Boulder Campground
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- A night
- $20–$40Across the site types the agency prices
- Sites
- 82All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 8 notices
In the agency’s own words
Boulder Campground is situated on the eastern shore of Carlyle Lake, a prime getaway for city-dwellers and families. Located 50 miles east of St. Louis, the area offers the peaceful retreat of a small town combined with the grandeur of Illinois' largest manmade lake. Keep reading
Recreation
Boulder Campground provides fun both on the water and on shore. Boat ramps and courtesy docks are provided, and the vast lake allows for plenty of water sports. Fishing is a popular pastime, and the lake offers year-round varieties of fish such as bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass, largemouth bass, freshwater drum, carp and walleye. There is an on-site playground and plenty of open space for children to play, as well as an amphitheater for educational programs. A multi-use biking and walking trail is located a short drive away at the dam.
Facilities
Boulder Campground offers 82 campsites, all of which have a view of the lake with some sites being perched directly on the shoreline. Each campsite is equipped with electric hookups and provides a picnic area with picnic table and fire pit. The campground has modern amenities such as flush toilets, showers and drinking water. It is adjacent to the Boulder Day Use Area which provides a boat ramp and fish cleaning station, as well as a reservable group picnic shelter.
Natural Features
Created in 1967, the 26,000-acre lake is recognized as one of the nation's top ten inland sailing lakes and hosts several annual races and regattas. Carlyle Lake is home to an array of wildlife that can be seen throughout the year. Its waters and shores are a resting spot for migratory waterfowl and other birds. There are six established Watchable Wildlife Sites with viewing towers open to the public around the lake.
Nearby Attractions
The Carlyle Lake Visitor Center, located in the Dam West Recreation Area, has information available as well as nature exhibits on display, including a 215-gallon aquarium with native fish.
Charges & Cancellations
Camping No Show - Camping no-show customers who do not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by check out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date will be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit their reservation. If the no-show service fee is greater than the reservation amount, the customer will not be charged any additional service fees. Cancellations - A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
What the agency tells you
All campsites are reservable.
No cash or personal checks are accepted at this time. Credit/Debit card only.
Camping No-Show - Camping no-show customers who do not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by check out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date will be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night use fee. If the no-show service fee is greater than the reservation amount, the customer will not be charged any additional service fees.
Everything else this campground posts · 5
Cancellation Fees - A $10 service fee is withheld from the refund anytime the customer cancels a camping or day use reservation. Depending on when the cancellation is made, it may be considered a late cancellation and additional fees may be forfeited. A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
Check-out time is 4:00 PM, Check-in time is 5:00 PM.
Firewood brought into this facility must be purchased, or collected locally due to invasive insects.
Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
Click here for a virtual tour of Carlyle Lake.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 82
- Hookups
- 82 electric, 8 water, 8 sewer
- Longest rig
- 101 ft
- Paved pads
- 68 of 82
- Accessible sites
- 2
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets
- “…campground has modern amenities such as flush toilets, showers and drinking water. It is adjacent to the…”
- Drinking water
- Yes
- “…such as flush toilets, showers and drinking water. It is adjacent to the Boulder Day Use Area which…”
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Boat ramp
- Yes
- Playground
- Yes
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
- Stay limit
- 14 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, Beach
- Biking
- Boating
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Ranger programs
- Night sky · 12th darkest of 30 in IL
- Bortle 4
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 14
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $20–$40 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Camping No Show - Camping no-show customers who do not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by check out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date will be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit their reservation. Cancellations…” · this campground’s own no-show terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
82 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 82 mapped sitesAll 82 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 82 of the 82 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 001 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | yes | 92 ft | 242 ft | $20–$40 |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 002 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 283 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 003 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 229 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 004 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 49 ft | 175 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 005 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 49 ft | 178 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 006 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 49 ft | 124 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 007 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 49 ft | 106 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 008 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 94 ft | 129 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 009 | standard electric | 97 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 89 ft | 99 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 010 | standard electric | 83 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 72 ft | 92 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 011 | standard electric | 66 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 72 ft | 73 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 012 | standard electric | 62 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 52 ft | 72 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 013 | standard electric | 66 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 52 ft | 76 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 014 | standard electric | 66 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 57 ft | 69 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 015 | standard electric | 85 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 92 ft | 184 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 016 | standard electric | 65 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 57 ft | 71 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 017 | standard electric | 48 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 105 ft | 82 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 018 | standard electric | 65 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 191 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 019 | standard electric | 65 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 172 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 020 | standard electric | 50 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 111 ft | 80 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 021 | standard electric | 61 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 50 ft | 74 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 022 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 50 ft | 73 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 023 | standard electric | 73 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 68 ft | 62 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 024 | standard electric | 67 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 69 ft | 160 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 025 | standard electric | 69 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 57 ft | 165 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 026 | standard electric | 70 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 57 ft | 159 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 027 | standard electric | 52 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 70 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 028 | standard electric | 50 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 64 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 029 | standard electric | 70 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 93 ft | 140 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 030 | standard electric | 78 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 100 ft | 170 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 031 | standard electric | 45 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 60 ft | 66 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 032 | standard electric | 48 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 60 ft | 70 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 033 | standard electric | 78 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 89 ft | 99 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 034 | standard electric | 83 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 71 ft | 147 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 035 | standard electric | 52 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 71 ft | 108 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 036 | standard electric | 68 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 42 ft | 152 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 037 | standard electric | 43 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 42 ft | 148 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 038 | standard electric | 95 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 55 ft | 179 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 039 | standard electric | 77 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 55 ft | 216 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 040 | standard electric | 65 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 51 ft | 238 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 041 | standard electric | 76 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 38 ft | 188 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 042 | standard electric | 79 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 79 ft | 216 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 043 | standard electric | 65 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 38 ft | 157 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 044 | standard electric | 74 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 54 ft | 131 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 045 | standard electric | 90 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 89 ft | 246 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 046 | standard electric | 60 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 62 ft | 163 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 047 | standard electric | 67 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 62 ft | 150 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 048 | standard electric | 69 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 71 ft | 165 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 049 | standard electric | 95 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 107 ft | 254 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 050 | standard electric | 65 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 147 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 051 | standard electric | 66 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 153 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 052 | standard electric | 50 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 49 ft | 127 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 053 | standard electric | 55 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 49 ft | 127 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 054 | standard electric | 60 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 59 ft | 141 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 055 | standard electric | 85 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 103 ft | 233 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 056 | standard electric | 68 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 62 ft | 188 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 057 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 62 ft | 249 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 058 | standard electric | 67 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 69 ft | 219 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 059 | standard electric | 52 ft | 20/30/50 amp | yes | 76 ft | 182 ft | $20–$40 |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 060 | standard electric | 83 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 65 ft | 236 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 061 | standard electric | 83 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 89 ft | 272 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 062 | standard electric | 83 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 89 ft | 213 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 063 | standard electric | 68 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 43 ft | 141 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 064 | standard electric | 80 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 43 ft | 124 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 065 | standard electric | 74 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 48 ft | 116 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 066 | standard electric | 76 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 44 ft | 125 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 067 | standard electric | 61 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 40 ft | 229 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 068 | standard electric | 101 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 44 ft | 148 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 069 | standard electric | 67 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 40 ft | 265 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 070 | standard electric | 78 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 62 ft | 143 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 071 | standard electric | 65 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 49 ft | 274 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 072 | standard electric | 95 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 57 ft | 144 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 073 | standard electric | 60 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 44 ft | 269 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 074 | standard electric | 100 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 50 ft | 161 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 075 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 44 ft | 263 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 076 | standard electric | 78 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 50 ft | 152 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 077 | standard electric | 73 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 53 ft | 262 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 078 | standard electric | 94 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 51 ft | 168 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 079 | standard electric | 92 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 56 ft | 159 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 080 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 56 ft | 165 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 081 | standard electric | 75 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 47 ft | 155 ft | $20–$40 | |
| BOULDER CAMPGROUND | 082 | standard electric | 83 ft | 20/30/50 amp | 47 ft | 175 ft | $20–$40 |
25 of 82 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Lotus Group Area2.5 mi
Coles Creek Campground3.0 mi
Keyesport Rec. Area3.5 mi
Dam East - McNair Campground7.7 mi
Dam West Campground8.2 mi
Dam West Spillway9.0 miAddress: 25501 Boulder Access RD, Shattuc, IL 62231. From I-57, turn west onto Old U.S. Highway 50. Continue for 19 miles through Salem, Odin and Sandoval. Turn north on Boulder Road and follow seven miles to the campground.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Keyesport, IL
Typical weather
Typical October night 46°F, day 70°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 22°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Boulder Campground is in Illinois’s 12th congressional district. Its representative, Mike Bost (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →