Fort Massac State Park

After reading all the reviews here, I noticed no one mentioned anything about reservations. So I went to their website, where there was very little camping information. 'Click here for reservations'. So I did and it took me to ExploreMoreIL.com. When I went there, it said you needed to reserve at least 3 days in advance. Well, it was exactly three days in advance, so I tried. It showed every campsite open at $20 ea...until you entered dates...then it showed no campsites open! 'Unavailable'. So I tried other dates. All unavailable. So I called. Got a park employee that said the 3 day advance notice was for peak months, that right now it was first come, first served. That's why the reservations website wasn't working. He told me $30. I told him the website said $20 (plus some $5 surcharge thing). Asked about senior discounts. He didn't know anything about either one. So I went to the park, expecting to have to argue over $20 vs $30.
The campground host told me $20. Relieved. No arguing. Then he looked at my age on my driver's license and said, "$15 Mon thru Thur for seniors, $20 on weekends. $30 is only during holiday weekends." So I signed up for 3 weeknights, $45...and wound up staying for 9 days. It is that darn nice here.

Small, compact campground at only 50 sites plus maybe 10 more tent sites. Most sites are fairly close to your neighbor but there's a few with more space between. Lots of mature trees. Forest on 3 sides, more open state park grounds and the Ohio River on the other side. Nice, new, clean bathrooms which consist of 8 separate rooms. Yes, 8. Shower, sink and toilet in each room. You can lock the door and take as long as you want. Sites are either 30 or 50 amp. At least some of the sites are marked if they are 50. Small children's playground. Can't hook up to water, must be shared with other campers. LOTS of squirrels. 8 different times, day and night, 2-4 deer came into the campground. You learn to watch where you step! And thats it. Very simple, small, clean campground. In the woods...in a state park...within 500 feet of the Ohio River...with two trails, 2.5 and 8.7 miles long...with the remains of Fort Massac and a replica next to it...and a Visitor's Center/Museum...and a trout pond, aptly named 'Trout Pond'. And if that isn't enough, you can take the gravel road along the river, which goes under I-24, take a short hike or bike ride down to the river and view all the graffiti that generations of teenagers have displayed underneath the bridge. And if that isn't enough...yes, downtown Metropolis, Superman's home is less than 2 miles away with the 15 foot statue, streets named Truth, Justice and American Way, the Superman store and Museum, a few other stores with Superman items and other antiques, the Chamber of Commerce with its own museum/collectible/memorabilia that also sells Dippin Dots, the Noelle Neil/Lois Lane statue, the now vacant Metropolis Planet, a nearby cemetery where the Birdman of Alcatraz is buried and Harrah's Casino, right on the river...this is all within 4 miles of the campground...biking distance. Even closer...Big John grocery store with another big statue to rival that of Superman, Subway, Sonic, Dairy Queen, Hardee's. There is so much to see and do here, that I extended my stay from 3 to 9 days.

And there are few bad points...
- The showers are heated by tankless water heaters, so it takes time for the showers to heat up. The first one I went in was cold, then lukewarm, then cold again, then finally hot. The next one went from 5 mins of cold to all hot.
- No trash cans in the bathrooms. You're expected to bring your trash to the garbage cans outside.
- Despite the river being 500 feet away and downhill from the campground, during very heavy, extended rains, the river has come up and flooded out the campground.
- Homeless people live in the park. I was walking my dogs at 9:30pm and 6:30am, in the dark and was freaked out seeing a lone figure standing by a fire he had started at a park pavilion...right across the road from the campground.
- Hunting is allowed in certain areas of the state park, so take care if you are here Oct thru January.

That's really about it. 4.5 stars. I love it here.
I will be uploading many pictures.

Great price for electric only. Well kept, leveled electric only sites. Did a short jog around the park and saw some deers! Also easy access to the Ohio River for boating or fishing. At night, the cicada calls were loud, but didn’t bother us. Intriguing, if anything! Loved that their checkout is later (2:59pm) compared to other camps! Their dump station is $5 if not a camper, very fair price!

We really liked this park a lot. It is electric only but water and dump are super convenient. Campground was almost deserted the whole time we were there, and as such it was very quiet. There is some construction going on, the are cleaning up some sites and have built a new shower/bathroom facility that is very nice. Cell signal was strong and we had no problem working or streaming. Easy to get to Paducah and Metropolis, but construction on the I-24 bridge slows down traffic a good bit. Overall a great place to take a little break from the road.

The campground and park have more of 'city park' feel than a state park. None of the sites have river views but it is an easy walk to the historic fort that overlooks the river. The "George Rodgers Clark Discovery Trail" was right behind my site and I wish I had my bike to explore it. This trail is a Rails-to-Trails path that connects the cities of Metropolis and Brookport. The trail's bridge over Massac Creek is currently being replaced but a staff member said it should be finished later this summer (2021).

The park was undergoing some rework of campsites and remodeling of the bathrooms. Even with all this going on, the park is s large beautiful park along the Ohio River. The campground is up on a bluff back from the river but an easy distance to walk. Lots of green space, playgrounds and shelters. It’s within the city of Metropolis and access to all amenities.

We saw a family of nursing Whitetails as we were looking for the perfect spot. Our host was kind and conversational in the way you look for when traveling. The true gem of this area is the Mexican restaurant across the street, Casa Tapatia. Authentic Mexican food in the southern tip of Illinois sounds crazy, but we found ourselves in just that place. It would be a disservice to not go in for margaritas and tacos. The chips and salsa are a surprisingly delicious open to what the rest of the meal will taste like. 10/10

This site is a beautiful park! Full of multiple playgrounds for the kids, a disc golf course, bathrooms, showers ( currently under construction), fire pits. Everything you really need. Plus it was super affordable for my rent site, $6! There’s gas stations & a supermarket less than a mile away. Great place to stay in the home of Superman! Do note this isn’t a scenic campground. Not much to look at. Just a place to stay with some rad activities.