Oak Point - Lake Glendale

Open — Open year-round, first-come, first-served. No advance reservations accepted.

Failing Culvert on Oakwood Bottoms Road FSR # 786

Be aware there is a failing culvert on Oakwood Bottoms Road FSR # 786. The culvert is approximately 0.6 miles off of Route 3, just before the railroad tracks.

Oakwood Bottoms Waterfowl Hunting 2025-2026

Flooding of Oakwood Bottom Units is underway. Due to storm damage to power lines, the units in the southern portion of Oakwood Bottoms will not be filled this year. To offset this loss of floodable units, we plan to flood as many of the northern units as possible.

Public Health and Safety Closure Within the V-Plow Timber Sale Area

This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands within Township 11S, Range 5E, Sections 21 & 22 of Pope County, Illinois, as depicted in

Water temporarily unavailable at Garden of the Gods

Water is temporarily off at Pharaoh Campground in the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area. Please plan accordingly. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide updates to our social media pages and the website when it is available again.

09-08-25-03 Shawnee Wilderness and Watersheds

This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining restrictions in wilderness and watershed areas, including stock use.

09-08-25-02 Occupancy and Use

This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining conditions of occupancy and use.

09-08-25-04 Restrictions for the Use of Natural Areas

This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining restrictions in natural areas.

McClure Road Closed

McClure Road (Forest Service Road 772) is closed at the low-water crossing approximately 0.1 mile past the Forest Service boundary (0.8 mile from Little Kinkaid Road).  We apologize for the inconvenience, but the road will remain closed to all vehicular traffic until a culvert can be replace

Road Conditions

Current area road conditions can be found at the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Reporting Trail Conditions

Call (618) 658-1312 to report trail conditions, give feedback about the trails, and ask questions about the forest trail system.

Trail Segment Closed - Lincoln Memorial

The walking path at Lincoln Memorial Day-use site has been affected by heavy rainfall, which has caused soil erosion and subsidence at the spillway of the Lincoln Memorial pond.

Cave and Mine Closure Order

This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining cave and mine closures.

About

Oak Point Campground sits along the lakeshore of Lake Glendale Recreation Area in the heart of Shawnee National Forest, making it one of the most popular and centrally located campgrounds in southern Illinois. The campground offers 35 electric/water hookup sites and 24 non-electric sites surrounded by tall pine trees and mixed hardwood forests, with many sites accommodating RVs and trailers up to 40 feet in length. Each campsite includes a picnic table and fire ring, with centralized shower houses featuring flush toilets and water spigots throughout the campground. A dump station is available on-site. The campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis with no advance reservations, and a campground concessionaire manages daily operations. The 82-acre Lake Glendale offers excellent fishing for bass, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, and sunfish, with electric motors permitted on the water. The recreation area features a swimming beach open seasonally, picnic areas with a large shelter, and the 3-mile Lake Glendale Trail circling the lake. The central location provides easy access to nearby attractions including Millstone Bluff Archaeological Site, Bell Smith Springs, Burden Falls, and multiple wilderness areas.

Directions

From Harrisburg: Take Highway 145 south 26.5 miles and turn left into the recreation area. From intersection of I-24 and Highway 146: Take Highway 146 east 11 miles to Highway 145, then north on Highway 145 for 2.2 miles and turn right. From intersection of I-24 and Highway 145: Take Highway 145 north 18 miles and turn right into the recreation area.

Nearby Campgrounds

Amenities

Water Yes
Fires Allowed Yes
Toilets Yes
Dump Station Yes
Wifi No
Pets Allowed Yes
Showers Yes
Electric Hookups Yes
Water Hookups Yes
Sewer Hookups No
Camp Store
Price $15 - $48

Vehicle

Max RV Length 40ft
Max Trailer Length 40ft
Big Rig Friendly Yes
Pull Through Sites No

Contact

Phone +1 (618) 253-7114

Cell Service

AT&T Yes
Verizon Yes
T-Mobile None

Community Posts

No posts yet. Be the first to share your experience!