Apparently, there are some things that have to be seen to be believed. You can read that anyway you want when it comes to this press release.
Yes, there are now camping reservations available at public sites in southern Illinois for the days around the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. Usually the Illinois Department of Natural Resources only makes reservations six months in advance.
There’s even already a separate web link: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/recreation/Pages/TotalSolarEclipse.aspx
Here is the word from the Illinois DNR:
IDNR Announces Campsite Reservations Open for Sites in Solar Eclipse Zone Southern Illinois Will Experience Total Solar Eclipse Aug. 21, 2017 SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced today that campsite reservations are now available at southern Illinois State Parks and the World Shooting and Recreational Complex for visitors making plans to view the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. Reservations can be made for dates within the window of Aug. 14 – 27, 2017. IDNR sites normally can be reserved no more than six months in advance. The new reservation window has been created for portions of southern Illinois. To reserve a campsite, visitwww.ReserveAmerica.com. More than 1,600 campsites are available to be reserved in advance. Some sites also allow group campgrounds and picnic shelters to be reserved. Additional campsites are available for walk-up campers on a first-come, first-served basis. The World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta is home to 1,001 campsites. The Complex also has great stargazing and eclipse viewing opportunities with open spaces, plenty of parking, and paved walkways. The following IDNR sites are within the portion of the state that will experience a total eclipse. Those with campsites that can be reserved have that number in parenthesis: Cave-in-Rock State Park Randolph County State Recreation Area (51 with electric hookups) Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area Dixon Springs State Park (12 with electric, two cabins, eight tent campsites) Ferne Clyffe State Park (34 with electric hookup) Giant City State Park (105 with electric hookup, 28 without electric) Fort Massac State Park (45 with electric hookup) Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake Murphysboro State Park: (53 with electric hookup, 20 without electric) Pyramid State Recreation Area Trail of Tears State Forest (14 without electric) World Shooting and Recreational Complex (1,001 with electric hookups) Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area (247 with electric hookups) For more information, including a clickable map of sites within the zone where the eclipse will be total, visit:https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/recreation/Pages/TotalSolarEclipse.aspx The City of Carbondale is organizing activities around the eclipse. Visit: www.carbondaleeclipse.com. Southern Illinois University also has an eclipse Website: www.eclipse.siu.edu.
