Rend Lake
RV Guide
Introduction
Rend Lake is a spectacular location for camping in your RV in Illinois. For anyone who loves the beach, but finds themselves short on vacation time to drive through several states to get there, Rend Lake is a great substitute. The lake is near the town of Benton in the southern region of the state and has a surface area of almost nineteen thousand acres. Don't expect to stand on its shores and see over to the other side. The lake is three miles wide and around thirteen miles long. Yes, it's that huge. Rend Lake is a reservoir and was created when the US Army Corps of Engineers built a dam across the Big Muddy River. They also added impressive beaches at two different points on the lake's one-hundred and sixty mile-long shoreline. One is for swimming, and the other has been designated for boating. There are four COE campgrounds at Rend Lake for overnight camping plus two for groups as well as four for day-use only. That's a lot of campgrounds, and there are well over five hundred campsites to choose from. What is there to do at Rend Lake? Fishing, sailing, hunting or hiking in the Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. Get in a game of golf, go skeet shooting or visit some of the area's exceptional wineries or interesting museums. If just reading through the list of activities at Rend Lake left you exhausted, you'll probably enjoy this last activity more. Spending days just lazing on the beach by the water's edge. Could it get any better than that when you're in the middle of a landlocked state?
RV Rentals in Rend Lake
Transportation
Driving
If you've been down in the south of Illinois exploring the treasures that the Shawnee National Forest has to offer, the drive up to Rend Lake is a straight one hour run on the I 57. From up-state, if you've been RV camping somewhere in the north of Illinois, you'll use the I 57 to get to Rend Lake too. If you're picking up an RV after flying into St Louis in the neighboring state of Missouri, you can take the I 64 in the city suburbs. From there it'll be around one and a half hours before you're unpacking your swimwear and heading for the beach.
The Illinois highways are well-maintained and relatively straight, so you'll have no twisting mountain roads to contend with on your way to Rend Lake. There's a good, and easy to negotiate, network of county roads around the lake and no hidden surprises like bumpy forest dirt tracks to deal with. It should be easy and trouble-free motoring all the way to your RV campsite at Lake Rend.
Parking
Public Transportation
Campgrounds and parking in Rend Lake
Campsites in Rend Lake
Reservations camping
Gun Creek
The Gun Creek Campground is located on the eastern shore of Rend Lake just five minutes drive from the small town of Whittington. It's the ideal RV pitch for golfers and fishermen as the campground is next to the golf course and has a boat launch ramp. It's a big Corps campground with sixty campsites spaced out among the trees. The campsites are paved back-ins with electric hook-ups, grills, picnic tables, and fire pits. There are water and sewage hook-ups available in the campground as well as the usual communal amenities. Campers are requested to check-in with the site host on arrival so they can be issued with vehicle and site tags.
North Sandusky
The North Sandusky Campground is situated on the north shore of Sandusky Cove on the western shore of Rend Lake. From Rend City, you'll find it an easy fifteen-minute drive to the campground. If you're coming over from the lake's eastern shore after visiting the nearby state park, you'll have a fantastic drive with water all around as you go right over the lake on the I 54.
North Sandusky is a scenic campground and many of the sixty-plus standard electric campsites having stunning views across the lake. Sewage and water hook-ups are provided on-site as well as public-use showers, flush toilets, dump station, and a water spigot. This Corps campground at Rend Lake is perfect for a quiet getaway by the water's edge.
South Sandusky
RV campers heading to the South Sandusky Campground at Rend Lake have over one hundred campsites to choose from. This Corps campground sits on the southern shore of Sandusky Cove and is the one to pick if you want to spend your days on the beach. All the RV pitches have electric hook-ups, but not all have water and sewage, though these two facilities are available on the campground for the sites without. South Sandusky has great communal amenities, including hot showers, flush toilets, volleyball courts, and playgrounds.
For those just wanting to spend the day at Sandusky Cove rather than camp overnight, there is ample parking in the South Sandusky Day-Use Area.
South Marcum
The South Marcum Campground lies on the southern edge of Rend Lake. It's a sprawling campground with a hundred plus campsites spread out through the trees. Some are in a waterfront location and some are not, but they do all have fifty amp electric hook-ups. The campground is ideally located if you want to sit on the waterfront and watch the spectacular sunsets over the water. The campground has excellent facilities with many of the communal amenities accessible for the mobility impaired.
Seasonal activities in Rend Lake
In-Season
Swimming
One of the many reasons Rend Lake is such a popular recreational area is because of South Sandusky Beach. It really is just like being beside the sea. The strip of sand curves around the Sandusky Cove on the western side of the lake. If you're planning on RV camping nearby South Sandusky Beach, you'll find the South Sandusky Campground very convenient. If you're there when the water is too chilly for swimming, but you'd still like to take a dip, you can do that at the Rend Lake College Aquatic Center in their heated indoor pool.
Golf
Lake Rend Golf Course is situated on the south-eastern shore of the lake just a stone's throw from the Gun Creek Campground. The course has twenty-seven holes, an illuminated driving range, putting green and a practice bunker, all of which are open to the general public – no membership required. If you're thinking of going to play a round or two don't forget to pack your golfing gear – no swimsuits or cut-offs allowed.
Hiking
There's an almost endless network of trails running around Rend Lake, so no matter which Corps campground you've pitched your RV in, there'll be several close by. One of the most scenic parts of the lake for hiking is the Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. The park occupies over three thousand acres on a peninsula of land jutting out into the lake on the eastern shore. Stroll along the pathways meandering around the lake shores and through beautiful wooded areas where you'll have peace, quiet and some fantastic views of the reservoir.
Off-Season
Wildlife Spotting
Rend Lake is a superb area to go wildlife spotting. Over sixty-five species of mammals and almost a hundred types of reptiles plus three hundred species of birds, not to mention thousands of insects, all make their home there. There are also viewing stations set up in many of the spots which the wildlife is known to frequent.
If you're trying to get the younger members of the family interested in the diversity of nature, try taking them along the interpretative Blackberry Nature Trail. The walk is only three-quarters of a mile long, but they'll have a chance to see chipmunks and deer as well as spotting the tracks of raccoons and opossums.
Winery Visit
There are many top-quality wineries in the Rend Lake region of Illinois. Head out to the town of Makanda near the Trail of Tears State Forest, and you'll find more than you could possibly visit in one day. Each winery has its own specialty, and you could end up tasting everything from a Swedish-style Glogg to a Chambourcin Blush or a crisp, dry Riesling.
Sport Shooting
If you're RV camping at Rend Lake on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday, you'll be able to make the most of the first-class facilities at the Lake Rend Shooting Complex. The complex is open to non-members who want to take a pop at clays. Take your pick from skeet or trap shooting, sporting clays or five stand. They'll all test your skill at hitting a moving target.
