Visitors to Red Hills State Park in Lawrence County, Illinois, can now enjoy a smoother, more comfortable experience thanks to a series of upgrades completed between 2019 and 2025.
The park has three main campground areas: RV, tent, and equestrian, and day-use areas with a lake. While the park’s natural setting has always drawn visitors, many facilities were aging and in need of modernization. Clark Dietz worked closely with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) to deliver improvements that addressed infrastructure needs, while making the park more enjoyable and accessible for visitors.
RV Dump Station before
Scope of the Project
One of the largest pieces of the project was consolidating the park’s two small, outdated wastewater treatment plants. Both plants were difficult to operate and maintain, so the team upgraded one facility and added a lift station to carry wastewater from the site of the demolished plant to the newly upgraded plant.
Additional improvements focused on the park’s campgrounds and day-use areas. The RV dump station was redesigned to better accommodate today’s larger RVs, and five RV campsites were converted to full-service sites with water and sewer connections. At the tent campground, a new privy toilet was installed, a waterline extended to provide drinking and washing water, and a handicap-accessible campsite was added.
The equestrian campground received similar attention. Its privy toilet was upgraded, a new accessible campsite was added, and water was brought closer to the horse corral, so visitors no longer had to walk long distances for their horses. A waterline was also extended across the highway to a day-use area that previously lacked water service, enhancing convenience for all park visitors.
“This project had a lot of different pieces, and it was spread out across the park,” said Project Manager Andrea Bretl, PE. “It wasn’t just focused in one area; we were working on multiple areas at once, which made coordination important. But it was really satisfying to see the upgrades come together for the benefit of park visitors.”
RV Dump Station After
Challenges and Solutions
Coordinating work across multiple areas of the park was one of the biggest challenges of the project. Unlike a single-structure project, Red Hills required mid-sized improvements across campgrounds and day-use areas, all of which needed to come together efficiently.
Andrea noted the uniqueness of the project location: “It was nice to be in a peaceful, remote area. Most of our projects are in towns or along highways, so it was a little relaxing to be at a location like this.”
Benefits for the Community
The upgrades brought both practical and recreational benefits. Campers now enjoy full-service amenities and improved facilities, while park staff have a more manageable wastewater system. The changes also make the park more accessible, with handicap-accessible camping spaces and modernized utilities throughout the site.
Chad Larimore, who completed much of the design work and oversaw construction, reflected on the value of the project:
“I think it’s very beneficial to the park that as part of our core project of replacing an existing out-of-date treatment system, we were able to incorporate the ‘quality of life’ features to the site. We were able to add full amenity camp sites that provide water and sewer connections that the park didn’t previously have. It’s a benefit that many campers enjoy. The redesigned dump station is better designed to accommodate today’s larger RVs than the original design was.”
A Peaceful Setting
New lift station
Andrea also highlighted the quiet, remote environment as a memorable part of the project. “It’s not every day that we get to work somewhere so peaceful. Even though our time on site was mostly for check-ins, it was a refreshing change from busier, more built-up locations.”
The project began in 2019 and was completed in 2025. These improvements provide Red Hills State Park with modern infrastructure and upgraded amenities that enhance the visitor experience across the entire park.
Questions? Contact Clark Dietz Project Manager – Andrea Bretl, PE
