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Ferne Clyffe
Overview
Ferne Clyffe State Park offers a captivating natural escape in the heart of Southern Illinois. Known for its remarkable geological features, this park provides RVers with a peaceful setting surrounded by limestone bluffs and diverse local flora. It serves as a scenic gateway to the region's rugged beauty, offering a quiet, nature-focused alternative to busier commercial parks while maintaining the essential comforts needed for a truly memorable outdoor stay.
Location & Surroundings
Tucked away just south of Goreville, the park is defined by its dramatic sandstone cliffs and deep, green ravines. The surrounding landscape is part of the iconic Ozark Hills, featuring dense hardwood forests and a famous intermittent waterfall that drops 100 feet into a rocky basin. Its strategic location provides easy access to the broader Shawnee National Forest region, making it a prime central hub for travelers exploring the unique topography of Southern Illinois.
Amenities & Park Features
RV travelers typically settle into the Deer Ridge Campground, which offers well-maintained Class A sites. The park provides several key features for a comfortable stay:
- Electric hookups at individual campsites
- Modern shower buildings and flush toilets
- A centrally located sanitary dump station
- Picnic tables and grills at every site
These amenities ensure that while you are deep in nature, your basic needs are well-covered during your visit.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
The park is a premier haven for hikers, featuring over 18 miles of winding trails including the popular Big Rocky Hollow Trail. Anglers can spend a quiet afternoon at the 16-acre Ferne Clyffe Lake, while adventurous rock climbers enjoy designated areas for technical scaling and bouldering. For those looking to venture further, the nearby Shawnee Wine Trail offers a relaxing way to experience local Illinois culture and flavors after a long day of trail exploration.
Who This Park Is Best For
This destination is perfect for dedicated outdoor enthusiasts who prioritize natural scenery and direct trail access over high-speed internet or resort-style swimming pools. It is ideal for families seeking an educational nature trip and couples looking for a tranquil woodland retreat. If your travel style favors quiet campfire evenings, birdwatching, and morning hikes through ancient rocky canyons, Ferne Clyffe State Park will undoubtedly feel like your perfect home on the road.
Amenities
- Recreational Facilities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Facility
- Hunting Nearby (within 20 miles)
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
Grace Leemingway
Park is great but camp sites are poor: roads markers were poor, I drove around 3 times, finally found my site. Sites are crowded (see pics) & close to each other, even right next to the road (inside RV w/ air con, door & windows closed will be okay.) You don’t have ur own water faucet: 3-4 hoses direct water from one faucet; electricity is not close either, you definitely need an extension cord! I got a family w/ teenagers, they were rowdy after 10 pm, no camp host came out quiet them.
Mike Mansfield
A smaller park but with plenty to do. We enjoyed the moderate to difficult trails and the picnic areas. They have a small lake for fishing. No boats allowed on it. Trails are not flat and you will be climbing over some rocks so come prepared. It was extremely dry out so we didn’t check to make sure we could grill out which was no problem. There was a burn ban in place for everything else though. Trails could be marked a little better but we didn’t get lost. There is good water to drink in several areas which we found very helpful.
K Bree
Great spot for camping and hiking. There are plenty of primitive spots that you can access through self check-in 24/7. The cost is $8 per night in primitive camping. There is also another camp area for RV’s and for campers who wish to have electricity. There are places right off the main entrance road where you can get firewood. We bought ours from a road side stand for $5/bundle. The bundles were decently sized and burned well. The primitive campsites are tucked into the woods along one of the roads. There are not difficult to access but feel very secluded. The toilets located near primitive are vault toilets. Each site has a picnic table and burn pit. As for the hiking, we’ll be back to do some more as we have so much more to explore here, but the walk around the bluff was absolutely mesmerizing.
justin wagner
A fantastic medium level hike with tons of alternative paths. Perfect for beginner level rock climbing. With plenty of camp sites. The river bed is littered with tiny frogs, and beautiful varieties of ferns. I recommend coming after a rainy day when the water falls are flowing.
Sherri White
Wow, what a great experience. Loved our visit. I have been seeing this park a lot on Facebook and wanted to visit. We visited on a Friday morning, and it was perfect. The area has had a good amount of rain recently, so the park had loads of water moving, waterfalls, and streams. The trails are wide, which was very nice. Low number of other visitors. It was a very peaceful and pleasant day. I would definitely return. We had been told that it's also beautiful in the winter, so we will be checking that out.