Sites & Rates
Average nightly rates46 total sites · $20 avg/night
RV Sites
31 sites
$20/night
average
Tent Sites
15 sites
$20/night
average
About Dam East - Mcnair Campground
Number of accommodations: 46
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
46 Sites Available
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Site Details
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46 Sites Available
No available sites
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Reviews (1013)
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
Michele J
VerifiedMay 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 43, Loop: Spillway
We love damn east McNair, it's beautiful there and no problems.
Allen D
VerifiedMay 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 34, Loop: Spillway
I like that there is water between each site
Michele J
VerifiedMay 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 43, Loop: Spillway
We love damn east McNair, it's beautiful there and no problems.
Charles F
VerifiedApril 28, 2024 • Stayed at: 15, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
This is a wonderful campground. Well laid out, nicely maintained, and in a beautiful setting. And to make it even better, the camp hosts are the best I have ever experienced in all my 15 years of camping. Another top notch Corps of Engineers facility!
Charles F
VerifiedApril 28, 2024 • Stayed at: 15, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
This is a wonderful campground. Well laid out, nicely maintained, and in a beautiful setting. And to make it even better, the camp hosts are the best I have ever experienced in all my 15 years of camping. Another top notch Corps of Engineers facility!
Charles F
VerifiedApril 28, 2024 • Stayed at: 15, Loop: SOUTH LOOP
This is a wonderful campground. Well laid out, nicely maintained, and in a beautiful setting. And to make it even better, the camp hosts are the best I have ever experienced in all my 15 years of camping. Another top notch Corps of Engineers facility!
Fred T
VerifiedApril 26, 2024 • Stayed at: 34, Loop: Spillway
Very quiet even with non-campers fishing right there below the dam. Wish there was a dump station there instead of having to go to McNair.
Fred T
VerifiedApril 26, 2024 • Stayed at: 34, Loop: Spillway
Very quiet even with non-campers fishing right there below the dam. Wish there was a dump station there instead of having to go to McNair.
Fred T
VerifiedApril 26, 2024 • Stayed at: 34, Loop: Spillway
Very quiet even with non-campers fishing right there below the dam. Wish there was a dump station there instead of having to go to McNair.
Erin E
VerifiedApril 23, 2024 • Stayed at: 33, Loop: Spillway
we stayed here the first time this year at site 41 and was vandalized with our tail-light broken out the first day we arrived. I stayed here alone with my son a prior no vandalism a prior year with another host. I had problems because it was difficult getting ahold of the host and I wanted to move to another site away from the other campers to a less crowded area but host was nowhere to be found and website would not let me modify my own campsite after we arrived and host checked me in without physically seeing him. Later it got cold to zero and wanted to extend or stay longer due to bad weather after my mom had just died December 2023 and we had truck problems day after her burial never got south where we wanted to be at.The new host was not understanding, even though campground was not crowded off season, to allow us to stay a few more days plugged in and out of the cold driving around unplugged with-out winterization of our camper. Instead he wrote a mean nasty note to get out of his campground and called the sheriff to harass us and spoke pretty mean to us as well threatening to tow us if we did not get out of our campsite after 14 days there even though nobody else stayed at our campsite nor had it reserved in same timeframe we stayed at site 33. park ranger had allowed us to move from 41 to 33 but host had gotten pretty mad and unfriendly about that as well. no numbers were posted how to reach host or park rangers near the campsites either. I called local police/sheriff at one point and they had no contact information for campground host or park rangers were very hard to find even when it flooded later on when we cameback 14 days later, nobody cameby to give us updates on flooding nor had anything interesting to tell us about events or anything interesting going on at their campground where they was very overly territorial about not wanting outsiders there? I felt some hostility. The year before, I had no issues with the other older host nor his wife.
Location Dam East - Mcnair Campground
Address:
801 Lake Road
Carlyle, IL, 62231
United States
From I-57, take Old U.S. Highway 50 west for 22 miles to the Dam East Entrance road. Turn north and continue through the four-way intersection to the McNair Group Area.
The campground is accessible via I-57, with the nearest exit leading to Old U.S. Highway 50, approximately 22 miles to the west.
Elevation: 136 feet
2.6 mi drive to downtown Carlyle (about 6 min)
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: September 9, 2026
