About Dam East Spillway (Day Use)
Nearby Activities & Attractions
Boating
Fishing
Swimming
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
On Site Services
- Playground
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Reviews (1)
What Guests Are Saying
The decision to rent the pavilion near the bathrooms proved beneficial for accommodating wheelchair users, improving accessibility for the group. While the bolted picnic tables limited flexibility, two movable tables allowed for better space management. Overall, the clean grill and positive experience at the pavilion make it a preferred choice for future visits.
What Guests Are Saying
The decision to rent the pavilion near the bathrooms proved beneficial for accommodating wheelchair users, improving accessibility for the group. While the bolted picnic tables limited flexibility, two movable tables allowed for better space management. Overall, the clean grill and positive experience at the pavilion make it a preferred choice for future visits.
Review Summary
Cristal L
September 30, 2025
In prior years, we would rent the two campsites next to the spillway, but it was always hard getting our folks with wheelchairs to the path along the river, and it was a long way to the bathrooms. This year, we decided to rent the pavilion by the bathroom and it worked much better. Since we had 7 wheelchairs with each group (4 groups), it would have been hard getting them underneath the pavilion since the 6 picnic tables appeared to be bolted to the concrete. We were lucky that 2 of them were actually not bolted down (or had gotten broken off previously) so we were able to move them out of the way for more wheelchair room. In the future, if they are to be bolted to the concrete, it would be nice to leave room for accessibility purposes (and maybe put the accessible picnic tables on the end by the grill, instead of having to go through the grass to get to them). It would also be wonderful to have a sidewalk from the pavilion to the bathroom. We grilled on the grill provided, and it was cleaned out for us each day. Overall, the pavilion worked out well for us and we would definitely rent it again.
Location Dam East Spillway (Day Use)
Address:
801 Lake Road
Carlyle, IL, 62231-9703
United States
From I-57, take Old U.S. Route 50 west for 37 miles to the Dam East entrance road and turn north. Turn west at the next intersection and proceed west for 1.2 miles to the Dam East Spillway.
Dam East Spillway is accessible via IL-127 which connects to I-70 approximately 20 miles to the north.
Latitude & Longitude: 38.5997 / -89.3497
Elevation: 127 feet
Policies & Rules
General
- Shelter hours are daily.
- 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
Nearby Campgrounds
Last updated: June 5, 2026