- Lake Murphysboro State Park
The best camping in Lake Murphysboro State Park, IL
Camp like a star at this lake and forested wilderness area in southern Illinois.
The best camping in Lake Murphysboro State Park, IL
Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Lake Murphysboro State Park adventure.
Camper favorites near Lake Murphysboro State Park
Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.
Snag sold-out campsites.
Get notified the instant a national park campsite becomes available, for free.
See the best spots in one place.
Explore 500K+ public lands, RV resorts, and private sites you won't find anywhere else.
Book with confidence.
Read millions of real reviews from campers like you—so you know what to expect.Stories from the community
R
Robert
2 weeks ago
Tent
With kids
Me & my son spent 2 days tent camping here. It sits right along the creek & very well kept. Harley is a good guy & friendly host.
See more
D
Drew
2 weeks ago
Weekend Trip to Monarch Hill Vineyard
A beautiful glamping setup that walks the line between luxurious and peaceful. Kind folks running the place, friendly dogs running around, and beautiful open skies. What more could you ask for?
See more
J
James
2 weeks ago
20 ft travel trailer
Great sites and great hosts! John was super helpful and accommodating, taught us how to play bocce ball on the court there, and even helped us with a maintenance issue on my camper. The grainzebo was awesome!!! Can't wait to go back.
See more
Wilson
3 weeks ago
17 ft travel trailer
With pets
Our experience at Wine Trail Wilderness was great despite plunging temperatures this past weekend. The roomy site allowed for our 2 young dogs to zoom around the field and the pavilion and outhouse were experiences of themselves. Jon was a great host and fun to talk to when he was walking his dog Norton. The location between 2 of our favorite wineries was a bonus. The scenery with the fall colors was beautiful to see. We can’t wait to come back. Becky and Wilson
See more
F
Frank
3 weeks ago
Tent
It was fantastic camping on Jon’s land he was the perfect host, very attentive and was willing to work with our schedule. It made for a great weekend of climbing at holy boulders… it’s like 15min from the boulders!
See more
Kyle
3 weeks ago
19 ft pop-up camper
With pets
This is the third time I've stayed at WTW. It was the first time staying in the far away field and we loved it. Jon checked in and would deliver firewood (if needed). I'm sure we will be back!
See more
J
Jeff
3 weeks ago
23 ft travel trailer
Great place to stay. Nice view. Staff were very friendly.
See moreB
Bryson
3 weeks ago
Tent
With pets
Beautiful campground with an awesome host! Will definitely stay again next time we are out this way!
See more
G
Garrett
November 2025
15 ft pop-up camper
it is probably a great site to camp on.
i never got the chance, i called left message that i had broken down along the way and needed to cancel. i think i tried to email them as well, but my cell service was intermittent from where i was at. i requested a refund as i couldn’t make the stay. left my info, and number/site.
never heard back from them. so i ended up wasting $175 (three nights-weekend). i still haven’t heard much from them.
See more
Hayley
October 2025
16 ft car
Beautiful, private campsite that is right next to the national forest. We had a wonderful night here!
See more
Beth
October 2025
Tent
This is a lovely camp site near a small pond and a 5 minute walk to a new and very clean out house. Our camp hosts were very hospital, friendly and accommodating. They brought us lots of fire wood as it was pretty cold when we stayed there. We spent many hours around the large fire ring just talking and enjoying the quiet. We did not have clear skies so we weren't able to take advantage of the star gazing, but the area is free from light pollution and the nearby field would give you lots of space to star gaze. I highly recommend this site.
See moreM
Molly
October 2025
Tent
With pets
John and Carla were amazing hosts. They lead us to our site on their 4-wheeler, and even gave us a wine opener to borrow after we forgot to bring one. The campsite had everything we needed and was super clean, level, and open yet wooded. They came by to check on us after the first night. We were able to order firewood and wine from them ahead of time so it was at the site when we got there. This was amazing because we are usually trying to find space in the truck for firewood. They also provide ice water in a 5 gallon jug which saved us some packing space. We came with two dogs so we asked for one of their more private sites and they delivered. Didn’t see any other campers the entire weekend. Location is awesome for a variety of activities. I would love to return with my coworkers and this would be a perfect spot for our yearly camping trip. We also noticed lots of materials staged around the property so it seems like they are planning some improvements to their already amazing place.
This wasn’t a problem for us but I wanted to mention as I know it can be a deal breaker for some. There was not a bathroom with running water, just a private privy in one of those little portable tents. It was cleaned and stocked and very much appreciated.
See more
Erin
October 2025
With kids
Loved our stay. Simple, clean, quiet. Exactly what we needed. We all slept so soundly.
See more
S
Samuel
October 2025
21 ft travel trailer
With pets
The area was very accessible and was set up in a really nice convenient way. Jon met us at the driveway, greeted us with a warm smile and helped us get our water situated. After that he assisted me getting the trailer leveled and ready to go and made sure we had firewood. On Saturday, he came and checked on us and he's an incredible host and this was one of the best trips we had. Being within walking distance of a winery and a very short drive to another one is amazing and it was so quiet. And for the record I've never seen anybody have a better portable toilet outside than at Jon's property (Plus the bocce ball court was amazing and we had a great time playing with some people we met there as well this weekend). Suffice to say, we will definitely come back and visit Jon again and for anybody who may want a really great camping experience there is none better than what Jon provides.
See more
Travis
October 2025
Tent
With pets
We love WTW! We camp here multiple times a year and it's always well deserving of the best in Illinois title! Everything is taken care of and we just get to setup camp and relax.
See more
M
Mimi
October 2025
12 ft campervan
wine Trail wilderness was perfectly situated on Hickory Ridge Road close to two wineries! It was my first time to the wine trail in Shawnee national Forest and certainly there’s a lot to offer! Looking forward to going back!!
Wine Trail wilderness was perfectly situated on Hickory Ridge Road close to two wineries! It was my first time to the wine trail in Shawnee national Forest and certainly there’s a lot to offer! Looking forward to going back JON was extremely accommodating and his land was ideal For hip camp travelers! Thank you WTW !
See more
K
Kari
October 2025
16 ft travel trailer
With pets
I enjoyed the evening on Jon's land. He was very helpful amd the site was beautiful! He had a big jug of ice water ready at the site too! There was a ready fire pit, but I chose not to have a fire since I was exhausted and wanted to sleep and get an early start the next day.
See morep
patrick
October 2025
4 ft pop-up camper
We had a great time camping here. Jon was a great host. Checked on us every day. The campground was private. the other guests were very friendly. The trails nearby were very scenic. Would recommend it to any of my friends. We will camp here again I hope.
See more
Zach
October 2025
Weekend Trip to Ridge Camping Private
Very nice hosts and a great location for a few parks in the area.
See moreT
Tim
October 2025
Tent
With kids
Amazing location and hospitality! Great hosts and feels like you have the National Forest and all its wonder to yourselves.
See moreTop-rated campgrounds
Other options near Lake Murphysboro State Park
The best camping in Lake Murphysboro State Park, IL guide
Overview
About
Majestic rolling hills and dense woods surround star-shaped Lake Murphysboro in southern Illinois. Stroll among water, woods, and wilderness.
See the wild orchids that grow in wooded areas. Discover yellow lady's slipper, purple fringeless, twayblade, puttyroot, and coralroot for splashes of natural color. View flowers at almost any time, because these orchids bloom throughout the year. Fall time is particularly lovely thanks to color-changing foliage.
Relax in the shade near the shores of the lake, because trees come right up to the water. Cast your line for largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish, and crappie. Anglers note the fishing for channel cats and largemouth bass is excellent.
Explore the area along a 3-mile designated trail. Several offshoots of the main trail criss-cross the entire park. Set up a base camp before driving to nearby Kinkaid Lake and the Mississippi River. This lake has 54 electrical 20 rustic sites.
Be the first to review
Share your experience here to help other campers.