I should start this review by saying the day we got home from this trip, I booked the same campsite for the end of September. So yeah, it was great. 

Living on the north side of Chicago, we were looking for campgrounds in Wisconsin for this trip but then, alas, the quarantine rules went into effect so we turned our search southward. I'm so glad we did!  Illinois doesn't have a lot of lakes but boy is this a nice one. Rented a boat for a day and got to explore the lake and it's gorgeous. Also, there are a TON of campgrounds all around the lake and you could see from the water how many are right on the lake. I'm a sucker for a waterside campsite so I know I'll be back. 

The site we had was at the end of the loop (not really a loop, just a straight road with a turnaround on a little peninsula.) 

We had the lake on 3 sides and a private little area with trails to explore. This site was a buddy site so very large and plenty of room for two families. Social distancing was not a problem. 

The bathrooms and showers were about as clean as I've experienced. Probably just got lucky but seems like every time I went in them they appeared to just have been cleaned. We went during the week and it was super peaceful in the campground and on the lake. I'd imagine in the Summer on the weekend, it will be a bit louder in the campground and more boats on the water. 

One night our grand dinner plans were spoiled by a storm so I ran to Shelbyville and grabbed some pizza at Monical's Pizza. It was a quick 15 minute drive. 

All in all, great experience and, as I said, we'll be back at the end of September.

Lake Shelbyville has everything: biking, hiking, a beach, fishing and the town has a small movie theater showing current movies for $4.00.

plenty to do! relax, fish, swim

There are many sites on this campground that are wooded and have views of Lake Shelbyville. Boat ramp to put in your boat or kayaks and sand beach for the kids to go swimming. We had the spot right on the end by the lake. What a beautiful site! Some sites you can reserve and some are walk in only. Call ahead. Also has camp store just outside campground in case you need something or the kids want a frozen treat! Due to proximity to water and amount of shade, this is my favorite campground.

I have camped here in a motorhome with full hookups and tent camped as well.

The camp sites are divided into many loops and have side pullin sites and backin sites. The RV and tent sites are grouped in the same loops and there are many that have trails from the site right to the lake and people leave the boat near the campsite but still on the water. The restrooms and shower houses are clean as all the Lake Shelbyville campgrounds are maintained by the Corps of Engineers. This campground is very busy in the prime camping season, but if you are camping with a group and have a boat this is the place to go. There are several buddy sites here that are set up very well for groups of RV's and tents camping together. There are a few isolated sites on corners of loops, but most are fairly close together. There is a swimming beach here and lots of boat traffic, but quiet hours are observed, so you can get a good night's sleep before an action packed day on the lake. The fishing is good if you have a boat, but there is very little bank fishing areas available. Part of the campground is open after Labor Day, but the main season is Memorial day to Labor day.

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I sometimes get to test products. On our last camping trip to Lake Shelbyville, we stayed at Coon Creek Recreational Area, and I had the pleasure of testing out and evaluating the LEDLENSER, MH2, Headlamp.

CAMPGROUND REVIEW

We found this head lamp to be perfect for our campsite at Coon Creek Recreational Area as we were at the end of a peninsula, with paths all around us to explore! The gravel sites are surrounded by trees and depending on the site you choose, you can see the lake from your site. The campground has a very large playground, a great beach for swimming, a trail for hiking, tons of fishing spots, and lots of up and down roads for great bike riding. Overall, the campground is peaceful, clean, and well maintained. It’s one of our personal favorites so far!

PRODUCT REVIEW

To begin, the quality of the LEDLENSER, MH2, Outdoor series Headlamp is amazing. Strong, but comfortable head band (although it can get a little sweaty under the band if the temperature is hot outside). My son and I were easily able to adjust it to fit both our heads in a matter of seconds.

The headlamp came in handy during the early morning fishing hours when the sun wasn’t fully up. We were able to see, and avoid, all the spider webs in our path. The range on the headlamp is incredible! I was able to see at least 250-300 feet in front of us, and the span of the light ranges from about 100 feet or more to about the size of a basketball. You can easily adjust the light span by a small dial on the front of the headlamp.

The on/off, and intensity switch, is also easily accessible right on the top of lamp, and fairly easy to depress, although my nine year old son said he had to push down really hard to use the button.

At night, I was able to switch on the headlamp quickly and explore the area for glowing eyes, after hearing sticks breaking and other eerie nighttime noises. I found the headlamp to be very useful for other mundane things too, like just needing a flashlight for a second. It’s light, small, convenient to pocket, and it definitely packs a punch when it comes to illuminating your surroundings.

Overall, this headlamp has made its permanent home with our camping gear, and we plan to use it on every camping trip in the future!

Lake Shelbyville has never disappointed us as a family. This is our third time here and our first time at Coon Creek. We chose a buddy site even though we weren't camping with another family because we like the location. It was right at the end of the peninsula, and it is by far the biggest and beautiful site we have ever stayed in. There are several paths down to the waters edge and the beach, lots of little hiking, tons of Geocaching, and a great little beach That my son really like to swim and even if we thought it was a little dirty. Very warm water. The sites are mostly gravel and level. The only thing I would say is make sure that you bring a screen tent for eating outside as the bugs really get bad at night. They email you a pre-check in form so it was really easy to register and get to our site. Overall every site we've been to at this lake is incredible.

This campground is very shady on a beautiful lake. The tent campsites are level and there is enough space between the sites to make for a quiet night. The facility at the time of our visit was clean and well maintained. Well worth the stay.

going for a dip, this is the place

This place is really shady and is not exposed to the sun. The sites here are really clean and well maintained. Its about 12 dollars for a campsite and is well worth it. They include restrooms and tap water. There is the usual fire ring and picnic tables