Available sites
159 total sites
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About South Marcum Campground
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Pet friendly
Showers
Playground
RV Utilities and Hookups
- Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
- Showers
On Site Services
- Playground
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
Rates, Sites & Availability
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159 Sites Available
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Reviews (1358)
What Guests Are Saying
South Marcum Campground is praised for its beautiful, well-maintained grounds and spacious, shaded sites, making it a serene and enjoyable place to camp. Visitors appreciate the clean facilities, including showers and restrooms, and the proximity to outdoor activities like biking and fishing. While some guests experienced issues with site leveling and internet access, overall, the campground is highly regarded, with many expressing a desire to return.
What Guests Are Saying
South Marcum Campground is praised for its beautiful, well-maintained grounds and spacious, shaded sites, making it a serene and enjoyable place to camp. Visitors appreciate the clean facilities, including showers and restrooms, and the proximity to outdoor activities like biking and fishing. While some guests experienced issues with site leveling and internet access, overall, the campground is highly regarded, with many expressing a desire to return.
Review Summary
John Ed M
VerifiedApril 16, 2024 • Stayed at: 068, Loop: CPOI
Visited S. Marcum for 2nd time, but this time for the Great 2024 Eclipse. Shower house/toilets were great. Plenty of room between campsites. Friendly staff. Great paved bike/walking trail for 10+ miles through campground, below the dam, and into the next campground. Easy access to lake for boating/canoing. One downside: I-57 road noise. Overall rating still excellent.
Kevin C
VerifiedApril 16, 2024 • Stayed at: 113, Loop: CPOI
Nice site with plenty of room for tents. Also extremely close the bathroom/shower which was awesome. Hot water was a plus.
Christine H
VerifiedApril 16, 2024 • Stayed at: 072, Loop: CPOI
We love the site. However, when we arrived, we found out that the loop we were on didn’t have water. When we checked in, no one told us. We were expecting full hookup and hadn’t carried any water. Luckily, we were able to fill at the dump station before we setup. We understand how problems happen, we were just upset that we weren’t notified so we could plan accordingly. The problem was soon fixed, and the rest of our stay was wonderful.
tina t
VerifiedApril 16, 2024 • Stayed at: 046, Loop: BLOD
Great place to watch the eclipse
Michael J
VerifiedApril 15, 2024 • Stayed at: 043, Loop: BLOD
We visited for the 2024 Eclipse. It was the perfect location. We were delighted by the layout and size of the campsites. We will be back again to explore more and to experience the other campgrounds.
My only negative remark is the lack of hand soap in the restrooms. There is a fancy powerful hand drier but no way the properly wash your hands. 😕
Beth E
VerifiedApril 15, 2024 • Stayed at: 112, Loop: CPOI
We were there during the Total Solar Eclipse in April of 2024 and it was absolutely packed full. That being said, the facilities were kept clean and the campground was very well run. They were obviously ready for the influx and had special activities planned before the eclipse and watching areas set up for the time of the actual eclipse. Some of the sites at this campground were on a fairly steep front-to-back slope and would not accommodate a long trailer (we saw a few that were fine for a very short camper but you'd never be able to get a long trailer level, front-to-back...the back would have needed to be lifted 2-3 ft to even give it a chance...I don't know how that could have been foreseen in advance of your reservation). Most sites were slightly un-level side-to-side but very workable. The Visitors' Center was pretty new and very nice. The road over the dam was closed for repairs and that was the only downside. Getting from the South Marcum campground to the other side of the lake, where the Visitors' center took some time and miles. That made the trip over there pretty inconvenient. All else was great! Highly recommend this campground.
Michael J
VerifiedApril 15, 2024 • Stayed at: 043, Loop: BLOD
We visited for the 2024 Eclipse. It was the perfect location. We were delighted by the layout and size of the campsites. We will be back again to explore more and to experience the other campgrounds.
My only negative remark is the lack of hand soap in the restrooms. There is a fancy powerful hand drier but no way the properly wash your hands. 😕
Beth E
VerifiedApril 15, 2024 • Stayed at: 112, Loop: CPOI
We were there during the Total Solar Eclipse in April of 2024 and it was absolutely packed full. That being said, the facilities were kept clean and the campground was very well run. They were obviously ready for the influx and had special activities planned before the eclipse and watching areas set up for the time of the actual eclipse. Some of the sites at this campground were on a fairly steep front-to-back slope and would not accommodate a long trailer (we saw a few that were fine for a very short camper but you'd never be able to get a long trailer level, front-to-back...the back would have needed to be lifted 2-3 ft to even give it a chance...I don't know how that could have been foreseen in advance of your reservation). Most sites were slightly un-level side-to-side but very workable. The Visitors' Center was pretty new and very nice. The road over the dam was closed for repairs and that was the only downside. Getting from the South Marcum campground to the other side of the lake, where the Visitors' center took some time and miles. That made the trip over there pretty inconvenient. All else was great! Highly recommend this campground.
Jeremy C
VerifiedApril 14, 2024 • Stayed at: 030, Loop: BLOD
We love south marcum but spot 30 had a tree limb broke and hanging right over my truck and we kept have power surges on that spot which was making are surge protector kick off and on.
Jeremy C
VerifiedApril 14, 2024 • Stayed at: 030, Loop: BLOD
We love south marcum but spot 30 had a tree limb broke and hanging right over my truck and we kept have power surges on that spot which was making are surge protector kick off and on.
Location & Directions for South Marcum Campground
South Marcum Campground, Benton, IL 62812 United States
Elevation: 134 ft
Getting There
From I-57 take exit 71 and turn west onto Highway 14. After 3 mi turn right on Rend City Road, then right on Rend Lake Dam Rd. Continue 3 mi to the park entrance on the left.
Highway access
South Marcum Campground is accessible from I-57 via exit 71, then west on Highway 14. The campground is located approximately 3 miles from the highway exit.
Policies & Rules
General
- All campers MUST register/ check-in with gate attendant upon arrival to receive site and vehicle tags.
- Camping equipment is required to be placed on the campsite; one camper with a maximum of three tents OR a maximum of four tents per site are permitted. Sites may NOT be reserved for parking of vehicles.
- See Park Information Guide for additional rules and regulations.
- 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.
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Last updated: October 19, 2026
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