| It seems appropriate for the largest campground in the Illinois state park system to be located on the largest manmade lake in Illinois. Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area is a 3,000-acre site on the west shore of Carlyle Lake, a Kaskaskia River impoundment. The site is located three miles north of Carlyle & two miles east of Illinois Route 127 in Clinton County.
The site is leased by the Department of Natural Resources from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built the 26,000-acre lake. It is named for a Carlyle attorney who organized the Kaskaskia Valley Association. Eldon Hazlet was the first president of the organization, which promoted construction of two of Illinois’ three largest reservoir/recreational complexes - Carlyle Lake & Lake Shelbyville - plus other improvements on the Kaskaskia River.
Picture of Illini CampgroundAnnually, more than 800,000 visitors come to the park to camp, boat, fish, hunt, picnic, bird watch & to hike over nine miles of trails in the park, or attend the sailboat regattas held almost every summer weekend. Whatever type of recreation you choose, it’s probably offered at Carlyle Lake. |
Eldon Hazlet - State Recreation Area Campground Web Site
Driving Direction GPS Coordinates:
38.668684, -89.341392
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Campground: Eldon Hazlet - State Recreation Area in Carlyle Illinois *