About Little Grassy Camp

Little Grassy Camp and Retreat Center is located south of Carbondale, IL, on 157 acres of hills and trees, adjacent to the 1,000-acre Little Grassy Lake. The property is located in the Shawnee National Forest and is bound by a covenant with the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge to exercise careful stewardship of the wildlife, vegetation, and landforms.  

Little Grassy is a United Methodist Church Camp and Retreat Center that had its beginnings as a wilderness camp in the 1940’s. Then, when some land set aside by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service became available in the 1950’s Little Grassy Camp negotiated to establish one of the sites. Being on the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge offers people the opportunity to explore and reconnect with nature. This helps us to achieve our mission to connect people, nature and Christ. 

The core of Little Grassy Camp, built on a ridge overlooking the lake, includes a hotel-style lodge with a large meeting room, a year-round youth lodge, and a dining hall with a meeting room furnished with cozy furniture and a fireplace.  There are other sets of air-conditioned cabins and an open-air tabernacle which help Little Grassy provide a wide range of housing and meeting options. 

Little Grassy Camp provides opportunities for hiking, swimming, rock-climbing and rappelling, as well as other traditional camp and retreat activities. The camp supports summer programs for spiritual formation in the Christian tradition, which are open to all.  Little Grassy facilities are also available on a rental basis for such things as reunions, business meetings, or youth camps.  

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