$15 / night

Camper submitted image from Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs - 1

Camper submitted image from Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs - 2

Nature

Camper submitted image from Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs - 3

Roads

Camper submitted image from Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs - 4

Water

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Activities

Established Camping

Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs

32 Reviews

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About

National Forest

Bell Smith Springs is one of the most beautiful recreation areas the Shawnee National Forest has to offer. It contains a series of clear, rocky streams and scenic canyons bordered by high sandstone cliffs and an abundance of vegetation unique to Illinois. The trail system consists of eight miles of interconnected trails featuring strange and wonderful rock formations, such as Devil's Backbone, Boulder Falls and a natural rock bridge. Hiking this system of trails is a favorite activity because of the rock features, scenic overlooks, hidden springs and lush flora and fauna.

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Location

Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs is located in Illinois

Directions

From Harrisburg: Take Highway 145 south 11 miles to Burden Falls Road. Turn right, go 5 miles to Ozark Rd. Turn south (left). Go to Bell Smith Springs Rd. Turn southwest (right) and proceed 2 miles to Bell Smith Springs. From Vienna: Take Highway 45 north 12 miles to Ozark Road. Turn east (right). Go 10 miles to Bell Smith Springs Rd. Turn southwest (right) and proceed 2 miles to Bell Smith Springs.

Coordinates

37.51889054 N
88.65644755 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

Trash
Picnic Table
Toilets
Pets
Fires

$15

/ night

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Bennie

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 21, 2023

Sweet Spot

I hate to review this one because I don’t want it to get crowded and ruined. lol. It was a great spot. I think there are 20 spots and including us only 5 were taken. Very quiet and peaceful

Month of VisitAugust

Chris D.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 8, 2023

Perfect Timing

There was barely anyone here when we visited in April , new pit toilets , water was not available and no power . The road getting there does vary in surfaces but our van made it fine no issues . Great hiking and scenery and it was very quiet at night . Cleaned up a mess someone left behind and watched another couple doing the same . Likely not a summertime destination for us but plenty of water you could go and cook off in .

Month of VisitMay

(8) View All

Carol

Guide

Reviewed May. 9, 2023

As advertised

We were here, and the ONLY campers! Loved that. Sites were spacious. Toilets were clean enough and stocked. Road in was rough blue easily passable.

Site19

Month of VisitJune

(9) View All

Ode2joy

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 12, 2023

A nice little slice of heaven

This campground is a nice little find, and we stayed 6 nights. We arrived on a Thursday evening, and it was maybe half full. However, by Saturday morning (Easter weekend) all but 5 sites had cleared out and we had the place nearly to ourselves for the rest of the stay. Fantastic hiking right from the entrance to the campground, so there's no need to hop in the car. The sites are quite spaced out from each other and are probably the biggest I've seen in Illinois, but I do wish there was some brush or smaller trees between the sites for additional privacy. The grounds and pit toilets were remarkably clean, and I saw no trash or broken glass anywhere. The bathroom was restocked with toilet paper of better-than-normal campground quality while we were there. I would have rated this place 5 stars, but my biggest complaint is the water pump did not work, and there was no mention of this on the forestry website. We can plan for places without water if we know ahead of time, but we were not expecting this, so we had to hop back in the car and drive 14 miles each way to stock up. Some of the sites are a little close to the road, but it didn't matter, as the road only serves to get traffic to Bell Smith Springs trailheads and dead-ends just down the road from the campground entrance, so very little traffic and it's all pretty slow-moving due to the shape of the road. 0 cell signal, which is just what we look for while on vacation. I did get a little irritated by the number of people with off-leash dogs that did not stay in their sites, but that's no reflection on the campground itself.

Site6

Month of VisitMay

Dusti M.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 20, 2022

Just ok

Only stayed here for 1 night. Pit toilets were dirty even for pit toilets. Decent primitive sites, not very level though. Good for tent camping or small camper. Unfortunately some other “campers” showed up late in the evening, played music, yelled and partied until around 3am. It seems to be an ongoing problem at that campground. The only plus is the amazing rock formations, good trail system and great little swimming hole. Great place to spend the day and maybe the night if you can sleep though all the commotion.

Month of VisitSeptember

(7) View All

Julia

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 7, 2021

Great rustic campground

Nice sites that were well spaced apart. Most were not suitable for large RVs. Beautiful red pines intermixed with beach and maple trees. No showers or flush toilets which might bother some people. Some of the comments mentioned the condition of the fire grates. Some of them could use replacing but many seemed fine.

Sitesite 14

Month of VisitDecember

(4) View All

lori W.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 18, 2021

Lovely

We spent four days and nights here. The spaces were nicely separated. The campground was well-maintained and tidy. The surrounding area has many trails which were absolutely amazing. The only road noise comes from the road leading in. It’s completely quiet at night which allows you to hear the wildlife. The spot was large enough for a 30 foot motorhome. Absolutely loved this place!

Site10

Month of VisitNovember

Tiffany S.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 8, 2021

4 day camping ❤️

Absolutely loved it here. Went camping last 4 days with 2 adults and 7kids we all had a great time. Only thing that could make it better was showers

Site13

Month of VisitSeptember

(6) View All

Madison K.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 21, 2021

No signal? No problem!!!

I love coming to the Shawnee forest to camp and hike. We have absolutely no signal there with MetroPCS and it is very refreshing. We took three separate cars and they have a two car per site rule, but they have a lot at the front to park extra cars in so it was no problem. The springs have fun and challenging trails to hike along, and if you go far enough there’s a nice spot to swim. It was disappointing to see quite a bit of litter in some places along the trail, but that is more of a reflection on previous guests than it is on the park, I think.

Site5

Month of VisitJuly

Kari C.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 21, 2021

Nice location and sites, rough road, first come first served

This small campground is nice once you get there! Just know it is remote and the road to get there is rough, so, if you are not comfortable with that, I would go elsewhere. There are no hookups, although water is available. Also there are pit toilets which are not the worst I have seen! No cell service, so, also be prepared for that. I was at this campground on a weekend in April and it was full, so, if you are going on the weekend, get there early on Friday as this is first come, first served. There are several hiking trails accessible from the campground with interesting sites to see. Sites are relatively large and well spaced with picnic tables and fire pits with grills on most.

Month of VisitMay

(4) View All

Abby M.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 3, 2021

Lovely stay!

This campground was perfect! Surrounded by nature and hiking trails, you’ll find 21 campsites (all without electricity). It’s $10/night and there’s a self pay station. There are 2 vault toilets (one has the handle broken off the door) but both super clean and fully stocked. I arrived around 3:30pm on a Friday and about half the camp was full. Upon departure the next morning, there was maybe 1 empty spot. There is a drinking water spigot near the first bathroom and also trash cans. The sites near the front allow for charging solar panels so that’s where I stayed. Towards the loop, there is much more tree coverage. I had 1 bar of LTE through AT&T at the front of the camp but lost service back in the loop. Overall, beautiful campground and will be back!

(5) View All

Rachel C.

Guide

Reviewed Feb. 3, 2021

Good tent camping experience

We found this little gem at a last minute camping adventure on the way home from out of town. It was one of our first tent camping experiences. Nothing fancy, but the pit toilet and water supply worked just fine for us and our kids. We found some beautiful hiking and water holes.

Month of VisitJuly

John

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 26, 2020

Beautiful and Secluded

Red Bud Campground Shawnee National Forest Bell Smith Springs Recreational Area Harrisburg, IL

Red Bud Campground is a secluded heavily tree covered campground perfect for tent and RV Camping. This campground can accommodate up to a 24ft RV Pull Behind RV and small motorhomes. Be careful if you are going to try this campground in a motorhome as it can be tight to turn into some spots. If possible you may want to scout the area first before going.

There is no amenities at the sights so if you are RV camping you will need to bring your own power and water for your sight but there is a place to fill your drinking water. There are several restrooms on sight and I didn’t see a dump station for RV’s however I imagine you can empty your cassette toilets in the restrooms.

As far as internet I have AT&T and I had internet up until I arrived. Once in place there was no internet access.
Intermittently I would get one bar but it was not enough of a signal to be of any use. I can’t comment to the service areas of T-Mobile or other providers. At any rate you should bring something to read for the evenings or just enjoy the evening with a group of friends.

Quiet time is from 10pm to 6am so if you are packing solar for your power you will be good to go because it’s quiet.
If you are RV’ing it be sure to conserve your power.

The area is quiet and I camped with a tow behind 22ft RV when I went on October 23rd, 2020. At that time there were a lot of campers. This sight seems most popular and well suited for tent campers and I was only one of 2 RV campers that weekend.

There is a short 5 minute walk to the Bell Smith Springs if you are up for a great hike.
If you have dogs they will need to be on a leash.

Overall I loved this area and can’t wait to go again!

37.520880, -88.656546

(19) View All

Joel H.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 27, 2020

Not bad

This is a gorgeous park with beautiful sights around every turn. BUT the people who leave their garbage by the springs should be ashamed. There were beer cans, fireworks remnants, trash, diapers, you name it. I cannot believe people would defile this natural wonder, but there it is.

(4) View All

Carolyn K.

Scout

Reviewed Sep. 23, 2020

Great location for exploring Shawnee

Loved all the hikes within walking distance, a bit of a drive in but fun to explore

Tommy S.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 12, 2020

community campground, nearby activity area

This was a nice campground, yet very full when we stayed. There are two outhouses, and a well pump to get your water. It's a bit of work for the water, but its cool and fresh and very worth the pumping. Pay box is up front where you put in cash or check with an envelope. The was a camp host there who seemed to do some minor, very unobtrusive, patrolling.

We snagged a great spot with lots of space and amazing trees. There was also a trail leading out the back of the site, which petered out, but if you continue down the hill, you will come to the less popular of the parking areas for the swimming holes. You can access this also by driving left out of the campground, and left down the hill. You can access the more popular parking area by turning right out of the campground.

The campground was noisy, but nothing offensive, just a nice communal roar of campers.

The hiking and swimming area is very interesting. There's hiking trails, but they can potentially be confusing, so take a picture of the map and make a plan if you can. There's a natural rock arch formation, and lots of dramatic cliffs. I was curious as to what "Boulder Falls" was like, but I never made it there. There is a spring/large swimming hole, with a few places to jump off of, but check with the locals to make sure the water is deep enough. Water levels were low when we were there, so you couldn't jump from the highest ledge at this time. There's also "Devil's Backbone" a large rock you can apparently jump from too, but I wouldn't dare. There were also a lot of smaller swimming holes to choose from. Locals warned of poisonous snakes. We never saw any, but it's a good idea to keep a lookout, especially since they can swim too.

All in all a very great area to stay, with some nice activities. Worth the $10 for toilet and fresh well water, as well as a clean and safe camping area.

Month of VisitJuly

(10) View All

GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

Legend

Reviewed May. 13, 2020

Fun swimming holes and good hiking

21 campsites with a fire ring/barrel, lantern post and picnic table. A couple of the campsites had damaged fire rings. Most sites should be able to fit medium size trailers, other sites have trees in the way. Vault toilets and a water station. Very quiet, clean and peaceful. Trail system is about 8 miles and has great views. Don’t forget to bring your swimming suit!

Art S.

Legend

Reviewed Feb. 4, 2020

Remote camping next to hiking trails

This is a surprisingly good discovery. The sites are large and covered in gravel. Plenty of room for multiple tents. The woods are filled with poison ivy so the big camp area is very useful. There are a few vault toilets scattered around that are ok but not the best we’ve seen. A hand pump for water is near the garbage cans. We found plenty of empty sites but people were starting to fill them in. I imagine it might get full for the weekend.

Just around the corner(or down the trail at the start of camp) is a network of hiking trails. They scurry around cliffs, falls and ravines. We found small pools perfect for a summer dip. Half the hikers were carrying towels so it must be a common plan.

We didn’t do much hiking because our dog kept trying to hike right into the poison ivy. This would have been better with our dog sitting this one out.

At only$10 per night, this is a great deal.

Month of VisitSeptember

(8) View All

Jade D.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 12, 2019

Perfect

Couldn't have pick a better spot I definitely recommend red bud campsite.. the sites are spread out so you don't have close neighbors.. and the area is beautiful very quiet and peaceful..

Layton F.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 12, 2019

Great place to spend a few nights

Great hiking and great camp site. No shower but the springs offer a refreshing soak after a long day of hiking. Water is easily accessible and clean. Definitely lots of ticks but you’re in nature so it’s a given. Can’t wait to return!

(10) View All

Layton F.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 12, 2019

Great place to camp near Bell Smith Springs

Within hiking distance of the springs and very spacious. Lots of places to set up tents and drive into camp. Water access was easy and out houses clean.

Layton F.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 12, 2019

Beautiful place!

Great place to go hiking and get surrounded by nature. There’s even a great spot to go swimming and cool down after a day of hiking. Highly recommended for any adventure enthusiasts.

(4) View All

Artem I.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 11, 2019

Must visit

This is a beautiful place with so much to see! Amazing rock formations, miles of hiking trials, springs to cool off, jumping cliffs. Great campsite, spacious, woody. Little over 20 campsites, get filled on the weekends. If you enjoy the untouched nature, this is definitely a place to visit. On the down side, you pay $10 per tent per night (if you have 2 tents on one site, have to pay $20 per night). bathrooms are not very clean. And the ticks were so bad!! Maybe it is just that time of the year (tick season). Otherwise absolutely beautiful nature!

(7) View All

Nick D.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 2, 2018

Untouched

This campground had just over 20 primitive sites. A well is near the entrance for drinking water, and the sites are very clean. Very quiet and remote. The park ranger said the campground is rarely used, but the upkeep is amazing. Miles of trails to explore with canyons, waterfalls, and the famous cliff jumps of bell springs.

(11) View All

Jamie B.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 12, 2018

amazing campsite

One of our favortie places to spend a little getaway weekend.

Month of VisitJuly

(12) View All

Jamie B.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 12, 2018

All types of camping

My boyfriend and i stayed at Red bud a few weeks ago. We. had a great time. Camping was very quiet and serene. The spring is just a two minute drive up the road and hiking was amazing.

SiteRed bud

Month of VisitAugust

Brittany B.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 25, 2018

Short Hike to Springs

We went the weekend before Memorial Weekend and had absolutely no problem finding a spot. They were nice with variety between tucked away and fairly open spots. There are trailheads that lead down to the springs or you can just hike around. The springs were a great way to cool off on a hot day. There was actually a ton of people down there during the day but it didn't feel too crowded or dirty, everyone was having a good time letting the dogs run, or swimming. We took a hike at night and my dog stuck her snout right in a snake's face. It hissed and rattled at us but we hurried off and it left us alone thankfully. The spigots didn't pump water while we were there, must have been dried up. Overall a good experience! I would reccomend

Month of VisitJune

Paul V.

Scout

Reviewed May. 26, 2018

Fun and quiet

We showed up on Friday and even by Sunday when all the spots were taken there was plenty of room between sites. Don't venture too far from the tent spots I saw lots of poison ivy. There are plenty of trails in the immediate vicinity but watch out you might see a copperhead, thankfully the I've we saw was minding his own business. Overall, very fun time coming from Ohio!

Site4

Month of VisitJune

Kate B.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 10, 2017

Swimming!

This is one of my favorite spots. I had no service and it was pitch black at night. The only amenities are a vault toilet and water. Plenty of hiking right from your site. 10 minute wAlk or 2 minute drive to the river where you can hike, swim or wade. Even if it seems crowded, just walk down the river a ways for some privacy. No problem finding wood.

Chad K.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 30, 2016

Quiet

Stopped at this campground on the way to St. Louis. It is remote with several trails to explore. The sites were level and good for tent camping.