Clinton Lake State Recreation Area
Clinton Lake, a 4,900 acre lake, is used to cool the Exelon Power Station and offers recreational opportunities for boating, fishing, camping, and swimming. The recreation area, including the lake and surrounding land has 9,300 acres. There is an air conditioned snack bar next to the beach with a dining area for those wishing to enjoy eating away from the campsite.
Hiking
Within the Mascoutin Campground a one mile multi-use limestone trail connects the campground and the beach, following the park road. The trail is level and open with no tree cover. Additional trails include the 5.5 miles of unpaved trails of cut grass or natural earth surfaces north of the beach. These trails are of easy to moderate difficulty. The Shoreline Trail, within the campground and along the shore of the lake, is 2 miles long and does not permit bicycles due to numerous stairways and wooden bridges. The North Fork Hiking Trail is 9.3 miles long (4.2 miles out and 5.1 miles returning) and rated as difficult and is not surfaced. Hikers must trek through steep wooded banks and open prairie.
Camping
There are several classes of campsites available for camping at Clinton Lake SRA: 17 Class AA sites, 277 Class A sites, 9 Class B/S sites, and 5 Class C sites. Most sites will accommodate tents, trailers, or RVs. All sites have access to water and showers and are equipped with a grill and picnic table. Camping loops H, I, J, and K are alcohol-free. Some sites are handicap accessible. If you look closely at the campground portion of the park map (click on it to zoom in), you should notice there are several loops, each labeled with a letter. Within each loop campsite numbers start at #1, meaning you need to ensure you set up your site in the correct loop matching your reservation.
Resources:
- Access information from IDNR at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/ClintonLake.aspx.
- Access ExploreMoreIL to make a reservation at an Illinois State Park.
- Access campground map of Clinton Lake SRA at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/PublishingImages/ClintonLakeCampgroundMap.png.