Hi, I’m the local

Hi I’m Meghan! Not only am I local to the Lake Shelbyville area but I love it here. As much as I enjoy traveling, I also appreciate this area that I call home. The plentiful outdoor recreation, the kind and hospitable people, and the quirky hidden gems are just a few of the reasons to love the area. If you live here or planning to travel here you are definitely going to want to check out all the spots below!

Communities

The Lake Shelbyville area is made up of five small communities that surround the lake itself. Shelbyville is at the south end of the lake, Bethany and Sullivan are at the north ends of the lake, Windsor is to the east, and Findlay is right in the middle to the west. Each of these communities are small with wonderful people, great places to eat, unique things to do, and a loving inviting atmosphere.
In 1963 digging was started on Lake Shelbyville to act as flood control along the Kaskaskia river. The lake was filled and completed in 1970. The lake is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the wildlife along the lake and river is managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Hidden Gems Around Lake Shelbyville

That’s right we’re getting right into it! Here are some of my favorite things to do that are unique to Lake Shelbyville and definitely not crowded!

• The Tower of Baaa– in Windsor, Illinois. This is the tallest Goat Tower in the Midwest, and 2nd tallest in the country! The owners of the goat tower are a sweet older couple that give free tours of the property and let you pet the goats! The property is on the entrance road to Wolf Creek State Park so it’s easy find. To schedule a tour you can visit or their website and send them a text or phone call .

• Rainbow Alley– in downtown Shelbyville. It is a great place to take fun pictures or hang out while eating your downtown treats. There are picnic tables to sit year round two set at while enjoying downtown. Sometimes they have corn hole (bags) games set up, as well as other fun events on and off throughout the summer. We love to get a treat at Iced or Momo’s Froyo and take it over to Rainbow Alley to eat!

• Lakeside Hiking Trails – There are so many beautiful Lakeside hiking trails. With 172 miles of shoreline and 0 houses or buildings it’s perfect for views of nature and getting away! I have a list of Best Hiking Trails around Lake Shelbyville. If you ask me my absolute favorite though it’s the Green Trail at Camp Camfield in Sullivan. (Pictured below in the Fall)

• Okaw Valley Orchard – Everything you want or need to do on a late summer or fall day is here at the orchard. They have a large and fun playground for the kids.

Where to Eat around Lake Shelbyville

Each community has a variety of delicious places to eat! There are even options for food while you are on a boat, all three marinas on the lake have different food options! I’m going to give you my favorite spots on and around the lake for breakfast, lunch dinner, and sweet treats!

But First, Coffee! Best Spot for Coffee around Lake Shelbyville

• Oliver Coffee in Shelbyville, Illinois
• Sweet Vail in Sullivan, Illinois

Breakfast around Lake Shelbyville

• Red Apple in Sullivan, Illinois
• Bethany Cafe in Bethany, Illinois
• Findlay Diner in Findlay, Illinois

Best Lunch around Lake Shelbyville

• Iced in Shelbyville, Illinois
• Sweet Vail in Sullivan, Illinois
• Scotty B’s Food Truck usually found at Findlay Marina in the Summer

Best Dinner around Lake Shelbyville

• Tailwinds Steakhouse in Findlay, Illinois
• Windsor Pub, Windsor Illinois
• The Longbranch in Shelbyville
• Chagall a Mexican Grill in Shelbyville

Ice Cream and Sweets around Lake Shelbyville

• Dairy Delights in Sullivan, Illinois
• Momo’s Froyo in Shelbyville, Illinois
• Iced in Shelbyville, Illinois
• 12 Layers Bakery in Findlay, Illinois

Best Places to Eat ON Lake Shelbyville

• Nessies at Lithia Marina (south end of the lake)
• Food Trucks at Findlay Marina (middle of the lake)
• The Northend at Sullivan Marina (north end of the lake)

Community Events

Each of these communities, have fun events going on throughout the spring, summer, and fall.

Bethany kicks off the summertime fair season with the Bethany Celebration which is usually one of the last weekends in June. There is a parade, pagents, fair food and rides and a great firework Display!

The city of Sullivan has a 4th of July Fair in the parking lot of the American Legion during the week of the 4th as well as a parade and fireworks on the 4th of July every year!

Findlay has its annual Walleye Festival the last weekend in July with delicious walleye sandwiches, live music and a beer tent!

The Windsor Harvest Picnic in mid August is known for having BIG names come to play music and great food!

To round out the year Shelbyville has Scarecrow Daze Street Festival which takes up all of downtown Shelbyville at the beginning of October. This festival is also the same weekend as the Touchstone Energy Balloon Festival which takes place at the Shelbyville airport! It’s always so neat to watch the balloons fly over the lake

Most Beautiful Parks around Lake Shelbyville

There are so many beautiful parks, gardens, and recreation areas around Lake Shelbyville. I will eventually have a full blog post dedicated to all the different parks and outdoor recreation areas but for now I will give you the highlights and the best places to go!

Eagle Creek and Wolf Creek two state parks on Lake Shelbyville, both with access to the lake, beautiful hiking trails, and great camping. Wolf Creek offers horse riding trails as well. To learn more about other state parks in Illinois be sure to check out our progress on our Illinois State Park Challenge.

Forest Park in Shelbyville has a beautiful sunken garden area as well as the Dacey Trail, which is great for longer distance hiking and biking. In town Sullivan, you will find Wyman Park and Tabor Park. Wyman has tons of fun playground equipment, and a beautiful pond to walk around. Tabor Park is wooded with a creek that runs through and lots of beautiful bridges. Bethany has Crowder Park, which has a very old vintage playground, super quirky and cute, as well as a bike trail and wildflower Trail.

Outdoor Recreation around Lake Shelbyville

There is no shortage of outdoor recreation along lake Shelbyville. People come from around the Midwest for lakeshelbyville’s fishing hunting, biking and camping!

Biking

Biking is one of our favorite activities. Out favorite paved/gravel trail is the General Dacey trail in Shelbyville and Camp Camfield in Sullivan for dirt tracks. There is also pump trax at Forest Park in Shelbyville. Because there are no houses or buildings along the shores of Lake Shelbyville, the views when hiking are beautiful! All of the parks and state parks have great hiking trails. The Chief Illini Trail at Eagle Creek State Park is known as one of the longest and most rugged trails if you are up for a challenge!

Paddeling

Stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing are popular water activities or around the lake. Because the Kaskaskia river and West Okaw river feed into the lake, there are many places to put in along the rivers and paddle down river towards the lake! Here is the Lake Shelbyville Water Trail which shows all the different put in spots and routes!

Boating

Life is better on a boat am I right? If you have a boat, Lakes Shelbyville is such a fun place to be in the summer! If you don’t have a boat, lucky for you you can rent a pontoon from Findlay marina or a houseboat from Lithia springs marina. And whether you are just hanging out swimming or tearing up the water on a wakeboard, skis, or tube, a boat is a fun place to be for the whole family!

Fishing

Lake Shelbyville is known for its top notch fishing! There are mini fishing tournaments throughout the year. If you’re not a professional, there are plenty of guide services in the area to help you reel in a perfect catch!

Pools and Splash pads

If lake water isn’t your thing that’s OK! There is an aquatic center in Shelbyville, a new splash pad coming to Wyman Park in Sullivan, and indoor swimming at the Sullivan Civic Center!

Indoor fun around Lake Shelbyville

It’s not only fun in the sun around Lake Shelbyville. There are also mini indoor activities and arts to enjoy around the area. I if you love the visual arts, the Little Theater on the Square in Sullivan is known throughout Central Illinois for some of the best theater productions. Flourishes Gallery in Shelbyville and Cathrine’s Gallery in Sullivan are full of beautiful artworks and local artisans!

On rainy days be sure to head over to the Lake Shelbyville Dam visitor center! It has a lot of interactive learning activities for kids and history about the lake! Bethany, Shelbyville and Sullivan each have their own libraries with small play areas for children. In the evening Check out downtown Shelbyville’s Roxy Boarman Theater and see which movie is playing!

Places to shop around Lake Shelbyville

The best boutique shopping is definitely in downtown in Shelbyville there are many clothing and gift boutiques are right next to each other. Sullivan also has a few boutique stores around the town Square. For quality meat and produce head over to Windsor foods in Windsor or Wades Quality meats in Shelbyville. If you are looking for swimsuits, boat accessories, or watersports gear while on Lake Shelbyville you definitely want to go to 32 Marine in Sullivan.

Farms and Orchards

We love getting fresh fruits and vegetables from our local farms in orchards. In the early and summer you can pick fresh strawberries and blackberries from Just Berries south of Shelbyville. During summer and fall you can get fresh peaches and a huge variety of apples from Okaw Valley Orchard. In the spring you can get vegetable plants from Buxton‘s garden farm. They also have a wide variety of pumpkins and mums in the fall. For the best quality fresh vegetables, check out Regenerative Life Farm in Findlay

Lodging

Lake Shelbyville has it all, from hotels, to bed and breakfasts, to Airbnb’s and camping spots. I could do a whole blog post on just camping around the Lake because there are so many places to choose from. Our favorites are Eagle Creek, Wolf Creek, and Bo Woods for tent and camper camping. It’s camping isn’t flour thing check out The Shelby Inn in Shelbyville. This historic inn recently got some new owners and they are making some fantastic updates. For a private and beautiful family getaway check out Lakeside Villas , one of the Lakewood Cottages or go for a log cabin at Lithia Resort.

Visiting Lake Shelbyville

If you want a fun, wholesome, but not crowded summer spent outside and enjoying nature, you definitely want to come visit Lake Shelbyville! Its peaceful nature and fun activities will bring you here, but the wonderful communities surrounding it will keep you coming back! To keep up with our latest adventures around Lake Shelbyville be sure to follow us over on Instagram. If you need a family photographer in the you can check out Meghan Garriott Photography!
What is your favorite part of Lake Shelbyville, or what do you plan on doing when you come?