Carlyle Lake is about an hour from St. Louis in Carlyle, Illinois. It is the largest man-made lake in Illinois and was formed in 1967 in order to control flooding on the Kaskaskia River. Today, it is known for its’ various recreational opportunities!

There are a lot of campgrounds to choose from when visiting Carlyle Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages approximately 5 campgrounds, there is an Illinois State Park as well as other private compounds. Previously, I had camped at Eldon Hazlet State Park (you can see that post HERE!), but this time I chose Dam West. Dam West is well-shaded and has very long sites probably to park a camper and a boat. I was on site 58 which had a lake view and a sandy beach right behind it.

What I really enjoyed about this campground is it has access to the Carlyle Lake Bike Trail directly from the campground. The trail runs by the marina, across the dam, down along the spillway and then crosses over the General Dean Suspension bridge. I biked it and it was really enjoyable and you only have to ride on roads for a short period of time to complete the loop.

My friend, Michelle, also came to visit me and we walked the Willow Pond Nature Trail. It is just a short, paved loop around a pond, but this would be a good spot for kids to look for wildlife!

Overall, it was a great trip!