Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area 20100 Hazlet Park Road, Carlyle, IL 62231

"Spent 2 nights here with my wife. Cabin 3. They are older cabins but well maintained. Very peaceful and quiet. The store employees were very nice and helpful. Our only 2 issues were : The mattress was very saggy and needed to be replaced. And both entrances to the cabin were covered in bug excrement and mayflies. We had to sweep our way into the cabin. We had a very nice weekend. PS. No wifi in the cabins if that is a deal breaker for you…."

"I was able to see the lake froze over. I watched the birds flying so close to the ice, and no boats in site were amazing. The sounds of nature but was so peaceful. I did some skipping rocks. It makes a nice sound on the frozen lake. Then, on way out, we saw a lot of deer out eating on the edge of the road."

"A nice, quiet place to relax a little. Our cabin had a decent view of the lake. A nice little burn pit for a small fire. They also had a grill that you could cook on. The kitchen inside is good too. Overall, our family enjoyed our stay. My only gripe, and its not even something we asked about, but others may want to inquire about beforehand is the cabins we were at were not handicap accessible. Not a deal breaker though, and I don't want that to overshadow how nice these cabins were. I would love to take my family back there again someday."

"The fishing was great at Illini pond. The kids caught many bluegills and a few catfish. Use a bobber. It's pretty weedy. The views of the lake were beautiful. However, it's a twenty foot drop to the water at about a 45° slope and no stairs. You must be very careful. The cabins are in desperate need of a good cleaning and proper maintenance. I recommend a good pressure washing to the exterior. The people are very friendly at the camp store which has plenty of supplies. Walmart is a short drive away if the camp store is lacking. There is plenty of wildlife to keep you entertained. Groundhog, chipmunk and squirrels during the day. Raccoons will pay you a visit when the sun goes down. Keep everything indoors that you don't want ransacked, including your charcoal. Also, bring your own grill. The permanent ones here are disgusting and need replaced. At least bring a good, heavy duty brush."

"Beautiful park. It is huge with lots of different style sites. We stayed in the Illini section. Great price for camping. Sites are great size. We did electric hookups so we were right on the water. We had a great time and would definitely come back. They have nice showers that are plenty big enough and water is hot. There is a firepit and a picnic table at each site. They even have nice handicap spots as well. You can boat, fish, tube or swim"