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South Marcum Campground: how hard is it to reserve?
Rend Lake · US Army Corps of Engineers · Benton, IL
As of Oct 10, 2026, 70% of Friday and Saturday site-nights at South Marcum Campground over the next 90 days are already reserved, compared with 48% of weeknights. Weekends are much harder than weekdays here — shifting a trip to Sunday–Thursday is the easiest way to get a site. In the next 30 days, 30 of 30 dates have at least one open site (1,528 open site-nights in total; 1,528 over 90 days).
Upcoming weekends
| Weekend (Fri–Sat) | Booked | Open sites Fri | Open sites Sat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 79% | 26 | 28 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 67% | 42 | 44 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 50% | 64 | 65 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | 64% | 19 | 20 |
| Nov 13, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
Snapshot history
| Snapshot date | Score | Weekends booked | Weeknights booked | Open dates 30d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | 49 | 70% | 48% | 30 |
About South Marcum Campground
- 160 campsites (160 listed in availability data)
- $16–$44 per night
- Recreation.gov rating 4.5/5 from 837 reviews
- Equipment: Tent, RV, Trailer, Pickup Camper, Fifth Wheel, Pop up, Hammock
- Activities: Fishing, Camping, Boating, Biking, Swimming, Water Access, Birding
South Marcum Campground is located on the south-eastern shore of Rend Lake— the perfect place to enjoy a wide variety of activities, events, and nature at its best. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern Illinois.South Marcum Campground offers 158 reservable campsites each equipped with a picnic table and a firepit. Electric hookups are provided at all sites, excluding tent sites. The campground offers a dump station, hot showers,…
Description excerpt from Recreation.gov.
Check live availability and book on Recreation.gov →
Other campgrounds in Rend Lake
| Campground | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gun Creek Rend Lake | Moderate | 71% | 30 |
| South Sandusky Campground Rend Lake | Hard | 88% | 23 |
| North Sandusky Campground Rend Lake | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
Nearby campgrounds
| Campground | State | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dam East - Mcnair Campground Carlyle Lake | IL | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Coles Creek Campground Carlyle Lake | IL | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Dam West Campground Carlyle Lake | IL | Hard | 92% | 19 |
| Boulder Campground Carlyle Lake | IL | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Eureka Barkley Lake | KY | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Canal Barkley Lake | KY | Hard | 95% | 16 |