Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Trail of Tears State Forest
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- Season
- Year-round
- Group sites
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 564 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 3
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Jonesboro
- Address
- 3240 State Forest Road, Jonesboro, IL 62952
- Phone
- (618) 833-4910
- 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
Trail of Tears State Forest is an Illinois DNR state park in the South region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class C (vehicular access without showers, or walk-in with shower access); 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 C: $8/night - vehicular access without showers, or walk-in sites with shower access. 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).
The forest's gravel roads are closed to vehicles from December 24 through the end of the spring turkey season (about the second week of May); camping then is by foot only, at the backpack sites.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 28° | 6° | 68° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 47° | 30° | -1° | 72° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 60° | 41° | 19° | 79° | 5 of 11 |
| April | 69° | 49° | 30° | 84° | 1 of 11 |
| May | 78° | 63° | 44° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 87° | 68° | 56° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 88° | 72° | 64° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 85° | 71° | 63° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 85° | 67° | 54° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 68° | 51° | 36° | 83° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 57° | 40° | 15° | 76° | 3 of 10 |
| December | 47° | 32° | 11° | 67° | 9 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
- Pine Hills Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi
- Trail of Tears State Park · Missouri State Parks · 7 mi · 54 sites
- Giant City State Park · Illinois State Parks · 12 mi
- Ferne Clyffe State Park · Illinois State Parks · 20 mi
- Lake Murphysboro State Park · Illinois State Parks · 21 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.