ABOUT FERNE CLYFFE STATE PARK: We have very little information about this State Park. What we do know is from driving through the Park; when we arrived, the Park Office was closed because it was off season. Signs directed us to the camping area. A Campground Host was available for questions, some information, and to collect payment of fees. We picked up a map at his site.
Ferne Clyffe State Park was established in 1949. It is on 2,430 acres (1,750 are huntable). There are 26 miles of hiking trails and a 16-acre lake. It is open all year.
We stayed here once before, in March 2018, and there were very few campers here. It wasn’t hunting season. It was off-season then, too, and all sites were first-come, first-served. There is a dump station and drinking water. All campsites have electricity in the vehicle-camping area; I don’t know about the primitive camping area, nor the group camping area. Our favorite campsites are (in order of preference): #53, #54, #23, and #55. There are 60 campsites in this section of the Park. We paid $20 per night. There are plenty of trees in and surrounding the campsites. We have found this to be an excellent Park to use as a stopover between Harmonie State Park in Indiana and Wappopello State Park/Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, AND the excellent Crab Orchard NWR is about 30 minutes away from the campground.
Ferne Clyffe State Park: address – 90 Goreville Road, Goreville, IL 62939; phone – (618) 995-2411; https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/Ferneclyffe.aspx.
- 2021 – 11/18-11/20