Blackwell Forest Preserve and its lake and grounds are really lovely, and a nature-filled surprise to find amidst such a populated area. The campground and the whole park are very well maintained, and the people working there, kind and helpful.
The design of the campground is perhaps the most difficult part. At least half of the campsites are wrapped by a very busy main road, Winfield Rd, a few dozen yards away, and on a Friday and Saturday night you can hear, and from some sites, see every souped up car, motorcycle and truck that that goes by---late into the night. As tent campers, we found it disturbingly loud and difficult to sleep with, or even to relax with during day and evening hours. It seemed to defeat the purpose of being out in nature for us, which was frustrating in such a beautiful place.
On that side of the campground which was downhill, there is little privacy between the fairly close together sites, and everyone had a fire built by suppertime. The collective smoke just hung in the air from the ground up to the tree canopy, making for some uncomfortable breathing at night.
If you are in an RV with AC and can shut yourself in, you probably don't have to worry about either concern. But if you are into actual camping, it might be a consideration, depending on your tolerance and sensitivity.
We would go back to the park in a hot minute if we were in the area. However, we would likely only camp there if we could have a more private, upland site on the opposite side of the campground, that was also suitable for tenting.
