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Established Camping

White Pines Forest State Park Campground

Campers are Saying

White Pines Forest State Park Campground, near Polo, Illinois, is a cozy spot that offers a blend of natural beauty and family-friendly amenities. With its wooded campsites and picnic tables, it’s a great place to kick back and enjoy the outdoors, especially if you’re looking for a quieter experience away from the hustle and bustle.

The campground features clean facilities, including well-kept bathrooms and showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of hiking the nearby trails. Many campers have highlighted the lovely scenery, with plenty of shade from the trees, making it a comfortable spot for both tent and RV camping. As one visitor noted, “The park is beautiful. Lovely trees, lots of shade.”

For those who enjoy a bit of adventure, you’ll find hiking trails that offer a nice mix of elevation changes, perfect for stretching your legs. Plus, there’s a lodge nearby where you can grab a meal if you’re too tired to cook. Just keep in mind that some sites can be a bit close together, so it’s wise to check your spot before reserving.

Whether you’re camping with family or just looking for a peaceful retreat, White Pines Forest State Park Campground has a lot to offer. With its beautiful surroundings and convenient amenities, it’s a solid choice for your next outdoor getaway.

General Overview

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!

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Location

White Pines Forest State Park Campground is located in Illinois

Detail location of campground

Address

6712 West Pines Rd
Polo, IL 61064

Coordinates

41.99300022 N
89.47500097 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Water Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • 30 Amp Hookups

Reviews

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4.0

out of 5

22 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 26, 2022

Small, quieter campground, beautiful forest

White Pines is smaller than most of the state parks, so the loops of camping sites don’t have many. I wouldn’t recommend any on the hilly side, but sites 20-26 are fabulous! Those ones are relatively flat and deep, separated by trees (although there is a front and back site so you will have one neighbor on a full day). Much quieter and more peaceful than the more crowded counterparts and perfect for camping with small children because the bathrooms are always close by and it’s actually quiet at night when they need to sleep.

You drive over the fjords to get in, which the kids love. Also a nice perk that when you are too tired to cook, you can drive or walk over to the lodge and get a good cooked meal. Close to lowden so you can drive over there too during the day. Host was fabulous and when we left early (storms) he checked in to make sure everything was okay. We will be back!

Site25
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Meg , July 26, 2022
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Meg , July 26, 2022
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Meg , July 26, 2022
Reviewed May. 29, 2022

Lovely natural scenery; campground leaves something to be desired

Let's start with the good stuff:

  • The park is beautiful. Lovely trees, lots of shade, the hiking trails are nice, well marked, and they even have an accessible trail for those with disabilities!
  • There is a restaurant and gift shop on site. Gift shop sells wood if you run low or forget.
  • The bathrooms and shower house are relatively clean and well kept.

Now for the not so great stuff:

  • Many of the campsites are sloped and some are sloped A LOT. This isn't obvious from the booking page.

  • The campground is absolutely jammed with camp sites- it's ridiculous. I've never been to a campground where the sites were so on top of one another.

  • We stayed in the Sunny Crest loop and the drinking water well was broken so we had to travel to other parts of the campground for water. When carrying a 10 gallon jug full of water back, that really sucked.

  • The sites that are marked as "hike in" aren't secluded and away from other sites at all, as one might expect. They are jammed in with all the others but there just isn't any parking nearby.

  • It had rained the day before was went and so the road to the campgrounds was blocked off (presumably because the creek was running too high), but there was NO SIGNAGE telling us how to get there another way. There was no one in the park office or in the camping registration station to ask. We finally figured out that we had to take an emergency road/auxiliary road to get to the campground, but that was after about 30 minutes of confusion.

  • The breakfast buffet at the restaurant is mid but very pricey- $50 for 2 of us.

  • The quiet hours and no alcohol policy are not enforced at all. While we were there, there was a very loud group playing beer pong into the wee hours of the morning.

  • About half of the fire rings don't have grill grates so bring your own or bring a camp stove (See pic). Also, when you book your site, there is no way to know if your fire ring will have a grill grate or note.

Site79
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Stacie H., May 29, 2022
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Stacie H., May 29, 2022
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Stacie H., May 29, 2022
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2021

Nice park, with some downsides.

This is the type of campground you go and check your spot out before you reserve it. Many of the tent campsites are literally on a hill. Some are very close. They really crammed them wherever they could. The amenities are excellent and the only reason I gave 3 stars, the shower/restroom was very nice and air conditioned. Potable water available. If I knew the campground was gonna be sideways I wouldn’t have reserved it, not gonna lie I was pissed when I saw it as I reserved it for 3-4 days. There’s lots of them that are on flat ground/tucked away and look excellent but it’s a gamble unless you go there beforehand to look. There’s a ford you have to cross to get to the campground but its not that bad people this isn’t Oregon Trail you won’t float away and lose an Ox and wagon wheel.

Site00
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Jul. 9, 2021

Loved our time.

No electricity on but 2 or 3 sites but we loved our time camping here. We have been here 2 times and had no problems. So sites are close but as campers we work out our site to not interfere with others. Love the hiking and the forges. We will be back.

Site26, 25
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Pam O., July 9, 2021
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Pam O., July 9, 2021
Reviewed Oct. 16, 2020

Great Place to Picnic but there are better places to camp

I drove out here from the Chicago area this last nice weather weekend in October 2020. I haven't been here in years, but as every campground in Illinois was booked-up from everyone getting out during the pandemic, I took a chance on the few walk up sites still available according to Reserve Amereica. They were open, but I took a hard pass. I forgot about the "ford" crossing into the campground. It's where the water crosses the road about a foot high. My husband would have been joining me later, and I knew he would not have been happy seeing that on his motorcycle. The few walkup sites still available were in the Sunny Crest loop. I've never seen so many people camping so close together. The sites all had some form of firepit. Some had a table, but many didn't. There were hundreds of people camping on hilly terrain. It looked like a music festival, only without music and lots of families who looked like they had never been outside before so they were set up about 15 feet apart. Even if the campground would have been empty, all of the tent sites are in the open right next to the next one. Winnebago county forest preserve has a few campgrounds nearby that are much more private. This kind of "camping" is not for me.

SiteSunny Crest Loop
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Marisa A., October 16, 2020
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Marisa A., October 16, 2020
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Marisa A., October 16, 2020
Reviewed Jun. 9, 2020

Easy

Great park for the newer"primitive camper". Beware the sites that are on an incline. Vault toilets very accessible through out the park It's pretty cool that you have to drive through the crik to get to the campground. Fishing was lackluster, but it was also the second weekend after quarantine. Camp hostest is super nice!

SiteSunnycrest
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Amanda P., June 9, 2020
Reviewed May. 12, 2020

Don’t forget the trout fishing

If you're a hiker, there are hills here for some decent elevation change (not bad for the Midwest). There are many trails which you can combine to get a good amount of miles in.

The camping here is always good. The sites are not huge, but not too tight and are pretty well spread out. The lodge is at the top of the hill with a nice little giftshop and restaurant as well as cute, quaint cabins for an overnight stay.

Reviewed Nov. 24, 2019

Good for family campground

This camp site does not have very secluded spots. I would have enjoyed a more quiet plot of land amongst some pine trees.

We did not get out to see much of the park. Would like to come back and experience the actual beauty of the park not just the family campground.

  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Michael S., November 24, 2019
Reviewed Jul. 17, 2019

Summer camping

Great forests and trails! Nice for camping in that the campsites are not too close together but there are still bathrooms

Reviewed May. 9, 2019

It's gone downhill since I started camping there years ago

I've stayed at WP for many years, but will now avoid holiday weekends. Made the mistake of staying there over the 4th of July. Very crowded with some sites with 4 tents on them. Woken up at 2 AM by a guy and woman screaming at each other in some kind of domestic dispute. Shower building was filthy with overflowing toilets. Not sure who takes care of these things, but they really dropped the ball.

Regular weekends have been fine but can be noisy during high season. If you're a light sleeper, be aware that BNSF trains blow their horns for a nearby road crossing and possibly the bridge on the north side of the park.

The cabins are nice and the lodge restaurant serves decent food at reasonable prices.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2018

Lots of things to do!

Well kept camping sites. Easy drive up style. Picnic tables and fire pits on site. Bathrooms and dumpster close by. River that is walk and drive through!

  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Hannah T., October 1, 2018
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Hannah T., October 1, 2018
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Hannah T., October 1, 2018
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2018

Great, clean park

Cleanest IL State Park I had been to. nice camp sites not too close together. Loved driving through the fjords. On-site restaurant was nice, cabins were clean and cozy.

Inn has been closed and new owner.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2018

Beautiful park with tons of trails

Though the campsites are pretty close together, the park itself is HUGE. so many trails to choose from and tons are areas to dip in the water. all around beautiful spot

  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Jamie B., August 12, 2018
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2018

Clean and trails are well marked

Great place for family camping. Very clean, and beautiful hiking trails. My only complaint would be that at the private cabins you are not allowed to cook out. We did tent camping and there were grills, but a separate time we did a private cabin and they would not let us grill. So you basically had to either eat at their lodge, or drive into town about 15 minutes away to eat. However, the cabins did have beautiful fire pits at each site. It was nice to be able to sit around the fire throughout the day and night.

it was fun to be able to fish in the creek there, and just relax!

Overall it is a beautiful place. Last time we were there a new hbo series was being filmed, so a lot of stuff was blocked off, however it was pretty awesome to see the production of it come together.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jun. 26, 2018

Great for young kids!

We’ve gone camping here the last two Memorial Day weekends with our three kids currently aged 8, 6, and 3. the hikes are all very doable, there is a playground, ice cream at the lodge and a few wide open spaces for frisbee or playing catch. The hikes were confidence boosters for our kids. Some of them you get to walk through the streams which is always great fun for everyone. highly recommend this state park!

  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Leah W., June 26, 2018
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Leah W., June 26, 2018
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Leah W., June 26, 2018
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jun. 5, 2017

Well maintained Class B sites

Stayed over memorial day weekend 2017. Even though it was a busy weekend the campground was fairly quiet. Pit toilets were kept pretty clean but the shower house was muddy. This was probably due to the amount of people there on Memorial Day weekend. The sites are a nice size although if you have something other than a tent getting it into the sites might prove difficult. We camped with the pop-up and were able to get our pop up in a spot but there are no pads. The trailheads were a bit difficult to find but once on the trail they were very well-marked. The best part of the campground is probably the fords you drive through to get to the camp sites, that's always fun. Unfortunately due to heavy rains the Fords were closed and we had to use the emergency road. The loop we stayed in all had drive-up campsites however others were short walk ins. These were located in smaller fields that would be great for small groups or two families camping together. Will definitely go back with my tent on a weekend that is not so busy.

Site102
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Kim C., June 5, 2017
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Kim C., June 5, 2017
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Kim C., June 5, 2017
Reviewed Sep. 22, 2016

Nice campgrounds, good trails.

I've been to this park a few times and every time it is always a nice weekend getaway. There are a handful of trails around the park that allow you to do a variety of hikes (none of them are very long, so you can do a few different ones). The campsites are a bit close together and some are not level, but there are plenty of choices! There also are enough open spaces in the park. Along the trails you'll find some spots that remain from the CCC. Don't forget to check out the White Pines Inn!

Reviewed Sep. 1, 2016

Small state park, but nice campground

This is one of hte better state park campgrounds in northern IL, in my opinion. The sites are a bit more private and secluded than others. Like all state parks right now (2016) they could use some attention and maintenance, but it's not bad given the current situation in our state. The state park itself is nice, with pretty trails. There are several other state parks in the nearby area, which makes for a fun weekend of exploration.

Reviewed Aug. 25, 2016

Drive through the waters!

This was my favorite place to go camping as a kid because you could drive through the water! There's a creek/river that runs through the park and the road runs through it in two spots. There are bridges for pedestrians. But for a 7 yr old Midwestern kid this was exciting stuff. This place is great though the campground never fills up so you can still just drive out on a weekend. Nice trails well kept. Also they have a cute lodge and restaurant so check those out too.

Reviewed Jul. 5, 2016

White Pines Forest State Park Campground

This wonderful family oriented campground is a hidden gem. Once inside the park you must drive through the river to reach the camping area. There is an emergency road if the water is too high. There are plenty of sites spread out into several loops with an area designated for larger groups as well. The camp host was very helpful and even led me right to a perfect site. On the other side of the park is a lodge and cabin area. They have periodical events, such as mystery nights, in the lodge. There is a restaurant for the nights you don't want to cook. There are multiple river crossings and picnic areas spread throughout the entire place. Many people bring fishing rods and try their luck. It's a popular place for family parties (I also saw wedding photos being taken while I was there). Multiple trails with varying degrees of difficulty can be found. My dog and I hiked a difficult section and then continued on around the entire park to total 8 or 9 miles. With plenty of hidden seating areas we had ample time to sit and relax. This is a perfect place to find a quiet place away. It is family oriented so you may find children and a variety of dogs in the campsites.

  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Art S., July 5, 2016
  • Review photo of White Pines Forest State Park Campground by Art S., July 5, 2016
Reviewed Jun. 13, 2016

decent but not the best

The sites here are rather close together and ours was not very level for sleeping comfortably. Another unfortunate draw back was that you could hear trains passing throughout the day and night. The cabins might be a nice choice if you want to stay at this park :) The park itself has a few short trails.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does White Pines Forest State Park Campground have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, White Pines Forest State Park Campground has 30 amp electric hookups and water hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at White Pines Forest State Park Campground?

    White Pines Forest State Park Campground allows vehicles up to 40 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at White Pines Forest State Park Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at White Pines Forest State Park Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does White Pines Forest State Park Campground have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, White Pines Forest State Park Campground does not have wifi.