommend this site to anyone wanting to get away and relax. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
July 2007
$18
We have camped here several times over the years, and have enjoyed the sites, and the ability to setup our satellite with a clear view of the sky. However, the absence of WiFi has caused us to seek out another campground. It does not seem that the owner will be doing anything about WiFi anytime soon. We will probably not camp here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice campground next to Interstate 57, exit 40 - but not noisy at all as it's above the level of the highway. Some long term coaches on site. Rural area, nearest store or service station is about 4 miles. Stopped two different times - no issues as it is a good overnight stop with limited recreation facilities We camped here in a Motorhome.