The campground in the southern unit at Illinois Beach provides 241 Class A Premium sites with electricity and access to showers and sanitary facilities. You must obtain a camping permit from the park staff, and must have a camping unit upon arrival.

The campground is open from April 1 through December 30. Reservations can be made up to 180 days in advance at ExploreMoreIL™. Reservations are only accepted from May 1 - September 30. Due to the high use of this area on holiday weekends, reservations are recommended. Campsites also are available on a first-come first-serve basis, but understand that the campgrounds fill up early on Fridays during the summer season. Six handicap accessible campsites are present in the campground near the accessible restrooms and a dump station.

Adeline Jay-Geo Karis Illinois Beach State Park

My boyfriend and I stayed a few days on the weekend at the campground here 3 different times this past Summer. Each time was just as enjoyable as the last. The staff are super friendly &amp; welcoming &amp; the beach is always a plus for us. However, I only recommend you visit the beach in mid July or later because the water is unbearably cold when Summer is just starting out (if you plan to swim). Loved the different trails &amp; ponds as well!

Relaxing, Flexible

We stayed here on a nice warm weekend. There is a huge building you can rent a room in or over 200 campsites with water and electricity. We camped in a tent and enjoyed the swimming and fishing from Lake Michigan. Very nice and clean. Employees were helpful and told us of a great fishing spot!!! 

Illinois beach 

This is a strange park. The campsites are nice the bathrooms are ok. There is a large lodge with a swimming pool. You are kind of in the middle of an old industrial wasteland. Cool place to visit. Great bike trails.

Nice beach

No, this place isn't perfect, but understand it, and you can have a wonderful time here. There is a north and a south section of the park. Camping is in the south section. You can choose wooded, quite private sites, to busier ones near the lake. At the north end of the campground is a ComEd nuclear station that was built in 1973, and has not produced electricity for 20 years. It is eerie, and when ComEd had their Power House north of there, it was somewhat acceptable, but they shut that down years ago. There are two haunting structures that used to contain showers, changing/restrooms, and concession stands. Both are boarded up, and I can't understand why they have not been torn down. By far, it is better to come here during the week, when sites are plentiful, and the two bath houses are not so busy. They are old, and it is best to catch them right after cleaning time. Take your time walking the beach, and be sure to visit the hotel/convention center…it is worth having a drink or meal there. Hopefully you are in to biking…there are trails throughout Zion that are not marked on maps, and I use that as a warm-up day. The next day I go up through the north beach, around Winthrop Harbor, catch Lake Shore Drive at the border, and up to the Kenosha Harbor. North of there you cut across town and pick up the Robert McClory Trail going up to Racine. That harbor is the best, but biking in Racine is the most dangerous of any city I have ridden in. If you are up to a third day of biking, head south on the Robert McClory Trail. Trails are not well marked, but I have gone as far south as Winnetka. Even if you do not leave the campground, the trails and the beach will prove to be a very relaxing stay. Forget what it isn't, and discover what it is!

The only natural sand dunes in Illinois

We reserved site 349 and had no idea it would be on asphalt. There are plenty of other sites that on grass with trees. Wish there were pictures of sites in Reserve America. Take your bikes along big park with a lot of trails. Beach was nice. If the site was better would of rated 4\.

Asphalt campsite 

Had a wonderful time here. It wasn't a long stay but it was a good one. Nice and quiet with friendly neighbors and friendly staff. Would definitely come back

Great experience

We came in late and everyone was very accommodating. We made a fire and made friends with all our neighbors.

We had a great time at Bullfrog Lake but that isn't listed on your website! Illinois Beach is equally as awesome and we had great camping neighbors and the staff was extremely great as well!

We had a phenomenal time at Illinois State Park camping facilities! Space was clean, nature was alive, and the neighbors so friendly! Thank you to the folks that work there for helping us find firewood too. Will be back soon!

Adventure Camping!

We had a great time at the camp grounds, very nice area with hiking paths, the beach, &amp; the dunes all within a short distance. We will definitely be returning. The staff was very kind and knowledgeable with any questions that we had as well.

Beautiful, clean site

We got in around 11:30pm and there were still people in the office to assist us. They gave us a site no problem, explained where everything is, and just made conversation. We left shortly after sunrise, but the park is nice, clean facilities, and right on the beach!

Short stay, but great experience!

Not a long stay place for us. Weekend was enough. Sand isn't soft and people are slobs.

Ok for a weekend

This place is a gem. it is close to Evanston Il and it is set on the shore of Lake Michigan. All sites have electricity and there are many sites set aside for first come first serve. The people that work there are great and always accommodating. I go every weekend that I can. The camp spots are quite spacious!

I love this campground !

My camp site review is based on the group campsite. It is a nice grassy area (big bonus it’s not just sticks and dirt) with a water pump, out house and parking lot for cars. The group camp site is located pretty far away from the rest of the campsites, bathrooms, trails and amenities. Be prepared with bug spray, not the natural kind either, as there is a large non flowing pond next to the site. The mosquitoes were out in force.

There is a wonderful nature center that is worth visiting while you here where you can learn about how the landscape was formed during the ice age via glaciers and the local wild life and plants.

The hiking trails are gorgeous as well as the beaches.

There is a hotel near by where you can stay or just go there to eat in the restaurant while camping.

Gorgeous views and hikes

Walking distance from Lake Michigan, lots of trees. Showers and restrooms are good.

Plenty of trees, quiet,, does have spots that flood during rain.

our second trip we stayed close to home and so far, between the lake and the site, we really like it! visiting hours are a bit early, definitely not a “party” camp, which is fine by us. It’s a beautiful state park worth a stop. My husband’s grandparents were campground hosts so he grew up going there. I will say the quality and care has gone way down over the years- tends to attract people at the beach that can be naughty at times-punk kids, etc. Zion has gone downhill which is super sad, but Kenosha, WI is a Great lakefront to spend a Saturday at the farmers market! Stop by and see Jill and Dan at The Sweet Life. Doughnut Stop if you go and tell them we sent you! #OurBoxcarAdventures5

close to home, but so far a favorite

love this park, decent bathrooms, quick walk to the beach and affordable for a quick weekend. electric only and they have reservable sites along with walk in only. lots of things for the kids to do in the area as well. There is a free Dinosour museam in Kenosha, and the Jelly Belly Factory has a tour nearby. We will often stop at Great America on our way home as they have RV parking which makes good use of our sunday

Great state park

love this park, decent bathrooms, quick walk to the beach and affordable for a quick weekend. electric only and they have reservable sites along with walk in only. lots of things for the kids to do in the area as well. We will often stop at Great America on our way home as they have RV parking which makes good use of our sunday. Also lots to do in Kenosha. They have a free dinosaur museum which was fun for the kids as well

This park has a lot of great sites.  Not all sites are for large motorhomes.  Recomend the 30Amp older sites over the 50Amp newer sites. 

Great Park Great Staff

Big sites with no privacy between them. Overall pleasant stay this past weekend, low on bugs too. We were at site 252, so we were close to the decommissioned nuclear power plant just north and could hear the demolition noises. Freaky to know the spent rods are still on site.

Good Park


This campgroudn is huge! you can get to the beach every hundred yards or so from the campsites. I loved hearing the waves all night. Watch for wind warnings though, you may not sleep well when the waves are really crashing and the wind is gusting like mad. se

Close to the Beach but No Privacy

Fun activities for all skill levels or just sit back and relax

Really neat place 

This campsite was very pretty. The beach was nice and they are doing construction to make it even better. The bathrooms were rough at night but clean and smelled amazing in the morning! 

Pretty! 

The sites are large and nice. There are some sites that aren't very level so you do need to check that out if you're in a larger rv. We had the beach mostly to ourselves. We camped from Monday to Thursday after school had started back. We will be returning to this campground. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. The only down side we found was the limited shower and toilet facilities for such a large campground. We didn't have any trouble because of the time we were camping but it would be a problem if the campground was pretty full.

Large sites, nice showers and beautiful Lake Michigan!

We had such a blast and loved that we were able to swim in Lake Michigan. Our site was #134 and it was perfect! 

Such a great experience! 

Beautiful views and amazing sunrises but it is quite littered with trash and broken glass. Very busy in the summer and can get wild with people partying.

Beautiful sunrises but be warned flies and mosquitos are wild

This location is an absolute treasure. The beach is stunning and the trails are awesome. There is a ton of beach space and the beach is a short walk from the camp sites. The camp sites are well spaced out and there is a variety of shaded non shaded and etc. Most sites are electric only and there are non-reservable sites which go fast during prime season. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained. This is close to a metropolitan area so there is sometimes a lot of traffic - people going and leaving. Rangers will leave you alone but are present and available to help. We had an absolute blast! 

Absolutely Stunning Park

Easy access to the beach, great sites and was very quiet. 
My only complaint is that there wasn’t any soap or sanitizer in the bathrooms. 

Relaxing

About an hour north of Chicago, this made for a great stop on our way to Mackinac Island. This would be a fine destination in itself. In early October the trees are awash with color and the weather was still a reasonable chill. Bathrooms were clean. Campground was quiet. Sites were not private, but are backed by beautiful trees. Several minute stroll landed us on the shore. But do beware the mosquitoes! 

Great Spot Right on Lake Michigan

Had a awesome time, great Facilities,  awesome sites.

Had a great time, and love the proximity to the beach 

It’s a pretty nice campground. Showers are clean, electric worked perfectly, site was flat, and the staff is around a lot of you need something. 

The only downside in my opinion is the beach is super rocky. I would personally travel about 6 miles south to Waukegan Municipal Beach for tons of great sandy beach (North beach is a little walk be worth it). If you don’t have a Waukegan city sticker, the beach is free on weekdays and there is a per car fee on weekends and holidays for those that don’t have a sticker. 

The campground is quiet and the sites are well spaced out. The water pressure at the water spigots is a little low, but not too low. The dump station is clean and user friendly. 

Great place to camp on Lake Michigan

Clean showers, quiet, quick walk to the lakefront

Great views of lakefront

We had a great stay.  Level well maintained shady tent site.  Bathrooms were fine.  The camp hosts were nice.  Can’t beat the views of Lake Michigan!  Nice trails through the park.  Beaches were too cold and rough waters for swimming, but we had an awesome time!

Beautiful serene park

This is a classic state park campground. It has drinking water, indoor bathrooms, and showers. The showers were chilly, but I could tell it was trying to warm up (maybe a water hookup thing). 

  

The folks at the front were very kind and helpful. My friend and I biked from Chicago on Memorial Day weekend with no reservations. With a stroke of intense luck, there was an error in their system and they were able to make a spot for us even though it said they were full. It doesn't sound like that happens often, so be sure to reserve your site. They said we were so lucky we should buy a lotto ticket.

  

The beach is lovely, but it was cold when I went and the beach house was closed. It looks like they are building a new beach house.

Excellent Campground

We stayed here for 2 weeks. The lots are huge compared to other campgrounds we have been to. They have a nice gravel spot for you to park your RV or other vehicle on. We have a 25' camper and a F250 and we weren't able to park the truck straight in front of the camper or we would be sticking out in the road a bit, but there was still plenty of space to park! The only downsides to the site is that there was more weeds than there was grass and there were only electric hookups. There are water spouts placed around the park and of course there are some at the dump station. The sites also have nice firepits (pictured below). Their website says that the walk in sites are the 100 sites (there is a row of 100, a row of 200 and a row of 300 sites) but they have changed things up. The 300 row is actually the row of walk in sites now. The reason behind this is that the 300 sites sometimes flood and they were having to move people from those sites. We did not have any issues with flooding while we were there and we were really happy to be closer to the lake than what we originally expected!

  

This campground has so much to do. We were just a short walk from the beach! There are also bike trails, but some of them were covered over with sand so you would have to have a bike with sand tires to be able to ride the whole trail. They also have a nature center that you can visit to learn about the wildlife, flowers, trees, and rocks from the area. The nature center also provides guided hiking tours at certain times of the day.

  

The bathrooms are kept pretty clean. They have flushing toilets, sinks, and push button showers. The pressure in the showers is insane, I would not recommend putting anything on the small bench they provide as it gets wet. We used a bag and hung it on the hook provided on the door of the stall. 

  

I would recommend not going to the bathroom by yourself. I took a shower in the women's restroom and by the time I was finished there was no one else in the restrooms. I had a man come into the restroom and proposition me. We contacted the park rangers and the police to make a statement and they made us feel safe by going around to look for him and making extra patrols. 

  

We are removing 1 star due to how they deal with walk in sites. There is only 1 entrance/exit to the campground. They have a check in station there that checks every vehicle coming into the campground. When you come in they tell you to go in (with your rv in tow) to look at the open sites and pick a few and then come back up to the station without dropping your rv to let them know which one you would like. That would be fine and all, but there is no easy way to get back in the park without having to basically do a 3 point turn with your rv still attached.

  

We would stay here again for sure!

Large Sites and a lot to do!

Horrible toilets. Rude workers. Sketchy town. No camp store. No water. Nice rocks at beach. Creepy abandoned places at beach.


Will not go back

We showed up late and missed check-in. However, after further digging we could have done everything online. The staff was fine with paying in the morning and were very understanding. We didn't have problems finding a spot and set up late at night as close to the lake as we could. The lake really can't be seen from any site but it's a 2 minute walk on a path to the lake. We woke up early and got to see an amazing sunrise coming up over the lake. 

Late season camping by Lake Michigan

I came here with my bf's mom's side of the family and had a great time! We booked two sites next to each other to accommodate a party of 6+. Lake Michigan's water was a lot cleaner than the water in Chicago so that was nice to see. There were nice, short trails. The beachfront was very nice. There was a small pond where we fished just for fun. Each campsite was very spacious with tables and fire pits.

Great 2nd camping experience! 

This is a lovely campground. The sites are well dispersed so you don't feel like you are on top of other campers. There are some lovely trails to walk which are pretty level so they are great for those for whom "hikes" might be too demanding. Plenty of shade available at the campground as well. There is a beach, if that's your thing, but it's covered in pebbles which is difficult to walk on (and somewhat painful). Also, because it's Lake Michigan, the water is pretty darn cold. Kids didn't seem bothered by the water temp, however.  

  

I would have given this campground 5 stars if it weren't for the showers. I now have campground shower PTSD because of these showers. First, the water is ICE COLD and comes at you at the speed of a fire hose. It literally HURT when it it hit me. On top of that, the showers have those "push the button for 10 seconds of water" buttons rather than a flow of water until you turn them off. I honestly can't decide if that is a feature, though, since you NEED a break from the ice water fire hose to catch your breath. I have never had such a traumatic shower experience before. Needless to say, after my first shower during our stay, I just stayed gross and stinky for the rest of the trip.

Lovely getaway but beware of the showers!

I made last minute reservations on a holiday weekend. I stayed at a weird site that was basically just a big parking spot on asphalt with a big yard behind it - but it ended up being really nice! We were a very short walk from the beach and staff was really helpful and friendly. I’ll definitely be going back.

Perfect Getaway!

Took a spontaneous trip up to the IL state beaches on an unseasonably warm late fall day and it felt like a true getaway. Driving into rural northern IL felt like leaving the craziness behind.

I brought my dog to an animal-friendly area of the beach, which was small and secluded. Parked in a chair with a friend and spent the day reading, drawing, and napping. Great environment for undisturbed relaxation.

Park facilities were great, but nothing fancy. We found ourselves walking around and encountering an abandoned hotel (or something like it), which was pretty cool and made for some interesting pictures!

This park is great for some outdoors time (alone or not) and seems like it’s less frequented in the early spring/late fall months.

Simple beach park, great for a short getaway

We stayed right by the showers which happened to be right by the beach as well! Staff were very friendly and helpful. Would stay again!

Lovely campground for a tent.

The campground itself was very nice with good size sites and lots of room. There are shaded or open sites nice trees, a store at the beach side of the campground. 

The bathrooms were old and wet. The dump station was closed.