CARLYLE LAKE – June is National Camping month and Carlyle Lake is the perfect place to camp. The Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources offer campgrounds available around the lake. Corps of Engineer campgrounds Dam West, Coles Creek, and Boulder and the Illini campground at Eldon Hazlet State Park offer a mix of reservable and first come first serve individual sites, while McNair/Dam East Spillway Campground offers first come first serve individual sites. Enjoy great views of the lake and Kaskaskia River at one of our many waterfront campsites. Make your reservations today at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777 for the Corps of Engineers’ campgrounds or visit www.reserveamerica.com for Eldon Hazlet State Park camping.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will present interactive educational programs on Friday and Saturday evenings and beach programs on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Presentations are free and open to the public.
Friday, 25 June:
8:00 p.m. West Bay Amphitheater, Dam West Campground –Smokey’s Campfire Basics
8:00 p.m. Cattail Cove Amphitheater, Coles Creek Campground –Bigfoot’s Playbook
8:00 p.m. Brewster Creek Amphitheater, Boulder Campground – Leaf What You Find
Saturday, 26 June:
2:00 p.m. Dam West Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. Harbor Light Bay Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. McNair Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Keyesport Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Coles Creek Beach – Water Safety
8:00 p.m. West Bay Amphitheater, Dam West Campground – Leaf What You Find
8:00 p.m. Cattail Cove Amphitheater, Coles Creek Campground – Smokey’s Campfire Basics
8:00 p.m. Brewster Creek Amphitheater, Boulder Campground – Bigfoot’s Playbook
Sunday, 27 June:
10:00 a.m. Carlyle Lake Main Dam Tour – Starts at the top of the Carlyle Lake Dam
2:00 p.m. Dam West Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. Harbor Light Bay Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. McNair Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Keyesport Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Coles Creek Beach – Water Safety
Dam West, Coles Creek, and Boulder Campgrounds are open with sites available on a first-come-first-serve basis and also through reservation by calling the National Recreation Reservation Service at 1-877-444-6777 or online at www.recreation.gov. McNair and Dam East Campgrounds are open on a first-come-first-serve basis. Eldon Hazlet State Park is also open and has sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis or online at www.reserveamerica.com.
The Carlyle Lake Visitor Center is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Visitor Center has exhibits and brochures to help plan your stay at Carlyle Lake.
Life jacket loaner stations are available at Keyesport, Dam West, McNair, and Coles Creek beaches and boat ramps. Visitors are encouraged to borrow a life jacket from a station to use while recreating and to return the life jacket to a station once done.
Help keep Carlyle Lake clean by leaving no trace. Please remember to properly dispose of waste when recreating in receptacles and dumpsters located in all recreation areas.
For more information contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at (618) 594-2484 or e-mail at carlylelake@usace.army.mil.