Spillway
Dam East Spillway
DAM EAST SPILLWAY (DAY USE)
DAM EAST SPILLWAY (DAY USE)

Featured amenities

Playground Playground

About Dam East Spillway (Day Use)

Dam East Spillway Day Use Area is situated on the southern shore of Carlyle Lake, a prime getaway for city-dwellers and families. Located 50 mi east of St. Louis, the area offers the peaceful retreat of a small town combined with the grandeur of Illinois' largest man-made lake.

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Boating

Boating

Spring Summer Fall
Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Swimming

Swimming

Summer

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Playground Playground
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
On Site Services

On Site Services

  • Playground
Missing information?

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.

Review Summary

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Cristal L

September 30, 2025

5

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 & Directions for Dam East Spillway (Day Use)

801 Lake Road, Carlyle, IL 62231-9703 United States

Elevation: 127 ft

Getting There

From I-57, take Old U.S. Route 50 west for 37 mi to the Dam East entrance road and turn north. Turn west at the next intersection and proceed west for 1.2 mi to the Dam East Spillway.

Nearest town

Carlyle, IL - 2 mi

About 4 min to downtown

Highway access

Dam East Spillway is accessible via IL-127 which connects to I-70 approximately 20 miles to the north.

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

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 7, 2026

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Explore Carlyle, IL

Population: 2,980

Nearby larger city

St. Louis, MO

Approx. 45 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 456 ft

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Managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers