Randolph County 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
- Yes
- Official site
- dnr.illinois.gov(618) 826-2706
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
In Randolph County, about 3 miles northeast of Chester, Randolph County State Recreation Area covers about 1,138 acres.
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.
Camping
Reserve Your Campsite
Fifty-one Class BE campsites, 95 Class C campsites, an equestrian site with eight stalls for horses, and four Class D (primitive) campsites are available throughout the area. A group camp area has its own shelter, stone fireplace, electricity, and tables. Some campsites at Randolph County SRA can be reserved online through the ExploreMoreIL™ website.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
Trails
Trails
Randolph County SRA is renowned for its wooded areas and abundance of songbirds and wildlife. Hikers on the trail may see woodpeckers, hawks, turkeys, deer, squirrels, and waterfowl as they wind through woods and open fields and around the lakeshore. An additional 11.6 miles of horse trails provide riders with the same panorama of sights and sounds.
Fishing
Fishing
Randolph County Lake is a clear-water lake stocked with channel catfish, redear and bluegill sunfish, walleye, saugeye, and rainbow trout. Other game fish such as largemouth bass, green sunfish, bullhead, and crappie also can be found, so no angler should be disappointed. Boat motors are limited to 10 HP.
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
✓ 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 Randolph County
- The parking lots are concrete with one accessible parking space in each. There is approximately a 6' distance to the concrete sidewalk.
- There is a wheelchair ramp to the park office.
- There is one accessible fishing pier. The surface is wood and is approximately 30' from the parking area.
- There are accessible restrooms located in the campgrounds and at each shelter. There are accessible vault toilets throughout the park.
- The campground has one accessible electric campsite and two primitive accessible campsites.
- Service animals are allowed in the park. There is water available throughout the park.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 4301 S. Lake Drive
Chester, IL 62233 - Nearest town
- Chester — about 3 mi northeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 37.9680, -89.8020
- Phone
- (618) 826-2706
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