Hours & Fees

Pere Marquette State Park is free: the Illinois Department of Natural Resources charges no daily or annual entrance fee at state parks. The hiking trails are open from sunup to sundown, and the Visitor Center is open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You pay only for camping, cabins and shelter reservations.

Is There an Entrance Fee?

No. IDNR's own answer to "Do Illinois State Parks require a daily or annual entrance fee?" is no: it charges no entrance fee on any state-owned or state-run land, except Wildlife Prairie Park and sites with swimming beaches. Pere Marquette has neither, so parking, hiking, the scenic drive and the overlooks cost nothing.

Park and Trail Hours

IDNR says the hiking trails are open from sunup to sundown. Plan to be off the trails by dark; the park's night hikes are guided events, and IDNR recommends reserving a spot (see plan your visit). Campers stay overnight in the campground, not on the trails.

Visitor Center Hours

The Visitor Center on Route 100 is the place to pick up a trail map and ask about conditions.

• Monday to Saturday: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., per IDNR's Visitor Center page.
• Sundays: closed.
• Closed on: Thanksgiving and the Friday after, Christmas Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, the Fourth of July, Columbus Day and Veterans Day.

IDNR's statewide closures page has also listed the Visitor Center as open daily, 8 to 3:30, so a Sunday visit in summer may find it open. Call (618) 786-3323 before you drive out for it.

Camping Fees

• Class A site (electric): $20 a night, $30 on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends, from the IDNR fee schedule.
• Reservation fee: $5 per reservation.
• Rent-A-Cabin: $45 a night, $55 on holidays, plus a $5 transaction fee and a 2.2% convenience fee.
• Duncan Hill youth tent camp: $2 a person a night, $20 minimum.
• Firewood: $6 from the campground hosts at sites 1 and 2.

Illinois seniors and veterans can get discounts, but not on holidays. Full details on the camping page.

Other Fees and Permits

• Picnic shelters: three can be reserved for a fee through ExploreMoreIL; open tables and grills are free and first come, first served.
• Hunting: the public hunting areas at Graham Hollow Road and Copperhead Hollow need a free permit from the Visitor Center.
• Groups: groups of 20 or more need advance written permission from the site superintendent.
• The lodge and stables are private concessions with their own prices: see the lodge and horseback riding.