Castle Rock State Park is located along the west bank of the Rock River in Ogle County, three miles south of Oregon, on Ill. Rt. 2. Castle Rock camping is centrally located in the Rock River Hills region of Illinois, and its rolling topography is drained by the Rock River. The park is representative of the Rock River Hills area with rock formations, ravines and unique northern plant associations. A sandstone bluff, adjacent to the river, has given the park its name.​​​​

Castle Rock State Park

Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center 

Lowden Memorial State Park

Rock River Valley is home to 385 acres of paradisiacal forest, perfect for weekend getaways and family recreation. White Pines Forest State Park offers a serene backdrop for an ideal camping trip, smack dab in the heart of the vast rolling forest and dramatic Illinois bluffs. Featuring modern camp facilities, as well as up-to-date lodging, it’s easy to see why one might consider taking a voyage here. Not only are the amenities plentiful, the local geography is pretty stunning too. Gentle creek beds run against rich earthy banks through the park’s mossy cliffs and dangling vines. During the spring, wildflowers become plentiful, as trout lily, bloodroot, spring beauty, hepatica, and more all blossom into full bloom. 

 One of the most notable features of the park is a concrete ford which spans across the creeks. This enables drivers to pull directly up to the creek bed, and drive through the various streams. There’s even an accessible path leading straight to the bank for those interested in checking out the wildlife or taking advantage of the fishing nearby. 

 It goes without saying that picnicking is extremely popular here. In fact, there are over 100 campsites that feature their own picnic area, as well as various benches and clearings placed strategically throughout the park. 

 Thanks to the variety of campsite options, it’s really easy to find camping here at any time of year. White Pines is unique in that it boasts Class B/S Campsites vehicle access and spacious shower/flush buildings nearby. There are also 3 electric sites, however they are non-reservable. Likewise, group campgrounds cannot be reserved so be sure to wake up early for priority camping!



White Pines Forest State Park

Franklin Creek State Natural Area

Discover Lake Louise RV Resort. Our Beautiful retreat is located along scenic IL Highway 2 south of Rockford, near Byron. Boasting beautiful, natural sand beaches boarding our sparkling 13 acres spring-fed Lake Louise, we our uniquely positioned as one of the Midwest's finest swimming and fishing facilities. Come and enjoy our spacious pool and lounging deck area. Relax in our 9 person hot tub. Visit for the week, weekend or all season long!

Located just 25 minutes from Rockford, Illinois, Byron is full of small town charm. For the scientific minded, there is Weiskopf Observatory located in the Byron Forest Preserve while you are there you can visit the Heritage Farm Museum. More fun for museum lovers can be found at the Byron Museum of History& Lucius Read House or Jarrett Prairie Center Museum. Golf lovers can play a round at Prairie View Golf Course with a stop at the Hairy Cow Brewing Company offering 12 different world class beers.

Lake Louise RV Resort

Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve

Blue Mound State Park

Leave your worries and hassles at the entrance gate. This Jellystone Park™ RV Resort in Illinois has fun the whole family can enjoy! O'Connell's Yogi Bear RV Resort in Amboy continues to draw families to the Sauk Valley by providing great fun and the opportunity to reconnect in a relaxing outdoor environment. An Illinois campground located just 90 miles west of Chicago and 80 miles east of the Quad Cities, O'Connell's Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ RV resort in Illinois is both convenient and inviting. At this Jellystone Park™ RV Resort, we work hard to be the best campground in Illinois offering fun that the whole family can enjoy. Grab your bathing suit and bring the entire family to one of our 3 pools and 2 waterslides or let the kids play in our arcade. With the most games of any campground in or around Illinois, the fun never stops here at O'Connell's Yogi Bear™ RV Resort! This is a Jellystone Park™ where Yogi Bear, Boo Boo™, and Cindy Bear™ plan fun activities day after day, and hour after hour. Imagine a visit with our favorite (and of course, friendly) Jellystone Park™ bear in the morning followed by a game of soccer, then a sing-a-long on a hayride, and candy bar bingo in the afternoon. At O'Connell's Jellystone Park™, there's never a dull moment! The campground features an award winning themed activity program geared to all ages. Park your car, stash your keys and come enjoy the beauty of nature and the variety of activities at O'Connell's Yogi Bear™ RV Resort.

O'Connell's Yogi Bear RV Resort

Blackhawk Valley Campground

Leisure Lake Campground

State Park

It’s a 2 mile drift downriver from the boat launch to the campground.  When we were there the river was placid and we had no trouble paddling back when our stay was over. The conditions on the river depends largely on the dam 3 miles up river in Oregon. We have a 17’ canoe, so we had lots of gear and momentum. 
The sites are primitive, but have tables and fire pits. 
Since all sites are on the riverbank and there’s a state forest across the river, you really do feel like you’re away from it all. However on the backside of the grounds you can cross over Rt. 2 to the parking lot at the prairie and forest trailheads. 
 If the Rock River seems too big for you, drive upriver 11 to He-Leo Two Rivers Preserve. Easy to miss, but worth it. From there you can check out the shady, winding and intimate Leaf River. 
Nearby are two other state parks worth exploring; Lowden and White Pines. 

Hope you have a good boat

Very cool experience! It was no joke when the other reviews said it was a almost a 3 hour canoe back up to the boat launch. However, it was a very great experience once we got to the campsite. There is a porta potty, but there is no clean drinking water. Cell phone signal is not that great, but you really don't need it. Stars ✨ look amazing at night. Mosquitoes were not bad at all. Just some bud but all they do is annoy you. Make sure you have a good canoe/kayak. Don't recommend an inflatable one like I did. Some parts of the river are shallow enough to walk on too. Overall, I do recommend Castle rock state park to camp if you have a good kayak/canoe or have a motor boat. It was very peaceful only a few people came the weekend we went. Everyone had there own space and didn't feel too close to each other.

Disconnected from outside world

I took out an inflatable kayak to test it out, and loooved the rock formations on the river. Definitely a special sight because I usually stay closer to Chicago, where I haven’t found such impressive geology. It was tough paddling upstream when I returned to the boat launch after camping, even after a dry spell. That said—I’m pretty weak so if I can do it, it’s not impossible! There are about 8 nice campsites right on the river. Despite being what the park calls “primitive” sites, there were picnic tables, fire pits/grates, and a cute little outhouse. There were 3 other parties there, and it was fun chatting with them. Be aware that the sites cost $6. I didn’t know this despite looking online and calling for info, I only had $5. Carry cash to leave in the envelope. There were a billion harmless tiny white moths by the river. There are 2-5(?) miles of trails (mowed prairie, dirt/gravel hills). The ONLY downside was the park staff person who gave me a hard time about the cash and sort of belittled me for being a solo female adventurer (at least that’s the feeling I got). Regardless—I will be returning soon!

Castle Rock State Park

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