Dam East - Mcnair Campground

About

Dam East-McNair Campground is situated on the southern shore of Carlyle Lake, a prime destination for city-dwellers and families seeking outdoor recreation 50 miles east of St. Louis. The 26,000-acre lake, created in 1967, is recognized as one of the nation's top ten inland sailing lakes and hosts several annual races and regattas. The lake supports year-round fishing for bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass, largemouth bass, freshwater drum, carp, and walleye. The campground features 47 individual campsites divided across three loops: North Loop (sites 1-16), South Loop (sites 17-32), and Spillway Loop (sites 33-47, located below the main dam). All sites are standard electric with water and 20/30/50 amp hookups, paved driveways, and back-in configurations. Sites accommodate equipment up to 63 feet in length. A group picnic shelter accommodating up to 80 people is also available. Facilities include modern bathhouses with showers, laundry facilities, a dump station at the McNair entrance, a swimming beach, and multiple playgrounds. A multi-use biking and walking trail is located at the dam, and the Carlyle Lake Visitor Center at Dam West Recreation Area offers nature exhibits including a 215-gallon aquarium with native fish. Carlyle Lake also features six Watchable Wildlife Sites with viewing towers for observing migratory waterfowl and other birds.

Directions

From I-57, take Old U.S. Highway 50 west for 22 miles to the Dam East Entrance road. Turn north and continue through the four-way intersection to the McNair Campground.