Facility Details - SOUTH SANDUSKY DAY USE, IL

Overview

South Sandusky Day Use Area sits along the banks of Rend Lake in the heart of southern Illinois.

With a large sandy swimming beach and 1.5-mile paved trail leaving from the site, visitors have plenty of recreational activities to choose from.

Natural Features:

Completed in the early 1970s, Rend Lake is a dam project that was built to provide dependable water supplies to nearby counties. Since then, the dam and lake have become a natural haven for fish and wildlife as well as a recreational haven for more than 3 million visitors each year.

Rend Lake consists of 18,900 acres of water and 20,000 acres of land. Surrounded by hills, prairies and bottomlands, the scenery at the lake never disappoints.

Recreation:

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 amount of people and provides visitors with convenient access to the refreshing waters of Rend Lake.

Rend Lake is a relatively shallow reservoir, filled with countless native species of fish, making it an ideal angling destination. Abundant and large crappie and channel catfish are especially popular, along with hybrid striped bass and flathead catfish.

Birding is a popular pastime at the park, and the area provides the ideal habitat for a diverse range of bird species.

The Rend Lake Bike Trail is 1.5 miles long and offers opportunities for hiking and biking, along with the nearby Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park, which also offers horseback riding.

The lake has earned the reputation of being one of the best waterfowl hunting areas in the state for both ducks and geese. There are also plenty of opportunities for archery and firearm deer hunting at higher elevations. Another popular attraction is the annual controlled pheasant hunt held at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park.

Ranger-led educational programs are available at the Rend Lake Visitor Center. Boat rentals are also available at the Rend Lake Marina.

Facilities:

South Sandusky Day Use Area Day Use Area features two large picnic shelters with tables, grills and drinking water.

The shelters can accommodate up to 50 guests each, and the area has a boat ramp, playground, marina and dock all within walking distance.

Nearby Attractions:

Golf courses, shopping and a resort are all located within a few miles.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
Accessible Boat Ramp Accessible Flush Toilets Biking Dock Electric Hookups Grills Hiking	Interpretive Programs Picnic Shelters Playground Showers Swimming Trails Trash Collection
Within 10 Miles
Boat Rental Fishing Supplies	Laundry Visitors Center

Know Before You Go

Off-road vehicle use must have prior approval

Firewood quarantines are in effect due to the spread of the destructive Emerald Ash Borer. Please purchase or gather firewood near your camping destination and do not remove firewood from the campground. Click here for more information.

Getting There:

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
38.05833, -88.99111
38°3'30"N, 88°59'28"W

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 main dam.