Park listing
Eldon Hazlet State Park
20100 Hazlet Park Road, Carlyle, IL 62231
It seems appropriate for one of the largest campgrounds in the Illinois state park system to be located on the largest manmade lake in Illinois.
Trip starter
Check this park against your trip.
Set your origin, dates, and group size to move from park research into live campsite search. Update the origin if you are not driving from Chicago.
Listing image unavailable
Eldon Hazlet State Park
This listing is currently using verified trip data while licensed photography is being finalized.
Drive time
Set origin in search
Bathrooms
Showers and restrooms
Trailer fit
72 trailer-capable sites, max listed vehicle length 40ft, driveway mix: 0 pull-through, 72 back-in
Weather
Partly Sunny
Why this park
Facilities
Showers and restrooms are surfaced in the current listing data.
Trailer fit
72 trailer-capable sites, max listed vehicle length 40ft, driveway mix: 0 pull-through, 72 back-in
Activity mix
29 named routes are surfaced for hiking and activity planning.
About this park
It seems appropriate for one of the largest campgrounds in the Illinois state park system to be located on the largest manmade lake in Illinois. Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area is a 3,000-acre site on the western shore of Carlyle Lake, a Kaskaskia River impoundment.
Read full park description
It seems appropriate for one of the largest campgrounds in the Illinois state park system to be located on the largest manmade lake in Illinois. Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area is a 3,000-acre site on the western shore of Carlyle Lake, a Kaskaskia River impoundment. The site is located 3 miles north of Carlyle and 2 miles east of Illinois Route 127 in Clinton County. Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area attracts more than 800,000 visitors annually to camp, boat, fish, hunt, picnic, bird watch and hike more than 9 miles of trails. Also popular are the sailboat regattas, held almost every summer weekend. For more information about the Carlyle Sailing Association, please contact them at 618-594-3622 The site is leased by the IDNR from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built the 26,000-acre lake. The state park is named for Carlyle attorney Eldon Hazlet, the first president of the Kaskaskia Valley Association, which organized and promoted construction of two of Illinois' three largest reservoir/recreational complexes - Carlyle Lake and Lake Shelbyville - plus other improvements on the Kaskaskia River. Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area is best known for its camping facilities. The Illini Campground has 328 Class A campsites with 30 and 50 amp electrical hook-ups, and 36 Class C campsites for walk-in tent camping (Campground Map). A campground store and public swimming pool are located in the campground and available to park users for an additional fee. Hazlet Cottages, overlooking Carlyle Lake, are also available year round and operated by a private concessionaire. The concession lease is currently out for bid and a new concessionaire is being sought for upcoming season. Please follow IDNR on social media for updates regarding the new concessionaire or contact the park office at 618-594-3015.
Campsite fit
Group-designated sites listed in park data: 5. Verify current group pricing, vehicle maximums, and campground rules on the official reservation page.
Group-site signal
No special group limitations surfaced in the current listing metadata.
Trailer and rig access
72 trailer-capable sites, max listed vehicle length 40ft, driveway mix: 0 pull-through, 72 back-in
Fire rules
Campfires allowed in designated fire pits only. Firewood must be sourced within 50 miles or USDA certified; no out-of-state wood.
Bathrooms and facilities
Trails and activities
29 named trail routes are surfaced here from 42 mapped source segments. Start with the featured routes, then expand the full list if this park stays on your shortlist.
Kaskaskian Trail
2.4 miles total • 2 mapped segments • ground • foot trail
Boxelder Avenue
1.5 miles total • track
Catalpa Avenue
1.4 miles total • track
View all trail routes
Carlyle Dam Road
1.3 miles total • path
Wilderness Trail
1.1 miles total • 5 mapped segments • path
Cherokee Trail Loop 1
0.9 miles total • 3 mapped segments • ground • foot trail
KC Fitness Trail
0.8 miles total • 3 mapped segments • asphalt • path
Pawnee Trail
0.8 miles total • ground • foot trail
Hockett Bridge Road
0.7 miles total • 2 mapped segments • track
Eagle Trail
0.5 miles total • foot trail
Osage Youth Group Trail
0.5 miles total • ground • foot trail
Bud Road
0.5 miles total • track
Weather context
Partly Sunny
2026-03-09 • 71° / 60° • 0% precipitation
Partly sunny, with a high near 71. South wind around 21 mph.
May
May avg: 72°F high, 53°F low, 11 rainy days
June
June avg: 81°F high, 62°F low, 10 rainy days
July
July avg: 85°F high, 67°F low, 9 rainy days
Safety and rules
No active alerts surfaced for the selected dates.
Campfires allowed in designated fire pits only. Firewood must be sourced within 50 miles or USDA certified; no out-of-state wood.
Key rules and on-site notes
Start with the highest-signal rules below, then expand the full park policy list only if this park stays in contention.
Directions
From St. Louis: Take I-64/44 East to Carlyle exit (Rt 50). Then follow Route 50 East to Route 127, North of Carlyle and turn left. Follow Route 127 North 3 miles to Eldon Hazlet State Park sign and turn right. Go 1 miles to the stop sign and turn left. At the next Eldon Hazlet State Park sign or the "Y" intersection, go right and follow the road until you reach the Illini Campground entrance. From Chicago: Take I-57 South to I-70 West to Greenville exit (Rt 127). Then take Route 127 South 18 miles to the Eldon Hazlet State Park sign and turn left. Go 1 mile to the stop sign and turn left. At the next Eldon Hazlet State Park sign or at the "Y" intersection, go right and follow the road until you reach the Illini Campground entrance.
Contact
(618) 594-3015
Fire policy
Campfires allowed in designated fire pits only. Firewood must be sourced within 50 miles or USDA certified; no out-of-state wood.
View all park rules
Explore more Illinois parks