Available sites
46 total sites
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About Dam East - Mcnair Campground
Activities & Attractions
Nearby
Boating
Fishing
Swimming
Year-round
Fishing
Spring
Boating
Summer
Boating
Swimming
Fall
Boating
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Showers
RV Utilities and Hookups
- Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
- Showers
Water Access
- Beach Access
Rates, Sites & Availability
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46 Sites Available
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Reviews (1040)
What Guests Are Saying
Dam East - McNair Campground offers a quiet and clean environment, conveniently located just five minutes from town with ample amenities. Campers appreciate the spacious sites, well-kept facilities, and friendly camp hosts. However, some reviews mention issues with water quality, occasional maintenance concerns, and seasonal insect problems. Overall, many guests express a desire to return for future visits.
What Guests Are Saying
Dam East - McNair Campground offers a quiet and clean environment, conveniently located just five minutes from town with ample amenities. Campers appreciate the spacious sites, well-kept facilities, and friendly camp hosts. However, some reviews mention issues with water quality, occasional maintenance concerns, and seasonal insect problems. Overall, many guests express a desire to return for future visits.
Review Summary
Carol E
VerifiedJuly 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 31, Loop: NORTH LOOP
Dam East Mcnair is a great campground. It's smaller and therefore quieter than Dam West, which we appreciated.
There is a small beach for swimming and we witnessed several folks headed to the lake with their fishing gear. Campsites are shaded and far enough from others to provide some privacy while you would still be able to interact with others if you wanted.
Hobie B
VerifiedJuly 3, 2024 • Stayed at: 43, Loop: Spillway
Overall campground is nice and clean! Camp host was very friendly. Our only issue was with the lawn workers, they barreled through our campsite with no warning while our dog was on her tie out. After asking them to come back later (they had thrown grass and dirt on us at this point) another man had come barreling through our campsite once again. At this point our campsite had been mowed and both workers had no respect for us whatsoever. Very rude, the owner of the lawn company came to apologize and offer assistance…2 park rangers came out and did absolutely nothing. When asked about park rules and guidelines all they could say was “well they have a job to do.” The issue here is them disturbing our paid for site, proceeding to put a hole in our tent and absolutely nothing has been done. We have called twice and spoken with at least 5 people. Would have recommended a stay here but as of yesterday, camp with the risk of it being ruined and things damaged.
Robert G
VerifiedJuly 3, 2024 • Stayed at: 2, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
We had site #2 at Dam South. You'll need an extra long hose for the water hookup as you share the water with site #3. I think I used 3-25' hoses. Be sure to have a "y" connector in case site #3 doesn't have one. The site was awesome. Just a few steps to the bathhouse/restrooms and our starlink worked well with a little adjusting. The site was almost level, just needed to add one block to get it perfect. It was very convenient to walk down to the lake. The site is the closest one to the dump station which is also convenient. We would definitely do this site again.
Hobie B
VerifiedJuly 3, 2024 • Stayed at: 43, Loop: Spillway
Overall campground is nice and clean! Camp host was very friendly. Our only issue was with the lawn workers, they barreled through our campsite with no warning while our dog was on her tie out. After asking them to come back later (they had thrown grass and dirt on us at this point) another man had come barreling through our campsite once again. At this point our campsite had been mowed and both workers had no respect for us whatsoever. Very rude, the owner of the lawn company came to apologize and offer assistance…2 park rangers came out and did absolutely nothing. When asked about park rules and guidelines all they could say was “well they have a job to do.” The issue here is them disturbing our paid for site, proceeding to put a hole in our tent and absolutely nothing has been done. We have called twice and spoken with at least 5 people. Would have recommended a stay here but as of yesterday, camp with the risk of it being ruined and things damaged.
Robert G
VerifiedJuly 3, 2024 • Stayed at: 2, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
We had site #2 at Dam South. You'll need an extra long hose for the water hookup as you share the water with site #3. I think I used 3-25' hoses. Be sure to have a "y" connector in case site #3 doesn't have one. The site was awesome. Just a few steps to the bathhouse/restrooms and our starlink worked well with a little adjusting. The site was almost level, just needed to add one block to get it perfect. It was very convenient to walk down to the lake. The site is the closest one to the dump station which is also convenient. We would definitely do this site again.
Hobie B
VerifiedJuly 3, 2024 • Stayed at: 43, Loop: Spillway
Overall campground is nice and clean! Camp host was very friendly. Our only issue was with the lawn workers, they barreled through our campsite with no warning while our dog was on her tie out. After asking them to come back later (they had thrown grass and dirt on us at this point) another man had come barreling through our campsite once again. At this point our campsite had been mowed and both workers had no respect for us whatsoever. Very rude, the owner of the lawn company came to apologize and offer assistance…2 park rangers came out and did absolutely nothing. When asked about park rules and guidelines all they could say was “well they have a job to do.” The issue here is them disturbing our paid for site, proceeding to put a hole in our tent and absolutely nothing has been done. We have called twice and spoken with at least 5 people. Would have recommended a stay here but as of yesterday, camp with the risk of it being ruined and things damaged.
Robert G
VerifiedJuly 3, 2024 • Stayed at: 2, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
We had site #2 at Dam South. You'll need an extra long hose for the water hookup as you share the water with site #3. I think I used 3-25' hoses. Be sure to have a "y" connector in case site #3 doesn't have one. The site was awesome. Just a few steps to the bathhouse/restrooms and our starlink worked well with a little adjusting. The site was almost level, just needed to add one block to get it perfect. It was very convenient to walk down to the lake. The site is the closest one to the dump station which is also convenient. We would definitely do this site again.
Scott B
VerifiedJuly 2, 2024 • Stayed at: 3, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
Beautiful clean campground with lots of shade. Spots were not too close to each other and easy to park. Still definitely come back.
Scott B
VerifiedJuly 2, 2024 • Stayed at: 3, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
Beautiful clean campground with lots of shade. Spots were not too close to each other and easy to park. Still definitely come back.
Scott B
VerifiedJuly 2, 2024 • Stayed at: 3, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
Beautiful clean campground with lots of shade. Spots were not too close to each other and easy to park. Still definitely come back.
Location & Directions for Dam East - Mcnair Campground
801 Lake Road, Carlyle, IL 62231 United States
Elevation: 136 ft
Getting There
From I-57, take Old U.S. Highway 50 west for 22 mi to the Dam East Entrance road. Turn north and continue through the four-way intersection to the McNair Group Area.
Highway access
The campground is accessible via I-57, with the nearest exit leading to Old U.S. Highway 50, approximately 22 miles to the west.
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
5PM
Check out time
4PM
General
- Dam East - McNair is 100% reservable, and available for same day reservations.
- Dam East Spillway is now its own loop within McNair (Sites 33-47) and is open year-round.
- Campsites are single capacity; no double capacity or buddy sites are available
- If the Group Area is not reserved, it will be available on a first-come, first-served basis
- The Spillway Loop does not have a shower house, or dump station. Campers are able to use the shower and dumpstation at the entrace of McNair throughout the non-peak season. *Shower House may not be open 7 days/week.
- No personal checks or cash 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 their reservation. If the no-show service fee is greater than the reservation amount, the customer will not be charged any additional service fees.
- 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.
- 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
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Last updated: October 20, 2026
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