Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States · in Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
- Season
- Year-round
- Group sites
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 459 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 2
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Johnsonville
- Address
- 620 County Road, 1910 North, Johnsonville, IL 62850
- Phone
- (618) 835-2292
- Activities
- Camping, Group Camping
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area is an Illinois DNR state park in the South region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class B/E (electricity, vehicular access, no showers); Class D (tent/primitive walk-in or backpack sites, no vehicular access). Also offers: Youth group camping; Organized/adult group camping. Pets ARE allowed (leashed, with water, never left unattended or in a parked vehicle) - IDNR's general statewide practice, confirmed via Starved Rock State Park's own IDNR FAQ. Reservable online through Illinois DNR's own Explore More Illinois system (camp.exploremoreil.com, redirects to the live recreation.exploremoreil.com/IllinoisWeb/ booking platform). Advance booking requires at least 3 days' notice; most sites are reservable May 1-October 31 (some year-round - confirm per park).
Fees
Class B/E: $18/night - electricity and vehicular access, no showers. Class D: $6/night - tent camping or primitive sites (walk-in or backpack), no vehicular access. Youth group (Class Y): $2/person/night, $20/day minimum. Organized/adult group (Class O): $4/person/night, $40/day minimum. Reservation fee $5/reservation (non-refundable) plus first night's camping fee; camping fees refunded if cancelled online 3+ days before arrival. Discounts (about half the listed camping fee, full utility fee still applies) for Illinois residents 62+ or disabled with a Class 2/2A card; Illinois disabled veterans and POWs camp free aside from the utility fee; no entrance fee to any Illinois state park (dnr.illinois.gov).
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 26° | -5° | 68° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 45° | 28° | 2° | 73° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 58° | 40° | 17° | 80° | 6 of 11 |
| April | 68° | 49° | 31° | 84° | 2 of 11 |
| May | 79° | 62° | 44° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 86° | 69° | 53° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 88° | 72° | 64° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 86° | 71° | 62° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 84° | 66° | 53° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 66° | 49° | 35° | 84° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 55° | 38° | 16° | 75° | 4 of 10 |
| December | 45° | 31° | 4° | 66° | 8 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Charley Brown Memorial Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 10 mi · 85 sites
- Stephen A Forbes State Recreation Area · Illinois State Parks · 16 mi
- Lakeside RV Park at East Fork Lake · City, County & Regional Parks · 31 mi
- Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area · Illinois State Parks · 35 mi
- Hamilton County State Fish & Wildlife Area · Illinois State Parks · 35 mi
All public campgrounds in Illinois · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.