Campgrounds and RV parks near Clay City, IL

Clay City sits in Clay County in southeastern Illinois, within easy driving range of several state-run recreation areas and a full-service private RV park. The closest developed campground is Oak Ridge Campground at Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area, a modernized area with 115 shaded campsites offering electricity, water, and a shower building. That park anchors a large lake in the oak-hickory country north of Clay City. East of town, Red Hills State Park stretches across 967 acres of wooded hills, ravines, and springs midway between Olney and Lawrenceville on U.S. 50, with a 40-acre lake for fishing and boating. Horse Camp at Red Hills is a dedicated equestrian area within that park. Further southeast, Beall Woods State Park protects old-growth bottomland forest along the Wabash River. For travelers who want full hookups and family amenities, Grayville / I-64 KOA Holiday off Interstate 64 fills that role. Together these five options cover state-park camping, equestrian sites, and a resort-style RV park within roughly an hour of Clay City.

Illinois state park campsites are handled through the state's ExploreMoreIL reservation system. The Red Hills campground features more than 100 campsites with online reservations available at ExploreMoreIL, and at Stephen A. Forbes there are 115 shaded electric sites, with 52 reservable online at ExploreMoreIL. The rest are first-come, first-served, so mid-week arrivals help. Reservations can be made online or by phone at least seven days before the camping date, and campers can stay up to 14 days per 30-day period. Camping permits are picked up from park staff on arrival. Grayville / I-64 KOA Holiday books directly through the KOA website or by phone. A KOA Rewards account applies a discount at checkout, and cabin sites tend to sell out first on summer weekends.