Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- YesAlso lodge or inn rooms
- Official site
- dnr.illinois.gov(618) 594-3015
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 2,347 acres, Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area lies in Clinton County, about 15 miles northwest of Centralia.
Its trail network totals roughly 9 miles, according to the park. There are also lodge rooms for rent.
Fees and passes
Free: 'The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) does not charge an Entrance Fee to any state owned or operated land.' Camping, cabins and shelters are fee-based.
Statewide fee rule from Illinois's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ExploreMoreIL (IDNR camping, cabins, group camps and shelters)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
See the park’s wording
See also Dog Training Information
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Reserve Your Campsite
Eldon Hazlet SRA is probably best known for its camping facilities. The Illini Campground has 328 Class A campsites with 30 and 50 amp electrical hook-ups and 36 Class C campsites for walk-in tent camping.
A campground store and public swimming pool are located at the campground. Camping reservations can be made online at ExploreMoreIL™.
Camping
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area is probably best known for its camping facilities. The Illini Campground has 328 Class A campsites with 30 and 50 amp electrical hookups and 36 Class C campsites for walk-in tent camping.
Seven Class A campsites are wheelchair accessible. The campground occupies almost 1 1/2 miles of the Carlyle Lake shoreline, and most of the campsites are within easy reach of the water.
Read more from the park
Three shower buildings are located in the campground, plus numerous privy toilets. Recreational amenities include several sets of playground equipment, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, and hiking trails. Plenty of parking is available for vehicles and boat trailers. To register for a campsite, see one of the campground hosts on site 66, 120, 136, 233, or 308.
Reservations can be made online at ExploreMoreIL™ for Class A sites 1-65, Handicap Site 93, and shelters. Reservations for regular campsites require a $5 non-refundable reservation fee and payment of the full camping and utility fees at the time the reservation is made.
Campsites may be reserved for a maximum of 14 nights per 30-day period, and reservations must be made at least three days before the arrival date. Cancellations made three days before arrival will lose the $5 reservation fee, but the remainder of the camping fee will be refunded. Cancellations made less than three days before arrival will be charged the $5 fee and the first night's camping fee; the remainder of the camping fees will be refunded.
The Eldon Hazlet Campground Store, located at the entrance to the Illini Campground, is a 2,000-square-foot store that contains groceries, camping and fishing supplies, clothes, live bait, ice, and firewood. A public laundry room and outdoor patio also are available. Please call the store at 618-598-6049 for details.
Camping Information & Campground Map
Group Camping
Youth group camping is available at the Osage Youth Group Area. With easy access to the lake and plenty of hiking trails, this area is a favorite of scout and church groups. The campground has a picnic shelter, privy toilets, and drinking water. Contact the park office at 618-594-3015 if your group would like to use the area for a particular date.
Carlyle Lake Cottages
Carlyle Lake Cottages in Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area features twenty beautiful cottages—six duplex buildings and six single buildings with 780 square feet available for your getaway. Located on the Carlyle Lake shoreline, each unit offers a kitchenette with a microwave, stove, small refrigerator, coffee maker, dishes, cookware, utensils, two bar stools, and a counter bar for dining. A spacious living area with a couch, loveseat, and 50’ TV. The unit will accommodate up to four people, offering a queen-size bed downstairs, two twin beds in the open loft, and a full bathroom. All cottages offer central air and heat; single cottages and duplexes 13-20 have gas fireplaces. Complimentary boat docks are available upon request. For reservations, call 618-598-6049 or visit carlylecottages.com.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
Trails
Hiking
More than 9 miles of trails are available to hikers at Eldon Hazlet. The 3-mile Cherokee Trail has three separate loops that pass through a mature oak-hickory forest over gently rolling terrain, offering great views of the lake. The Pawnee Trail is a 1-mile loop trail running along the highest point on Carlyle Lake. Both the Cherokee and Pawnee trails lead to Burnside Cemetery, a restored cemetery with tombstones dating to the 1830s.
The Kaskaskian Trail is a 2 1/2-mile loop trail that begins at the park office and passes by the youth campground, the Pawnee Trail, various day-use areas, and the Eagle Trail, a 3/4-mile loop near the north end of Illini Campground. A 1/4-mile accessible interpretive trail is located within the 3-acre prairie restoration directly across from the park office. The 1-mile Illini Trail is located across from the Campground Store and loops around the Illini Fishing Pond. All trails are closed Wednesday through Sunday during pheasant season
Swimming
Swimming Pool
A public swimming pool is located behind the campground store. The pool is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. With a zero entry to 4 1/2 foot depth and staffed by a lifeguard, the pool is ideal for families with small children. Maximum capacity is 450 swimmers. A user fee is required to enter the pool facility. For more information, please call 618-598-6049.
Boating and paddling
Boating
Because of its central location relative to the lake, the park is a great place to launch a boat. Three boat ramps are available to the public free-of-charge. With a four-lane boat ramp with a handicapped-accessible courtesy dock, two picnic shelters, and privy toilets, Allen Branch Day Use Area is one of the most popular boat launching spots on the lake. The Apache Day Use Area has a two-lane ramp, picnic shelter, play equipment, fish cleaning station, and privy toilets. Peppenhorst Branch has a graveled small-boat ramp used by anglers and hunters, but it is also a great launch area for kayaks.
Fishing
Fishing
One of the most popular activities at Carlyle Lake is fishing. More than 30 species of fish are found in the lake, including such local favorites as white bass, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill, carp, and buffalo. Bank fishing is allowed throughout the park. The Allen Branch area is popular and offers an accessible fishing pier. Fish cleaning stations are located at Apache and Allen Branch boat ramps.
Illini Pond is a 4-acre fishing pond with a walk-out pier and located across from the Campground Store on the Illini Trail. The lake is stocked with bass, bluegill, and catfish and provides easy fishing opportunities for children.
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Park or camp store
Lodging
- Lodge or inn rooms
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Physical Accessibility at Eldon Hazlet:
•
Parking - There are 27 concrete parking lots with accessible parking spaces, with most adjacent to the concrete sidewalks.
•
Park office has a wheelchair ramp and a doorbell.
•
Camping - There are seven (sites 93, 94, 96, 158, 159, 265 and 267) accessible campsites available in the Illini Campground. All have accessible picnic tables and grills. Site 93 is available for advance reservation through explormoreil.com. There are accessible restrooms in this campground as well.
•
Service animals are welcome in the park, but there are no outdoor water fountains. There are plenty of water hydrants scattered throughout the park.
•
There are four wheelchair-accessible trails: Illini (1.5 mi), Bluestem (.25 mi), Wetland (.5 mi), and Burnside Cemetery (.25 mi).
Read more from the park
•
There are accessible fishing piers at Allen Branch Access, Chippewa Access, and the Illini Pond trail.
•
There is one accessible boat dock at Allen Branch Access.
•
Park has six disabled hunting blinds for deer and turkey archery hunting. Anyone with a P2 disability can register at the park office and reserve the blinds. A hunting partner is also allowed.
•
During the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Program, disabled hunters can book a hunt and be taken afield using a UTV with a wheelchair carrier mounted on the front.
•
A disabled waterfowl hunting blind is located at the North Allen Branch Hunting Area. Call the site office to reserve.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 20100 Hazlet Park Rd.
Carlyle, IL 62231 - Nearest town
- Centralia — about 15 mi northwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 38.6690, -89.3240
- Phone
- (618) 594-3015
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Illinois State Parks (IDNR state parks and recreation areas) — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- IDNR All Parks list (AEM content-fragment list JSON) + each unit's landing page for official title, coordinates, address, phone
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology