Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 479 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 4
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Carlyle
- Address
- 20100 Hazlet Park Road, Carlyle, IL 62231
- Phone
- (618) 594-3015
- Activities
- Camping, Group Camping
About
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area is an Illinois DNR state park in the West Central region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class A (showers, electricity, vehicular access); Class D (tent/primitive walk-in or backpack sites, no vehicular 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 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. 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 | 36° | 25° | 1° | 65° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 43° | 29° | 0° | 69° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 56° | 40° | 17° | 75° | 5 of 11 |
| April | 67° | 49° | 32° | 83° | 1 of 11 |
| May | 78° | 63° | 46° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 87° | 70° | 57° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 88° | 73° | 66° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 85° | 72° | 63° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 83° | 66° | 56° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 66° | 50° | 35° | 80° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 54° | 39° | 16° | 68° | 3 of 10 |
| December | 43° | 32° | 5° | 60° | 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
- Dam West Campground · Army Corps of Engineers · 3 mi · 109 sites
- Coles Creek Campground · Army Corps of Engineers · 4 mi · 148 sites
- Lotus Group Area · Army Corps of Engineers · 4 mi · 1 sites
- Dam East - McNair Campground · Army Corps of Engineers · 4 mi · 48 sites
- Dam East Rec. Area (Day Use) · Army Corps of Engineers · 4 mi · 1 sites
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.