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Located on a northwest finger of beautiful Kinkaid Lake, Johnson Creek Recreation Area offers a variety of outdoor activities. Here you will find something for everyone in the family, from camping and kayaking to hiking along the lake, biking the scenic roads and horseback riding. Recreation Area Brochure/Map
From Murphysboro: Take Highway 149 west 7 miles to Highway 3; then north 4.5 miles on Highway 3 to Highway 151. Turn right onto Highway 151 and go 4 miles to recreation area. From St. Louis: Take either Highway 3 or Highway 4 south to Chester, IL. Then south 18 miles on Highway 3; turn left onto Highway 151 and go 4 miles to recreation area.
Wonderful place to wander around. Main trail is in decent shape; blue trail is not. I'd say trails are intermediate unless you have a horse.
Great Place for camping, beneath open sky and stars. Cook, play, have fun. The Rec team needs to work on their restrooms. Please take up your waste and litter after camping as to keep the nature undisturbed.
$5 per night with the National Parks Access Pass. Vault toilets, non-potable water, autumn leaves falling, no one camped nearby for 4 nights-perfect!
I've been going here since childhood, always beautiful and clean . A true gem in southern Illinois.
This is a nice campground for primitive camping only sites are very large, lots of parking, nice fire rings nothing more. It is not maintained however there is not a park ranger, the water spigots do not work in the campsites, check in is self check in self pay, the one spigot that is available labeled drinking water has a sign on it that says do not drink not potable, there is not a shower house. The dump station is long abandoned and filled to the rim with sewage. The beach we all remembered as kids although it is on the parks map in the campground does not exist anymore just a long lost memory overgrown with weeds and trees. There is not good lake access from the campground anymore. The hiking trails need cleared also not maintained. Use this camp as your base campground, a family reunion, scout outing or a place to just get away and bring everything with you. You will mostly have the entire campground to yourself as it appears abandoned and not well known.
