Jackson Falls Dispersed Camping - Shawnee National Forest, IL
If you’re looking to get off the grid, do some hiking, and experience arguably the best technical climbing in Illinois, Jackson Falls dispersed camping is for you!
Campsites for tents and boondocking vehicles are available, at no charge to you! Either hike-in for a secluded tent site, or go across Glen Street Falls Road for a drive up site, perfect for your off-road trucks and trailers.
Quick Glance
Price: Free!
Type: Dispersed
Accessibility: Difficult
Campsites: Plenty
Camping Types: Tent, Van, Small Trailer
Amenities: Fire Ring, Vault Toilet
Reservations: First-Come, First-Serve
Popularity: Moderate-High
Best Time to Go: Summer
Getting There
Latitude/Longitude: 37.509° N, 88.683° W
From Harrisburg: Take Highway 145 south, 11 miles to Burden Falls Road. Turn west onto Burden Falls Road, drive 5 miles and at the ‘T’ turn right and continue for 3.7 miles to Glen Street Falls Road. Turn left onto Glen Street Falls Road. Drive 2 miles to the Jackson Falls Trailhead.
From Vienna: Take Highway 45 north 12 miles to Ozark Road. Turn east onto Ozark Road and continue for 4.5 miles to Glen Street Falls Road. Turn right onto Glen Street Falls Road. Drive 2 miles to the Jackson Falls Trailhead.
Glen Street Falls Road leading to Jackson Falls Trailhead is a narrow gravel road and best suited for high clearance and 4 wheel drive vehicles. Past the trailhead, the road becomes dirt, and eventually dead ends.
Pros:
The scenery is beautiful! The forest is lush, and the rock faces are stunning.
Incredible Climbing. With around 60 routes, Jackson Falls is a climbers paradise.
It’s free! This place is incredible, and I would absolutely pay to camp here, but lucky for us all, it’s free to explore!
Cons:
Crowded. We didn’t have this issue during the summer, but on holidays and weekends, this is a popular spot for the nearby college students.
Rough road. Make sure your vehicle is ready for a bumpy gravel road with lots of potholes!
Our Experience
This was our first-time off-roading with our Wander Tear trailer. It’s only 2 miles down Glen Street Falls Road, but we took it nice and slow. When we got to the trailhead, we found large spread out sites that we could pull right into.
Ready for the bumping (and excited squeals from Nola) to stop, we quickly grabbed the first site, when a local encouraged us to keep going. And we’re so glad he did!
Our campsite was huge, level, and on a small creek. The fire ring was nothing special and made by previous campers with nearby rocks.
The next day we explored the canyon and hiked to Jackson Falls. While the waterfall was hardly more than a trickle, the rock faces and greenery were spectacular and we wished we had climbing gear. 10/10 would recommend!
Campground Notables
There are high dangerous bluffs in the area. Please be cautious and aware of your surroundings.
Camping is limited to a maximum of 14-days continuous stay.
Make sure to pack out everything you bring in!
Nearby Recreation
Jackson Falls is part of Shawnee National Forest and has plenty of hiking trails and excellent technical climbing routes just steps from your campsite! The bluffs and rock faces offer about 60 routes, with most being sport routes and a few trad routes.
From the trailhead, a short trail leads to the top of Jackson Falls. If you continue on the trail, keeping the canyon to your right, you will find a scramble area to get down into the canyon. This part can be a bit tricky for kids and dogs. We had to help Nola down and back up.
Once you’re in the canyon, enjoy the beautiful scenery and head to the bottom of the falls. For more information on the trail to Jackson Falls click here.
Find Out More
For more information on Jackson Falls Dispersed Camping, visit the Shawnee National Forest website.
While camping, try out our quick, easy, and delicious camp stove popcorn recipe!
Thinking about building or buying a teardrop camper of your own? Check out our top 11 reasons why you need a tiny camper trailer!
