Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Washington County State Recreation Area
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- Season
- Year-round
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 479 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 3
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · Verizon weak · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Nashville
- Address
- 18500 Conservation Drive, Nashville, IL 62263
- Phone
- (618) 327-3137
- 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.
Site map · loading…
About
Washington County State Recreation Area is an Illinois DNR state park in the East Central region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class A (showers, electricity, vehicular access); Class C (vehicular access without showers, or walk-in with shower access). Also offers: Youth group camping. Rent-A-Camp equipment rental (a furnished large or extra-large tent, $8 or $12/stay plus the site's camping and utility fees) is offered at this park per IDNR's own Camp Classifications table. 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 A: $20/night ($30 holiday weekends) - showers, electricity, vehicular access. Class C: $8/night - vehicular access without showers, or walk-in sites with shower access. Youth group (Class Y): $2/person/night, $20/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° | 27° | 4° | 67° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 46° | 29° | 1° | 75° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 59° | 41° | 17° | 80° | 6 of 11 |
| April | 69° | 49° | 31° | 85° | 2 of 11 |
| May | 80° | 62° | 45° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 87° | 69° | 55° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 88° | 73° | 66° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 86° | 71° | 63° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 84° | 66° | 54° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 67° | 49° | 35° | 84° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 56° | 39° | 16° | 76° | 3 of 10 |
| December | 46° | 32° | 7° | 66° | 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
- Pinckneyville City Park/Fairgrounds Camping · City, County & Regional Parks · 14 mi
- Pyramid State Recreation Area · Illinois State Parks · 20 mi
- Dam East - McNair Campground · Army Corps of Engineers · 22 mi · 48 sites
- Dam East Rec. Area (Day Use) · Army Corps of Engineers · 23 mi · 1 sites
- World Shooting & Recreation Complex · Illinois State Parks · 23 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.