Gebhard Woods State Park Campground

I'm betting that this was a beautiful place in its day. When we visited, it was an ok place to walk around but it could just be that it didn't start popping this early in the spring.

You definitely need to walk a bit from the parking lot. The sign says to follow the path but at the end of it (by the vault toilets) you need to go left. It's all a rolling, grassy area but it's divided up like formal gardens. There is even a bridge over a depressed grassy area - we are guessing that it could be a nice pond at times. If you walk around before getting to the tenting area, there are some nice offshoot areas with plenty of raised grills. The ground was bumpy and things look a bit tired but it is a nice respite.

The tent camping area is in a small peninsula that is surrounded by homes. You can see the backyards and houses. A small creek separates things and there are some small trees and vegetation providing a bit of privacy. In this early spring time I felt a bit on display in this area. The water was closed up - maybe due to covid? The vault toilets are in the middle of the other park area, just before the start of the tenting spots. There are no individual sites. It's all just open field (and a bit bumpy).

The best part of this is that it is right in town and it's also right on the I & M Canal bike path. The bike path is a great way to get from Chicago to Starved Rock while avoiding the roads. I can see that this would be a great night's stop on a cross state adventure.