Welcome to Camp Lakewood Campground
in Effingham, Illinois,
located within 1 mile of I-70 and I-57!

The story of Camp Lakewood Campground began in 2014 in the small, vibrant town of Effingham, IL when Chet and Erica Kiefer purchased their first campground. They then expanded their love for the camping industry by purchasing Terre Haute Campground in Indiana in 2019 and Madison Campground in Wisconsin in 2021. In 2022, they continued to grow by purchasing Meramec Campground in Missouri, and Knoxville Campground in Tennessee. All campgrounds under their parent company Kiefer Campgrounds, are family owned and operated.

Meet The Family!

Chet, Erica, & Kolin Kiefer
Proud owners of
KIEFER CAMPGROUNDS!

How It Began!

Chet Kiefer has been a business owner since 1991 with his first venture being a landscape company that is still successfully operating today. He first got started in the campground business when a friend of his approached to discuss a campground that was facing some financial troubles. Chet agreed to purchase the campground and began the process of improving the property. After a year of experience with the park, Chet decided to purchase Camp Lakewood Campground in Effingham, IL. Shortly after this purchase, Chet began to improve the campground in many different ways. His knowledge of the landscaping business allowed him to complete the work quickly and efficiently. Through Chet’s hard work and dedication, Camp Lakewood Campground has been successfully running full steam ahead and growing each year!

How It’s Going!

After several years of owning Camp Lakewood Campground, Chet decided to pursue more properties. The next property he purchased was Terre Haute Campground in Terre Haute, IN. With his hard work, Terre Haute Campground has become an excellent place for travelers, mini vacationers, and families to enjoy their time camping. One short year later, Chet purchased Madison Campground in Madison, WI. Chet and his family once again began to put the Kiefer touch on the campground and improve it for all guests to enjoy. After another year, Chet found Meramec Campground in Sullivan, MO, and began to improve it as well. This campground is now a peaceful and beautiful place to stay. Chet was able to rest for eight months before he found a new campground to purchase. Knoxville Campground in Clinton, TN is the newest addition to the Kiefer Campground family. The expansions did not stop there! The Kiefer family also opened and established their first restaurant called Fatso’s Famous Pizza! It is available every day at Camp Lakewood Campground!

Looking to the Future!

Chet, his wife, Erica, and son, Kolin, have enjoyed the growth and guests throughout the years and are looking forward to growth in the next several years. As of now, they have an expansion planned for one campground and a new build as well. They are very excited about their past and even more excited about the future of Kiefer Campgrounds. Recently, Kolin Kiefer has begun to take interest in the campgrounds. He has been working on-site, shooting informative videos of the campgrounds, and helping guests with anything they may need. Kolin shares the same ideas as his parents and is always looking for ways to help the campgrounds succeed. All 5 campgrounds under the Kiefer Campgrounds umbrella and Fatso’s Famous Pizza are family-owned and operated. Chet and his family wish to make all their campgrounds the best in their area and to provide exceptional customer service while still building the brand of their business. The Kiefer vision is to have multiple locations where people can visit in a clean, comfortable, and relaxing environment while also providing many amenities for guests to enjoy!

We invite you to visit us at Camp Lakewood Campground in Effingham, Illinois, as well as visit all of our sister campgrounds!