Ferne Clyffe State Park Campground

About

Ferne Clyffe State Park Campground occupies a scenic 2,470-acre tract in Johnson County, Illinois, approximately one mile south of Goreville off Illinois Route 37. The park's landscape features dramatic sandstone bluffs, sheltered canyons thick with ferns, and a seasonal waterfall. Multiple hiking trails explore these geological features, and the park permits rock climbing on designated formations. The campground system serves diverse camping styles. Deer Ridge is a Class A facility with gravel pads, electric hookups, flush toilets, showers, drinking water, and a sanitary dump station. Turkey Ridge operates as a Class C walk-in campground with camp pads, cooking grills, picnic tables, showers, and toilets. A backpack campground lies a half-mile from the Turkey Ridge parking area, offering woodland sites with cooking grills, toilets, and showers. Equestrian campers have their own Class C area with capacity for 25 riders, featuring hitching rails, drinking water, showers, and toilets. Reservations for select sites are available through ExploreMoreIL; many sites remain first-come, first-served. Group camping requires contacting the park office directly. Beyond camping, visitors can fish in the park's lake, hunt in designated areas during season, and picnic at day-use shelters.

Directions

Located on Illinois Route 37, approximately 1 mile south of Goreville and 12 miles south of Marion. Accessible via I-57 and I-24.