Can you reserve a site at South Sandusky Day Use?

Yes, South Sandusky Day Use is reservable through Recreation.gov.

South Sandusky Day Use, Illinois — 2 sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Overview

South Sandusky Day Use Area— the perfect place to enjoy a wide variety of activities, events, and nature at its best. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern Illinois.

Recreation

Within the area, visitors can access the Rend Lake Bike Trail—over 20 miles of paved pathways that guide riders through scenic woodlands and across views of Rend Lake and the Big Muddy River. The area offers abundant opportunities for boating, hiking, fishing, hunting, swimming, and general outdoor exploration. Additional recreation features around Rend Lake include an archery complex with a 3D trail and elevated shooting platform, a dog park with a swimming feature, and two public swimming beaches (including the pet-friendly North Marcum Beach).

Facilities

South Sandusky Day Use Area features two large reservable picnic shelters (capacity 50 per shelter) with picnic tables, grill, and drinking water. The area has a boat ramp and playground all within walking distance. South Sandusky Day Use Area also has two restroom facilities and a shower facility.

Natural Features

South Sandusky Day Use Area sits along the banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. The South Sandusky Day Use Area offers the most accessible public swimming beach on the lake. The sandy beach is spacious enough to accommodate a large number of people and provides visitors with convenient access to the refreshing waters of Rend Lake. Wildlife in the area includes white tailed deer, wild turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (618) 724-2493.

Nearby Attractions

Rend Lake Project Office/ Visitor Center

Rend Lake Bike Trail

Rend Lake Marina

Rend Lake Dog Park

Blackberry Nature Trail

The facts

2 bookable sites
2 sites for day use only
Up to 50 people per site
Loops: South Sandusky Beach

Site types

2 Group Shelter Electric

Amenities

Electric hookups
Picnic tables
Shade

Not recorded upstream: water hookups, sewer hookups, campfires allowed, fire pits, grills, pets allowed.

Book on Recreation.gov

2 campsites at South Sandusky Day Use

Check-in 8:00 AM · Check-out 7:30 PM

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Surface	Max rig	People
1	South Sandusky Beach	Group Shelter Electric	—	—	—	50
2	South Sandusky Beach	Group Shelter Electric	—	—	—	50

Getting there

From I-57 take take exit 71 and turn west onto Route 14. Continue for 3 miles, then turn north on Rend City Road. The entrance is on the right after about 5 miles, just past the Rend Lake Dam.

38.05303, -88.99229 · 38°3'10.9"N 88°59'32.2"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 88°F in Jul, down to 40°F in Jan.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	40	44	55	68	76	86	88	87	81	69	55	44
Low °F	22	25	35	45	56	65	68	66	58	46	35	27
Precip in	3.2	2.8	4.2	5.4	5.1	4.5	4.0	3.4	3.2	3.4	4.0	2.9

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 0.9 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Common questions about South Sandusky Day Use

Can you reserve a site at South Sandusky Day Use?: Yes, South Sandusky Day Use is reservable through Recreation.gov.
How many campsites does South Sandusky Day Use have?: 2 sites.
Does South Sandusky Day Use have hookups?: Electric.

Camping near South Sandusky Day Use

North Sandusky Day-Use 0.9 mi · Campground · we watch it
Dam West Area (Day-Use) 1 mi · Campground · we watch it
Shagbark Group Area 1.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
North Sandusky Campground 1.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
South Sandusky Campground 1.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
North Marcum Day Use Area 2.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
Spillway Group Area 2.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
South Marcum Day Use 2.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
Dale Miller Youth 3 mi · Campground · we watch it
South Marcum Campground 3.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
Gun Creek 3.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Devils Kitchen Group Pavilion 29 mi · Campground · we watch it

Contact

Phone 618-724-2493
Book Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-05-09.

South Sandusky Day Use