We spent a few days camping at Giant City State Park in March, right at the tail end of the off-season, and honestly, it was kind of perfect. We’d visited the park before in 2024 just for hiking, but this time we were excited to finally camp here and get the full experience. Since we were working during the day, our routine became pretty ideal: log off, lace up, and hit the trails. Giant City has some of the best hiking in southern Illinois, and having it right outside our campsite was a dream.
In this post, we’re sharing everything you need to know if you’re thinking about camping here- details on the campground, what it costs, what’s open in the off-season, and some of our favorite things to do both in the campground and around the park. Plus, we’ll throw in our honest review of what it was like to stay here and whether we’d come back (spoiler: we would).
Giant City State Park Campground
Giant City Campsites
Giant City State Park offers a variety of camping options for both RVers and tent campers. The main campground features 85 Class A campsites, all equipped with 30-amp electric service, and a few that also offer 50-amp hookups. These sites are a mix of back-in and pull-through styles, making them accessible for different types of RVs and travel trailers. At just $20 per night, these electric sites provide a convenient and affordable option for those exploring the scenic beauty of Southern Illinois.
In addition to the RV sites, the park also has 14 walk-in Class C campsites located on the south end of the main campground. These more primitive sites are ideal for tent campers looking for a quieter, more rustic experience. With a budget-friendly rate of just $8 per night, the walk-in sites offer a peaceful way to enjoy the natural surroundings of Giant City without the crowds.
We always recommend using a surge protector when plugging you RV into the power post, this is the one we use and we’ve been very happy with it.
Campground Amenities at Giant City
The campground at Giant City State Park has everything you need for a comfy stay. There’s water, a dump station, and a nice showerhouse if you’re looking to clean up after a day on the trails. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring (don’t forget to bring firestarters!), and there’s a playground right in the campground- great if you’ve got little ones who need to burn off some energy. Firewood is easy to grab from the camp host, which is super handy for those evening campfires.
Outside the campground but still in the park, you’ll find even more to check out. The Giant City Lodge has a cozy, rustic vibe with a gift shop and a restaurant that’s kind of famous for its fried chicken (seriously, don’t skip it). There’s also a visitor center nearby where you can pick up trail maps, learn a bit about the area’s history, and get tips from the super friendly staff.
Off-Season Camping at Giant City State Park
If you’re thinking about visiting Giant City in the off-season, here are a few things to know before you roll in. First off, it’s totally first-come, first-served– no reservations. Just pull into a site you like and fill out the self-registration envelope (yep, it’s old school), and it’s $18 a night. One important heads-up: the showerhouse is closed for the season starting the day after the first shotgun deer hunt and doesn’t reopen until April 1, so plan accordingly. That means no hot showers or flush toilets, but if you’re cool with roughing it a little, it’s a peaceful time to camp with fewer crowds and some seriously quiet nights under the stars.
Campground Activities
From within the campground you can access Red Cedar Trail. This is a 12 mile long backpacking trail that connects to several other trails within the park.
Also within the campground itself, there is a small archery range if you have your own bow.
Equestrian Camping at Giant City State Park
If you’re traveling with horses, Giant City’s got you covered with a separate equestrian campground that’s tucked away right off the horse trail. It’s a Class A campground, so you’ve got electric hookups and other basic amenities to keep both you and your four-legged travel buddies comfortable. Just a heads-up: this campground is only open from May 1 to October 31, and you do need to have horses (or be camping with someone who does) to stay there.
Giant City State Park Camping Rules and Policies
Before you head out, here are a few campground rules and policies to keep in mind so you don’t run into any surprises.
- If you cancel a reservation no later than 3 dates before arrival you can get a refund on camping fees (minus the online reservation fee)
- Alcohol is allowed in the campground
- The max length of stay during the on-season (May 1-September 30) is 14 nights in any 30 day period
- All pets must be leashed
- Visitors need to leave the park by 10pm
- You can use water spigots to fill tanks, but must disconnect after use
Our Review of Giant City State Park Camping
We camped at Giant City for two weeks in March, which is considered part of the off-season. That meant we couldn’t reserve a site ahead of time and had to self-register when we got to the park. We weren’t worried about finding a site, though, because we know that Illinois parks are all very quiet in the off-season. The campground was relatively empty our whole stay there. I’d say there were probably never more than 10 campsites being used. Most people were up by the showerhouse, which is where the 50 amp sites are.
The camphosts were very friendly and were always out working so you can tell the campground is being maintained. Because we were there in the off-season, the showerhouse was closed. We did end up inside it one night, though, during tornado warnings. The camphost had opened it up in case the storms got bad and went around telling everyone that- which we really appreciate since we’re very safety-conscious. It turns out we wouldn’t have used the showerhouse even if it was open, since it only has curtains and no locking stall doors. It was clean and maintained, though, if a little outdated.
Our site was spacious and had for a gravel pad was pretty level. (We didn’t even need our Andersen levelers.) Most of our stay we had our road to ourselves, until the last few days when someone set up right behind us… even though there were only like 4 other rigs in the whole campground. Still not sure why they would do that. Before they pulled in, we had a really nice view out our back window.
The dump station was super easy to access and convenient for using our toter to empty our gray tank mid-stay. We loved having access to great hiking trails within the state park. We had to drive some trail heads, but they were like 2 minute drives. This is one of our favorite parts of full-time RV life. We used to hike the same park (that we lived in) everyday when we were in a house, but now we get to hike new places everyday.
We do a lot of camping without full hook-ups, so having a portable waste tank (aka a toter) is essential for helping us dump our gray tank mid-stay.
What Else to Do at Giant City State Park
If you’re still looking for info on Giant City State Park, I have two other blog posts you should check out:
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