Johnson Creek Recreation Area

Great area, quiet single, double, and triple spots. No power or water, but vault toilets are pretty frequent. Bring a generator and read the rules. Pretty simple. Sites have fire rings and picnic tables.

The area was beautiful this winter and took advantage of the wonderful ice crystals with snow freshly laid from the night before. This place has always been my sanctuary to go to when things are just too much and I have to get away and unplug where no service can find me.

This is a nice campground for primitive camping only sites are very large, lots of parking, nice fire rings nothing more. It is not maintained however there is not a park ranger, the water spigots do not work in the campsites, check in is self check in self pay, the one spigot that is available labeled drinking water has a sign on it that says do not drink not potable, there is not a shower house. The dump station is long abandoned and filled to the rim with sewage. The beach we all remembered as kids although it is on the parks map in the campground does not exist anymore just a long lost memory overgrown with weeds and trees. There is not good lake access from the campground anymore. The hiking trails need cleared also not maintained. Use this camp as your base campground, a family reunion, scout outing or a place to just get away and bring everything with you. You will mostly have the entire campground to yourself as it appears abandoned and not well known.

Bathroom was sketchy. Ever go somewhere and think "man. There's probably a body or some guy down there. I can't pee." And left? Yeah... And the water pump at the sites don't work either. Woke up to about 15 coyotes scoping me out, but they ran off when I said, "go on, git!" Spot was pretty close to the road, too. It's pretty but more for a car ride or to take your horses out. It does seem to be a horse-friendly area. No light pollution. The view from the creek redeemed all of that when the sun rose. Saw 6 white and 2 blue herons. Lots of fish and turtles. For a daytime

$5 per night with the National Parks Access Pass. Vault toilets, non-potable water, autumn leaves falling, no one camped nearby for 4 nights-perfect!

I've been going here since childhood, always beautiful and clean . A true gem in southern Illinois.