Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Horseshoe Lake-Alexander State Fish & Wildlife Area
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 325 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 2
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · AT&T good · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Miller City
- Address
- 21204 Promised Land Road, Miller City, IL 62962
- Phone
- (618) 776-5689
- Activities
- Camping
About
Horseshoe Lake-Alexander State Fish & Wildlife Area is an Illinois DNR state park in the South region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class A (showers, electricity, vehicular access); Class B/E (electricity, vehicular access, no showers); Class C (vehicular access without showers, or walk-in with shower access). 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 B/E: $18/night - electricity and vehicular access, no showers. Class C: $8/night - vehicular access without showers, or walk-in sites with shower access. 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 | 42° | 27° | 5° | 69° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 48° | 29° | -1° | 71° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 60° | 42° | 21° | 79° | 6 of 11 |
| April | 69° | 49° | 30° | 83° | 1 of 11 |
| May | 80° | 64° | 43° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 87° | 69° | 55° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 89° | 73° | 63° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 86° | 72° | 64° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 86° | 67° | 52° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 69° | 50° | 36° | 84° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 58° | 40° | 17° | 77° | 3 of 10 |
| December | 49° | 33° | 14° | 68° | 10 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
- Trail of Tears State Park · Missouri State Parks · 24 mi · 54 sites
- Trail of Tears State Forest · Illinois State Parks · 25 mi
- Pine Hills Campground · USDA Forest Service · 27 mi
- Columbus-Belmont State Park · Kentucky State Parks · 28 mi · 35 sites
- Giant City State Park · Illinois State Parks · 34 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.