Free camping near Carbondale, IL
Within 25 straight-line miles of Carbondale, IL there are 20 camps: 5 free, 13 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Turkey Bayou Campground, 11 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Johnson Creek - Primitive, 17 miles out. The circle crosses a state line: IL and MO.
Who manages them: 12 on Illinois DNR; 5 on the Forest Service; 3 on MDC.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Bayou Campground | 11 | Unpriced | Turkey Bayou (water) | 2.5 mi to Poplar Ridge | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 1 | 16 | Fee | — | 4.5 mi to Alto Pass | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 2 | 16 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Alto Pass | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 5 | 17 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 6 | 17 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 3 | 17 | Fee | — | 5.4 mi to Alto Pass | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 7 | 17 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 4 | 17 | Fee | Clear Creek (stream) | 3.3 mi to Kaolin | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 8 | 17 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Johnson Creek - Primitive | 17 | Free | — | 2.8 mi to Dry Hill | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 9 | 18 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 10 | 18 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 11 | 18 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Johnson Creek Cg | 18 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Ava | — |
| Pine Hills Campground | 18 | Unpriced | — | 1.1 mi to Wolf Lake | — |
| Trail of Tears State Forest - Campsite 12 | 18 | Fee | — | 5.6 mi to Jonesboro | — |
| Lake Of Egypt - Buck Ridge | 21 | Free | Bethlehem Bay (water) | 0.8 mi to Egyptian Hills | — |
| Seventy-Six Conservation Area | 21 | Free | Mississippi River (river) | 0.3 mi to Seventysix | — |
| Apple Creek Conservation Area | 23 | Free | Lovejoy Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to New Wells | — |
| Red Rock Landing Conservation Area | 24 | Free | Omete Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Grand Eddy | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Carbondale, IL, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.