Giant City State Park
Shawnee National Forest
Write a Review 349-383 South Church Road Makanda, IL 62958 618-457-4836 Official WebsiteGPS: 37.604, -89.194
Overview of Giant City State Park
Last Price Paid: $30
Reported by nancysg53 on 9/2/2023
Longest RV Reported: 35 feet (Fifth Wheel)
Reported by ElaineS on 4/20/2023
Number of Sites 135
Reservations yes
Elevation 623 ft / 189 m
Max Length 40 ft
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To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 618.457.4836
Reviews of Giant City State Park 9 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 5 Users
Last reported 9/2/2023
Confirmed by 1 User
Last reported 10/25/2018
“Quiet Campground With Plenty Of Shade”
Reviewed 9/2/2023
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 26 |
| RV Length: | 15' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
Enjoyed this campground very much. Many available sites even on Labor Day weekend. Very nice trails at all levels. Visitor center is great with well informed staff. A lodge nearby serves excellent food. Cabins available also. Lots to see in the area: several lakes, horseback riding, nearby orchards and wine trail.
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Verizon 4G
nancysg53 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Decent Place To Stop”
Reviewed 5/23/2023
| Days stayed: | 2 |
|---|---|
| Site Number: | 8 |
Overall Rating
Arrived on a Tuesday to our reserved site only a very few sites can reserved and we could have just drove in. Seems like everyone here knows each other. Tent groups gather together in. Just groups of screaming kids and barking dogs. Would like it better if the gathering site wasn’t next to us in this mostly empty park. I heard them say... more
Arrived on a Tuesday to our reserved site only a very few sites can reserved and we could have just drove in. Seems like everyone here knows each other. Tent groups gather together in. Just groups of screaming kids and barking dogs. Would like it better if the gathering site wasn’t next to us in this mostly empty park. I heard them saying they would all meet again. On the weekend.
Came here for the hiking so powering thru. Will hike and be done with this place.
Zero vegetation between sites. Electric good with an older yet clean shower house. Can’t blame the park for the people but this seems to be a gathering place for locals.
Cell signal strong for Verizon. Use home fi internet and it has a strong signal.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lovely campground and lots to do in and around the park”
Reviewed 4/20/2023
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 5 |
| Site Number: | 30 |
| RV Length: | 35' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
I travelled here with a 35’ 5th wheel, long bed pickup and parked in the site #30, an E only, PT site for $20/night. Right upfront I have to confess that this is a campground my family used to visit annually for years when I was very young. It was a trip down memory lane since I hadn’t been there since the late 60’s. The roads were asp... more
I travelled here with a 35’ 5th wheel, long bed pickup and parked in the site #30, an E only, PT site for $20/night. Right upfront I have to confess that this is a campground my family used to visit annually for years when I was very young. It was a trip down memory lane since I hadn’t been there since the late 60’s. The roads were asphalt and the sites were a mix of asphalt and gravel. This one is a gravel site. I did need to use one board to get level. Sites are fairly close, but not packed in. Road is a bit narrow and the curves are tight enough that the RV wheels went off the road a couple of times. Got around ok by going slow. The “front yard” of #30 is pretty good size, better than most. There is a large open area near the playground for games and such. I saw several families with their children playing there. The bathhouse is in okay shape, but I didn’t use it. There are also a few vault toilets around as well. All were generally clean. There is lots of good, dappled shade. The dump station has two slots and is big. It looks fairly new. I had 2 bars 5G with Verizon, 111.8 mbps download, no wifi and I didn't check OTA channels. There are loads of fun hikes and rocks to climb in the park making it fun for kids. Also, Garden of the Gods, Bald Knob, and loads of national forest trails are around. It was a lovely experience and I would definitely go back.
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Verizon 5G
ElaineS would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“My favorite state park to date!”
Reviewed 6/12/2022
| Nightly rate: | $22 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 13 |
Overall Rating
We have only one negative about our experience: we could not level our camper. I dropped the nose as low as it would go. We made the best of things and had a great time! The bathrooms and showers were great. Neighbors were courteous, and one even helped us get into our site, which was tight. Regardless, we loved it and hope to be back ... more
We have only one negative about our experience: we could not level our camper. I dropped the nose as low as it would go. We made the best of things and had a great time! The bathrooms and showers were great. Neighbors were courteous, and one even helped us get into our site, which was tight. Regardless, we loved it and hope to be back soon! We camped at Giant City State Park in a Travel Trailer.
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Verizon 5G
KevMicAtt would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful park”
Reviewed 6/6/2021
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 31 |
| RV Length: | 19' (Toy Hauler Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Electric only but had a dump station. We were a walk-in and found several open spots. The park was full but very quiet.
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Verizon 4G
Vicki would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Southern Illinois”
Reviewed 10/28/2019
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 50 |
Overall Rating
Have hunted near here for most of our lives and never stayed at this park until now. We have been missing out on a real gem! We have eaten at the lodge in the past and it is highly recommended but the campground was a huge surprise. Well laid out with the shower house being a short walk from sites 50-52. Our site was fairly level. ... more
Have hunted near here for most of our lives and never stayed at this park until now. We have been missing out on a real gem! We have eaten at the lodge in the past and it is highly recommended but the campground was a huge surprise. Well laid out with the shower house being a short walk from sites 50-52. Our site was fairly level. Only had a problem with the electric hookup which had to be replaced while we were there but the park attendants were great and very accommodating. Will definitely camp here again possibly in the winter since it is open year round. Nice hot showers as well!
Mildlyretired would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Good spot nothing special though”
Reviewed 11/23/2018
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 17 |
Overall Rating
We enjoyed staying here. I checked out the bathhouse and found it clean. We liked our site (17) and appreciated having pull through spots available. Great hiking trails nearby. I’m glad we stayed in the off season though as the are many sites and all are close to each other. Good spot for the price. Tip! Some sites have fire pits w... more
We enjoyed staying here. I checked out the bathhouse and found it clean. We liked our site (17) and appreciated having pull through spots available. Great hiking trails nearby. I’m glad we stayed in the off season though as the are many sites and all are close to each other. Good spot for the price.
Tip! Some sites have fire pits with fire rings while others have more open grill types. I guess which one would prefer is the fire ring for a campfire vs open grill for actually cooking!
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Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Pleasant”
Reviewed 10/25/2018
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 17 |
| RV Length: | 30' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
Our campsite wasn't the most level (back to front) but we had a great time. It looks like they just remodeled the interior roads and many campsites. We were there on a crowded weekend but it wasn't noisy. Some great hiking trails, and other things to do nearby (fishing, golfing, wine trail for example). The camp hosts were happy to... more
Our campsite wasn't the most level (back to front) but we had a great time. It looks like they just remodeled the interior roads and many campsites. We were there on a crowded weekend but it wasn't noisy. Some great hiking trails, and other things to do nearby (fishing, golfing, wine trail for example).
The camp hosts were happy to answer any questions about the park or area. As mentioned by another review, the fried chicken is fantastic at the lodge if you're feeling a bit lazy and don't want to cook. Makanda is a neat small town.
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AT&T 4G
DrBob806 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Campground in Southern Illinois”
Reviewed 7/26/2017
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 25' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Giant City is a beautiful state park with a lot of activities from fishing, horseback riding and hiking to rock climbing. The campground is well shaded and has large campsites. Giant City Lodge has a great restaurant and my husband LOVED the all you can eat fried chicken on Sunday:) This campground is also in close proximity to the ... more
Giant City is a beautiful state park with a lot of activities from fishing, horseback riding and hiking to rock climbing. The campground is well shaded and has large campsites. Giant City Lodge has a great restaurant and my husband LOVED the all you can eat fried chicken on Sunday:) This campground is also in close proximity to the Southern Illinois Wine Trail where you can enjoy many wineries. Try Blue Sky. It's one of our favorites!
Kblanquart would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- 20 Amp
- Partial Hookups
Facilities
- dump station
- showers
Pets
- pets
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