Closed
— Closed for the season. Opens March 28, 2025 and operates through mid-November. Reservations are available online. Limited to 14 consecutive days per 16-day period.
About
Crab Orchard Campground occupies a prime lakefront location on the northwestern shore of Crab Orchard Lake, a 7,000-acre lake within the 44,000-acre Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. The campground offers 62 RV sites with various hookup options and 7 primitive tent sites, many with direct views of the lake. The refuge's location near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers makes it an ideal stopover for thousands of waterfowl and migrating birds traveling the Mississippi Flyway each spring and fall.
The campground provides modern conveniences including a shower house, dump station, fish cleaning station, and an on-site general store offering bait, firewood, and supplies. Each site features a picnic table and fire pit. The refuge offers exceptional recreational opportunities including fishing for crappie, bluegill, and bass, boating access via nearby marinas and boat ramps, swimming beaches, and over six trails for hiking and biking. The refuge's diverse habitats include oak-hickory forests, bottomland hardwoods, wetlands, and a 4,050-acre wilderness area.
The campground is operated by The REEF LLC as a concession and offers reservations through their online system. Stays are limited to 14 days within any 16-day period. The refuge's south side features pristine lakes, nature trails with waterfalls, and wilderness areas, while the east side provides excellent wildlife viewing, photography opportunities, and a visitor center with environmental education programs.
Directions
From I-57, take exit 54 toward State Route 13 West heading toward Carbondale. Drive 7.5 miles to the intersection of Route 13 and Greenbriar Road. Turn left onto Greenbriar, then make a right onto Campground Road.
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