Rend Lake

It's all about the water at Rend Lake, where you can swim, boat, water ski and fish. Relax at Rend Lake Resort, tee off at the 27-hole Rend Lake Golf Course or do some target practice at the Rend Lake Shooting Complex. Also located at Rend Lake is the Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center, featuring more than 800 artists.

CITY: Benton

Arrowhead Lake

Located on the northeast corner of Johnston City, this 35-acre lake includes a paved boat ramp for fishing, walking path, and campground. Only electric motors and canoes are permitted. You will find largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, and channel catfish in this small reservoir.

CITY: Johnston City

Bandy's Pumpkin Patch

This fun fall destination (open Oct. 1-30) features mazes, inflatable games and face painting for the little ones, and hayrides. Grab a snack from the concession stand (try the sweet rock candy) before heading home with the perfect pumpkin.

CITY: Johnston City

Rend Lake Golf Course

This 27-hole golf course, part of the Rend Lake Recreation Complex, was ranked as one of the best public courses in the Midwest by Golf Digest, which rated it 4-1/2 stars. Chicago architect Lawrence Packard designed the course with some fairways overlooking scenic Rend Lake. The on-site Seasons Lodge and Condominiums offers golf packages that let you stay close to the action.

CITY: Whittington

Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park

3,300-acre peninsula in Rend Lake. Beautiful park offering boating, camping, and picnicking with shelters. Programs include pheasant hunting, field trials, and bass tournaments. Bicycle, horse trails, and stables.

CITY: Whittington

Pyramid Acres Campground & Marina

Offers fee launching, gas, bait, tackle, ice, beer, groceries, contour maps and camping with water and electricity. Open all year. Located at the northeastern edge of the lake.

CITY: Marion

The Pavilion of the City of Marion

Nestled on a 12-acre lake, this massive multi-purpose facility hosts special and sporting events.

CITY: Marion

Herrin City Park

Beautiful pond, bridge with year around ducks and geese. A variety of playground equipment that caters to children of all ages.

CITY: Herrin

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center

Wilderness area, wildlife viewing, walking trails, special events, gift shop, campgrounds, fishing, boating, sailing, fishing tournaments; must get a "user pass" at Visitors Center for these lakes.

CITY: Marion

Benton Country Club

This semi-private, nine-hole course features a historic three-story clubhouse, surrounded by Lake Moses. Host of the annual Benton Gold Cup, the course also features a well-stocked pro shop, driving range, rental clubs and carts, and a golf pro on site.

CITY: Benton

Kokopelli Golf Club

This 18-hole course, designed by renowned golf architect Steve Smyers, was named by Travel + Leisure as one of "America's 100 Best Courses for $100 or Less." Kokopelli offers a full-service pro shop, professionals who offer personal golf instruction and an eight-acre practice facility.

CITY: Marion

Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

5,800 acres vary from flat bottomlands to rolling forestlands. Fields throughout the site provide for 1,000 acres of planted food for wildlife. Game hunting for rabbit, quail and waterfowl is allowed. Fishing is available at 25 strip-pit lakes and ponds.

CITY: McLeansboro

Nu-Bowl Lanes

28-lane bowling facility with snack bar.

CITY: Mount Vernon

Devil's Kitchen Lake

With a maximum depth of 90 feet and a 24-mile shoreline, this fishing lake is stocked with rainbow and brown trout, bass, sunfish, crappie, bluegill and catfish. Boats have a 10-horsepower limit.

CITY: Carterville

Stardust Golf and Country Club

9 holes, par 36, winter golf, club and cart rental, snack bar.

CITY: Johnston City

Hamilton County State Fish And Wildlife Area

The 1,683-acre site has a 75-acre lake where families can picnic, fish, paddle boat, camp and enjoy the good food at the on-site restaurant.

CITY: McLeansboro

Hawkins-Schwartz Orchards

This orchard features fresh-picked apples, peaches, a pumpkin patch, cider and special events for children during apple season.

CITY: Dix

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge

A wildlife refuge covering approximately 43,500 acres of forest, wetlands, and grasslands. Hunting, fishing & boating available.

CITY: Marion

kokopelli Golf Club

18 holes, par 72, winter golf, full pro shop, no club rentals, restaurant

CITY: Marion

Indian Hills Golf Course

This public 18-hole course offers challenges for both beginning and advanced golfers. A lighted driving range allows extended practice hours, and free group golf lessons are available every Saturday.

CITY: Mount Vernon

Lake of Egypt Marina

Open all year boatmotor sales and service. Full service facility with launching available. Located on the east side of the lake.

CITY: Marion

Benton KOA Campground

Full-service campground with pool, pavilion, grocery shop, RV supplies and laundry available. Modem hookups. Shopping, golf, Rend Lake water activities (1½ mi.), 20 shaded tent sites.

CITY: Benton

South Marcum Campground

Campground open April 1st through October 31st. Activities begin in May and run through September. 147 sites with electricity and 14 tent sites. Close to Rend Lake and Visitors Center.

CITY: Benton

Mack's Lake of Egypt

They offer new and used boats, seasonal slip rental, boat lauch, boat dock and lift sales, rental pontoon boats, rental fishing boats, full line of boating accessories, full convenience store, package beer, liquor and wine.

CITY: Marion

Franklin County Country Club

This club offers an immaculate bermuda fairway and bent green grass, par 71 course. Franklin County also features a fine dining restaurant, locker rooms and a pro shop.

CITY: West Frankfort

Best Holiday Trav-L-Park-Benton

A private, family-oriented RV campground with 120 sites from tents to huge recreational vehicles. Peaceful, wooded setting close to all the activities at Rend Lake.

CITY: Whittington

McLeansboro Golf Club

This nine-hole, semi-private club offers a pro shop.

CITY: McLeansboro

Frankfort Community Aquatics & Activities Center

Located at the West Frankfort City Park, this newly built indoor 25-meter six lane pool is open to the public; classes and activities available, handicap accessible, lifeguard on site, open every day.

CITY: West Frankfort

Crab Orchard Lake

Campground, fishing, boating, beach, picnic areas, country store, fishing tournaments.

CITY: Marion

Pikes Hunting Club

Located 1 mile south of Marion on Rt. 37 on west side of road. Hunt from heated pits over flooded corn, natural wetlands food plots, and over 2 miles of levee controlled water on 100 acres. 530 total acres devoted to waterfowl hunting, excellent duck hunting. Corporate rates and custom packages available.

CITY: Marion

Green Hills Golf Club

This 18-hole, semi-private country club features lush Bermuda fairways and bent grass greens with four sets of tees (the longest over 6,500 yards). Green Hills also offers a large driving range, plus practice and chipping greens, a pro shop, lounge and restaurant.

CITY: Mount Vernon

Crab Orchard Golf Club

Located between Marion and Carbondale, this 18-hole, semi-private par 70 course features lush zoysia fairways and a practice area with target greens. Crab Orchard made Golf Digest's 2008/09 "Best Places to Play" list.

CITY: Carterville

Mt. Vernon Veterans Park

86 acres of shaded playgrounds, tennis courts, swimming pool, in-line skating area and walking path around the lake. Fishing is allowed with proper license.

CITY: Mount Vernon

Pine Lakes Golf Club

The 18-hole "pine lakes" course at the Pine Lakes Golf Course facility features 5,889 yards of golf from the longest trees for a par of 67. The course rating is 67.0 and it has a slope rating of 107.

CITY: Herrin

Extreme Kids

Kids will enjoy three huge bouncers, two in-ground trampolines, and an awesome jungle gym with a ball pit and a 16-foot slide.

CITY: Marion

Jake & Norb's Gun Club

Bordering the refuge on N.E. corner. Traditional hunting of the highest quality. Only 2 hunters per pit with experienced mandatory guides, two pits, 1-water access, 1000 decoys, free snacks. Over forty-two years as an experienced club.

CITY: Marion

Four Seasons Campground

Stop on by and enjoy the friendly, peaceful atmosphere. Spacious shaded sites. Abundance of wildlife Also available: wireless internet, L-P gas fill, dump station, large pull through, 31 full hook-up sites, 12 pull through sites, (20, 30 and 50) amps available. Public access to: city park, lighted walk path, shower house, laundry facilities/handicap accessible. Cabin rentals.

CITY: Herrin

Pirate Pete's Family Entertainment Center

Great food, snack bar, acrcade games, pool tables, laser tag, and redemption prizes.

CITY: Marion

Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

Anglers looking for crappie, catfish and bass drop their lines at this area, located on the 18,900-acre Rend Lake. A comprehensive management program provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including great blue herons and many species of shorebirds.

CITY: Bonnie

Little Egypt Public OHV Recreational Area

Little Egypt Off Road MC is a young club that aims to pursue, promote, and protect interest of motorcyclists in a social and athletic setting. They offer a public off road riding area.

CITY: Marion

A.E.C. Outfitters

Is a place to deer hunt. There is archery Deer Hunting on 2000 acres of land.

CITY: Marion

Lake of Egypt Country Club

Include a golf course, swimming pool, and clubhouse. The dining room overlooks the pool and number nine green.

CITY: Marion

Quality Times R.V. Park

Shady drive-thru spaces for RVs, with water, sewer, electric hookups, tent sites, picnic tables. Close to the visitors complex.

CITY: Mount Vernon

North Sandusky Campground

Beautiful campground on Rend Lake with 118 sites with electricity. Full hookups available on selected sites. Three picnic shelter areas (wheelchair accessible). One group area with 21 wooded campsites for $100 a day.

CITY: Sesser

Macedonia Game Preserve

A state-licensed hunting preserve, we provide hunters with a good environment and quality deer management. Also quail, pheasant,chukar and dove hunting available. Package prices available upon request for walk-in hunts, corporate & business hunts.

CITY: Macedonia

Country Kitchen Hunting Club

Waterfowl hunting, goose and ducks. Guides available.

CITY: Marion

South Sandusky Campground

120 camping sites with electricity and 8 tent sites on beautiful Rend Lake. Full hookups on selected sites. Beach.

CITY: Sesser

Rend Lake Shooting Complex

400-acre facility with trap shooting, sporting clay range, shooters' pro shop, 3-D archery range, hunting preserve, skeet and 5-stand. Monthly registered shoots. Open year-round.

CITY: Whittington

Gun Creek Campground

Campground with 100 sites with electricity located on Rend Lake. The Seasons Lodge Restaurant, the Rend Lake Gold Course, and the Southern Illinois Artisans Shop are all within walking distance.

CITY: Whittington

Cannon Park

Picnic shelter, playgrounds, and a lake for visitors to enjoy fishing.

CITY: Carterville

S.I. Bowl

Bowling and bar. There is a game room and a bar and lounge. They have youth programs, tournaments, leagues, and parties. Offers cosmic bowling

CITY: Carterville

Sherwood Camping Resort

Camper and tent sites, approx. 60 hookups; shaded, family-oriented camping. Only 2 mi. to Rend Lake.

CITY: Ina

Old Bates Campground

Located on the west side of Rend Lake off of Route 148 at the intersection of Peach Orchard Road. Offers electricity, water and sewer, shower house, bottle gas filed, dumping stations as well as campers to rent. Owners: Robert and Angela Holder.

CITY: Sesser

Glenn's Hunting Club

Clean, dry and heated pits. Yearly membership and day hunting available. Excellent hunting in fields. Plus hunting in 2 pits over water. 3/4 mile on refuge frontage. Guides available.

CITY: Marion