Campgrounds and RV parks near Harrison, IL

Harrison sits in Jackson County in far southern Illinois, within easy reach of Shawnee National Forest and a cluster of state parks and lakes that anchor the region's RV camping. The town lies between Murphysboro and Carbondale, so most named campgrounds are inside a short drive on Route 149 or Route 13. The closest developed option is Lake Murphysboro State Park, a state-run campground with electric sites, showers, and a dump station on a small lake. Pyramid State Recreation Area, the largest state park in Illinois, sits to the north near Pinckneyville and offers a mix of Class B and equestrian camping across reclaimed mine land. To the east, Little Grassy Lake Campground and Marina and Blue Heron Marina and Campground sit on lakes inside Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Horse Camp at Giant City State Park serves riders using the 12-mile equestrian trail south of Carbondale. Together these five parks cover most trip styles, from electric RV sites to primitive horse camping.

Illinois state park campgrounds, including Lake Murphysboro State Park, Pyramid State Recreation Area, and Giant City State Park, are reserved through the state's ExploreMoreIL system. Reservations must be made at least three days ahead and can be booked up to 180 days in advance. Class A sites include electricity, access to water, showers, and a sanitary dump; Class C and walk-in sites are more primitive. At Giant City, roughly sixty of the eighty-five main sites are reservable and the rest are first-come, first-served. Horse Camp at Giant City is limited to campers with horses or in groups that have them, and operates from May 1 through October 31. Little Grassy Lake Campground and Marina and Blue Heron Marina and Campground are concessionaire-run inside Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge; contact the operators directly for availability and reservations.