📷 Nyttend, Public domainCave-in-Rock State Park
Cave-in-Rock, IL
A large river cave on the Ohio River once used by pirates who robbed flatboats. A free car ferry crosses to Kentucky next to the park.
Cave-in-Rock State Park, in the town of the same name in Hardin County, Illinois, sits on the Ohio River and protects a cave that once served as a hideout for river pirates. The opening is about 55 feet (17 m) wide and is carved into a limestone bluff roughly 60 feet (18 m) high. A French explorer called it “caverne dans le Roc” in the 1700s. From the 1790s pirates raided flatboats from here, and from about 1797 to 1799 the gang around Samuel Mason was based in the cave. In 1799 vigilante groups drove the outlaws out.
In the mid-1800s the cave was used as a church for a time; today it is empty and open to visitors. A fissure in the ceiling acts as a natural chimney. Illinois bought the site with the cave in 1929, and the park now covers 204 acres (83 hectares). On the north side there are 34 Class A campsites and 25 tent sites, plus hiking trails, two boat ramps and a restaurant with a lodge. A ferry right next to the park links Illinois Route 1 with Kentucky Route 91. Heavy rain can close roads and the cave, so call the park before you go.
- Nearest town
- Cave-in-Rock, IL
- Category
- History & culture
- GPS
- 37.4690, -88.1650
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. Hot in July. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Sources
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Tower Rock CampsiteCampsite4 mi from Cave-in-Rock State Park
- Camp Cadiz CampgroundCampsite9 mi from Cave-in-Rock State Park · 8 pitches
- Pine Ridge CampgroundCampsite12 mi from Cave-in-Rock State ParkTentsCaravansDrinking water
- Double M CampgroundCampsite13 mi from Cave-in-Rock State Park
- High Knob CampgroundCampsite13 mi from Cave-in-Rock State Park
- Williams Pass & OHV ParkCampsite21 mi from Cave-in-Rock State ParkTentsCaravans
All campsites in Illinois · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Cave-in-Rock State Park?
Cave-in-Rock State Park is in Cave-in-Rock, IL, at GPS 37.4690, -88.1650. It is about 8 mi from Elizabethtown.
Can you camp near Cave-in-Rock State Park?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Tower Rock Campsite, about 4 mi away; within 25 mi there are 20 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Cave-in-Rock State Park?
Cave-in-Rock State Park is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Shawnee National Forest: southern Illinois hills and Sandstone bluffs, cypress swamps and two great rivers – by camper through Southern Illinois and the Shawnee National Forest.
What is there to see near Cave-in-Rock State Park?
Places worth a stop nearby: Garden of the Gods (15 mi), Superman Statue (38 mi), Giant City State Park (57 mi) and Bald Knob Cross of Peace (64 mi).
When is the best time to visit Cave-in-Rock State Park?
The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)