Southern Illinois Camping

zamboni · 02-13-2003, 08:46 PM

We will be camping at Grand Tower, IL the weekend of 6/12- 6/15. If anyone can make it...fine.
50 electric/water sites on the banks of the BIG MUDDY Mississippi river across from the fabled Tower Rock (Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer) at Devil's Backbone City Park at Grand Tower, IL just off Route 3, alittle south of Murphysboro, IL. Playground for kids, dump station, trails, bingo Saturday night, walk along the river banks, watch river traffic (barges) if the river rises.

overlander64 · 02-13-2003, 09:15 PM

Greetings Zamboni!

You have certainly located a picturesque spot, but then again it is very near my home in Union County, Illinois. If you are looking for some interesting sidetrips, I can recommend the Giant City State Park Lodge - - excellent meals with fantastic atmsophere - - about an hours drive from Grand Tower just a short distance off of Illinois Highway 13 or US Highway 51. For antiquing, it is hard to beat Alto Pass, IL on Illinois 127 about midway between IL highway 13 and IL highway 126 - - Skyline Drive and the Bald Knob Cross of Peace are two prime attractions in the Alto Pass area as well as the local winery trail often referred to as the "Grapevine Trail".

Kevin

zamboni · 02-23-2003, 11:44 AM

We have actually been to or done all of those already. We regularly visit the area because very close friends are located in Murphysboro, IL...visit them monthly or so.
The ideas you mention are well worth the trip...as well as Fort Des Chartes along Route 3 (north of Chester), and Makanda, IL.

maccamper · 08-19-2007, 03:10 PM

Realize that this is an older posting I'm replying to.

We stayed at Giant City campground in early June this year and found the campgound clean and pleasant with nice spacing between the sites. We will definitely be going back. Staying there motivated us to undertake the renovation of our AS bathroom and plumbing since water is available at central locations instead of each camp site.

Overlander64 is absolutely right about the antiquing in Alto Pass and the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. I'm (mrs. maccamper) also from Union County in Southern Illinois.

If you want some great BBQ in that neck of the woods, try Mike Mills' 17th Street Bar & Grill in Murphysboro. The 17th Street Bar & Grill also has a location right off Interstate 57 in Marion -- yet our favorite is the original location in Murphysboro. I just saw that Bon Appetit magazine named Mike Mills' ribs the best in the nation. Very exciting for Southern Illinois.

We came through Southern Illinois last week without our AS. We did stop briefly to check out a new campground in the Marion area (Exit 53 off Interstate 57). The campground is "Marion Campground" and is conveniently near Interstate 57 and close to the Veterans Administration Medical Center. We will give it a try as a back-up when no campsites are available at Giant City. The campground is brand new and right now has gravel, very level sites with full hookups, satellite TV and wireless available at each site. They do have a web site (I haven't looked up how to post web site links yet) Is it really as easy as typing in the URL address? Marion Campground and RV Park

As we seek out campgrounds in Southern Illinois we'll share our findings with you all.

maccamper (mrs.)