Illinois State Parks · Illinois

Randolph County State Recreation Area

Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States

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Group sites
Yes
Showers
No
Pets
Yes
Elevation
538 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 3
Cell coverage
T-Mobile weak · AT&T weak · Verizon weak (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Nearest town
Chester
Address
4301 South Lake Drive, Chester, IL 62233
Phone
(618) 826-2706
Activities
Camping, Group Camping, Equestrian Camping

About

Randolph County State Recreation Area is an Illinois DNR state park in the West Central region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class B/E (electricity, vehicular access, no showers); Class C (vehicular access without showers, or walk-in with shower access); Class D (tent/primitive walk-in or backpack sites, no vehicular access); Equestrian camping. Also offers: Youth group camping; Organized/adult group camping. 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 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. 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. Organized/adult group (Class O): $4/person/night, $40/day minimum. Equestrian camping available (specific class/rate varies by site). 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

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January39°27°4°67°10 of 11
February46°29°-1°75°11 of 11
March60°41°18°78°6 of 11
April69°49°30°85°1 of 11
May79°62°45°89°0 of 11
June87°68°55°97°0 of 11
July89°72°64°96°0 of 11
August86°71°63°96°0 of 11
September84°65°54°96°0 of 11
October67°49°35°84°0 of 10
November56°39°16°77°3 of 10
December47°32°10°66°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

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.