Chief Keokuk Campground — Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area

At some point, when walking through this thickly packed, seemingly endless supply of super-thin pencil trees that comprise this hidden gem of a forest, one realizes a pretty amazing fact: when mankind is purposeful about not just preserving, but proliferating the pristine nature that exists all around us, we can be incredibly successful in that endeavor. But only if we put our minds to it. That’s precisely the thought I had when seeing this Pencil Tree Forest for the first time. Obviously, this forest didn’t happen out of pure luck and it certainly wasn’t through preservation of what had existed before that we first stepped foot on this particular patch of land that led to this most immaculate place. No, it was actually the Corp of Engineers that purposefully planted the trees that now adorn this amazing swath of heaven no earth.

As for the campground itself, while there isn’t much brush here to provide any decent privacy, the overabundance of hardwoods, giant oaks and pines in this area creates an overwhelming sense of solace and peacefulness, despite being able to see most of your neighbors. The spots themselves are all Class A Camping, offering just electric (so, no sewer or water hook-ups for the RV-toting crowd), with 71 pads being offered and 25 Class C Camping tent sites. There is a single shower structure here and a few different bathrooms, some more permanent than a few others, that seem to either be temporary or are being worked on. There’s plenty of picnic tables and in-ground fire rings w/ fold-over BBQ grills. Beyond this, be prepared to bring what you need with you.

If you are looking to get on the water and either get some rowing in or attract some fish to your line, then nearby Lake Johnson has you covered. In fact, it’s so close, you can easily walk to it, but if you have your own kayak or canoe, you might want to tow it down to the boat launch with your SUV or truck if you have the means. And if you don’t have any watercraft, no biggie, the good folks here at the Marina will rent you one of theirs. Note that only electric trolling motors are allowed to be on the lake here.

Whether you want to stay near your campsite or go further afield, there’s no shortage of great picnic areas, whether it’s a simple picnic table set up lakeside, perhaps with its own grill or cooking stove, or under the shade of a covered pavilion, there’s lots of options here to create the absolute perfect outdoor feasting occasion.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) You’ve got to check out Ryan’s Round Barn, which you would have seen upon entering Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park, and is a local landmark of sorts, which was built around the turn of the century by Protestant religious sects who designed these in a particular way so as they ‘didn’t leave any corners where the devil could hide.’; (2) If you’ve got hiking on your mind, there’s some really good, albeit basic hiking to be had here with some very great sightseeing – in all there’s about 12 miles of good hiking to explore the area here from Johnson-Sauk that will have you walking through seasoned pine and old oak forests; (3) Should you want to go fishing and find yourself in need of anything, whether its rental boats, snacks and sodas, fishing bait or souvenirs, the Marina here at Johnson-Sauk has you covered; (4) There’s also a decent restaurant here at the Marina, called Red Earth Café, but when we were there last, it was closed and we heard rumors that is was not going to reopen, which was a bummer, therefore, if you want to eat out, you’re going to have to trek it back in to nearby Annawan, just due north on 78, where there’s just a few restaurants to choose from, including Mick’s Bar & Grill, which basically has hot dogs and burgers or Purple Onion, which has typical Midwestern comfort food like country fried steak, fried walleye and pork chops; and (5) The hit of Annawan, IMHO, is Paxton’s Corner Coop, which will immediately make you feel like you have stepped foot on some film location in Hollywood, with all of its other-worldly oddities, but press on and enter the establishment to find some of the most delectable desserts I have ever come across: caramel rolls, amazing natural ice cream, delectable cupcakes and, my personal favorite, the oatmeal crème sandwiches! 

Happy Camping!

Had the tent section nearest the to the lake to ourselves (site 100). This was great since we had a reactive dog, so it being not crowded was perfect! If it was full, I would think the sites are too close to one another. Had fun kayaking on the lake, caught a catfish! Bathroom building is decent, nothing fancy. Had showers and multiple stalls. The downsides to this campground are: tons of geese poop where the dock and sidewalk is at the edge of the lake, restaurant and rental building is closed until future notice, anyone can come into the campground (no check in), had strangers outside the campground almost steal our belongings.

Lots of trees, we'll maintained. Was surprised it was not crowded. Had about 1 bar 4g Verizon at best.

Cute campground with lots of sites for campers, tents and hammocks. We stayed at Site 80, which was right by the parking lot.

We stayed on Father’s Day weekend and Friday night was nice, quiet and secluded. Saturday night was the opposite however, with people at the campers and rvs staying up late.

The main toilets and showers were functional- a few pit toilets were closed by the tent area. The restaurant and bait shop/boat rental was closed due to no staffing.

Very nice trails and lake area- keep an eye out for mulberries and raspberries!

Playground was nice for the kiddos and our dog loved jumping in the lake!

A lovely campground. It's nestled in a pine forest so if you love hammock camping, this place is perfect. The sites are spread out enough that you don't feel like you are on top of other campers. Each site has a fire spot with a grill grate. The sites are pretty even; some had a slight slope but not too bad.

There's lots to do at this park- they rent kayaks, paddleboats, and basic fishing boats. There's some good fishing, if that's your thing. Plus, there are some hiking trails around the park. There's a small shop on site with limited stock. When we went (summer 2021) you had to buy the wood on site at the shop.

This was our 3rd trip in our camper. The park is about an hour drive for us. Went for a long weekend with friends. There are 2 areas and we stayed in the tall pines. Camp site was electric only, nice and clean. Trails are nice as is the lake. Host was nice and helpful. Will definitely return.

Nice and quiet! Can go hiking, fishing, restraunt in area. Camp sites very spaced out.

Loved this place! We stayed in a tent only site, tucked in the middle of the trees. We had a ton of room to decide our camp site layout. The trees are gorgeous and felt so peaceful.

The campground host was very friendly and helpful. We picked up some firewood at the marina. They give you quite a bit in a $10 box.

Because our site was in the middle of the trees, we didn't have a parking spot right at the site. We had to carry everything from the road, which was only a short walk but worth being aware of.

Wish we had more time, I will definitely be back!

This is an interesting spot. The camp host engaged us in conversation and we learned about their Alaskan dreams. We ended up in the campsite right across from the host. It was busy but we had plenty of space so it worked out nicely. 

The tall trees gave plenty of shade. Restrooms were a short walk away. Our site was great but some of the other spots would have been too close to others. 

Hiking was certainly interesting. We appreciated the good fortune that led the host to dig around and find us a map. The trails start and stop and various points along the road that goes through the woods. We had to walk a bit on the road to connect trails. We did end up with 5+ mile hikes. One section had some wildflowers indicative of healthy wildernesses. A large scout troop met up in a picnic area so we skirted around their activities. 

Word of warning: the first time we tried to camp here it turned out to be hunting season. We found another campground that was further from any hunting areas. Our dog resembles a fox so we wanted to avoid any mishaps.

Made a last minute decision to go camping this weekend and I'm glad we did. The campground is very beautiful and well kept. The campsites are spacious and have ample space in between them. One leg of the campground is in a grove of pine trees (see photos). There's a playground for the kiddos, a modern bathroom with showers and several pit restrooms around the campground. The only downside is that the pit restrooms were not the cleanest. There's a nice lake to fish on or to rent a boat for a ride. There's also a nice little restaurant, concessions and bait store that also has fire wood & ice.....plus numerous trails around the park.

Clean large site. Lots of hiking trails. Clean showers and toilets. Also has clean vault toilets.

We visited mid week in May. Campground was empty. Rented the one cabin they have $45 has heat/ac and a secluded view of the lake. Bathrooms were a walk and were porta potties. Full toilets and showers were other side of campground. Trees were awesome. If it wasn’t so cold that night we would of camped and hung our hammocks

 If you like your hammock, or anything you can string between trees, this is the place. The campground is in a stand of tall lodgepole pines with no lower branches. This means there's little privacy, but lots of shade and trees everywhere.
 There is a nice man-made lake for canoeing/kayaking or fishing. No power boats.
 There is a row of hike-in tent site along the trail connecting the campground to the lake. At the lake, there is a General store and above that, a nice restaurant serving farm to table food and snacks.
 There is also a historic Round barn museum on the grounds. Nice trails that are pretty easy to hike.
 There is one cabin available to rent, which is quite secluded with a view of the lake. Nearby attractions are the Woodland Palace home and park, Historic Bishop Hill town and the Corner Coop Cupcakes & Ice Cream.

My family stayed on site 21 in our popup and had a great time. We LOVED the pencil tree forest. There are only a handful of campsites w electric in this circle of trees. Although these types of trees don't offer a lot of privacy I still enjoyed it. Our site was a short walk down to the lake which we used for fishing. There is a water pump and latrine in the circle. We did not go in the shower house so can't attest to the cleanliness.

The sites in the pines are very nice. They have fc/fs sites. Spacious sites. Nice facilities.

It was booked solid but you can not tell. Very quiet and peaceful campground.

One of our favorite places to camp, kayak, and fish. The only downside side is no water/sewage hookup.

Trees everywhere, lake nearby, fun things to do just 10 minutes driving.

This campground is located just north of Kewanee, Illinois. It has a lake with seasonal canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals and a cafe. The trails are fairly short but can be combined to include 8 miles of trail. The campground is not terribly big but has a shower house in addition to some pit toilets. One large section of the campground is walk up non-electric sites in a grove of pine trees. It’s lovely! Perfect for hammocks. Shady but open enough to get a breeze. There are electric sites as well but, since I tent camp, I’m. It familiar with those. No issues with noise either. As a matter of fact, I camped over a perfect July weekend and the campground host wasn’t even there all weekend and there were no issues.

Lots of old trees, but not much ch privacy

We are never really looking for much out of a campground on the way back home after being out west for a month. Just a place to set up, preferably with enough space between other campers. We love when we can hang our hammocks and when there's a place for our pups to cool off and swim around. This place had all of that-- plus showers! Very private, camp hosts were sweet and helpful and there were a ton of little produce carts around (mostly veggies- corn, tomatoes, cukes ect) which was really awesome to add a local feel to our dinner that night. Would totally recommend this place!

Driving up to Johnson Sauk Trail State Park was pretty boring. As I passed through flat cornfields my expectations were pretty low. My GPS took me to an old entrance on the North side of the park. FYI if your GPS tells you to turn on N. 1300th Avenue, ignore it and continue driving south about 2 miles. If you ignore my advice you will find the old sign post without the sign. It is one of the pictures I have included.

The park is very clean with a nice lake. The RV/Camper section of the campground has some trees and some wide open spaces. The Tent section of the campground is in the middle of these huge pine trees. It is pretty cool and has a real nice effect.

There is a huge red barn that is an attraction in the middle of the park. It has several walking trails. I don't think I would classify them as hiking trails, but nice for beginners.