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Established Camping

Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve

Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, near the Mississippi River in Illinois, is a solid choice for those looking to enjoy nature without straying too far from home. With a mix of tent and RV sites, you’ll find a comfortable spot to set up camp, complete with picnic tables and fire rings for those classic campfire evenings.

This campground is surrounded by beautiful shade trees and offers access to a variety of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Visitors have noted the clean restrooms and showers, which are a big plus after a day of exploring. One camper mentioned, “The cleanest restrooms and showers I have ever seen,” highlighting the attention to cleanliness here.

For water lovers, Lake George is a highlight, where you can rent kayaks, canoes, or even pontoons to get out on the water. Fishing is also popular, with the Mississippi River nearby providing ample opportunities to reel in a catch. As one reviewer put it, “There is so much to do here,” making it a great spot for families and friends looking to unwind and enjoy the outdoors.

While some sites are a bit close together, the overall atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Riverview Campground offers a peaceful retreat with plenty of activities to keep you entertained.

Description

County

30 primitive campsites (non-electric) along the Mississippi River with boat ramp access to the Mississippi River, hiking trails, bathroom & shower building, water access, and picnic area.

Camping at Loud Thunder is typically available from the first weekend in April through the last weekend in October as weather permits.

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Location

Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve is located in Illinois

Detail location of campground

Coordinates

41.43883939646057 N
90.82865793380728 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites

Features

For Campers

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

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites

Contact

General Info

Reservations


Reviews

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4.5

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8 Reviews

Reviewed Jun. 18, 2022

Nice County CG along Mississippi River

Good moderate trails, boat/paddling/fishing access, showers, firewood available in main park, sites are a bit close, bait rentals nearby main marina in park with ice, bait, consessions, etc. Trails through forest are moderate with elevation changes.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by James M., June 18, 2022
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by James M., June 18, 2022
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by James M., June 18, 2022
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Apr. 29, 2021

Beautiful, peaceful, friendly and helpful.

Beautiful surroundings of shade trees. The cleanest restrooms and showers I have ever seen. Can’t wait to return to the new area for RV’s and 5th wheels! Full hookups AND so reasonable priced. Staff was very friendly and helpful especially after a summer cross wind storm went through and took electric from most sites. 

We will return again and again.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Julie , April 29, 2021
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Julie , April 29, 2021
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Julie , April 29, 2021
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Apr. 23, 2021

What happened to the foliage?

We had hoped to spend the night here but when we got to the site it was or seemed like a flat vacant lot. There was electrical and water at each RV site but absolutely no privacy. The equestrian camp felt like there was a possibility but far from the bathroom. But many trails that start at the site.

Month of VisitApril
Reviewed Feb. 28, 2021

Good Forested Lake Campground Preserve

Good campgrounds with trails including equestrian options, and water! Can rent canoes, kayaks, and pontoons! Bait shop, fishing, food options with town just a few miles away. Mississippi River near by for big river options. Lota of wildlife with bald eagles near by. Scout Camp nearby.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jul. 6, 2020

Awesome

Great area. Several campgrounds in the preserve, from hook ups to primitive. Sites spaced nicely, with picnic tables and fire rings. Bathroom/showers are clean.
There is so much to do here. They have several maintained trails. They rent kayaks, canoes, Jon boats, even pontoon boats so you can go out on Lake George. They sell fishing tackle and bait at the office, along with powerade, soda, etc. Walmart, Lowes, food, gas, etc is all 5 miles down the road. I came in on a Monday and more than half of the 28 sites were available in white oak campground. It is very quiet, all you really here is nature.
Overall excellent value as it's $22/night and there is so much to do.

  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Dave N., July 6, 2020
Reviewed Jul. 6, 2020

Enjoyable Stay

We have visited Loud Thunder many times as hikers and kayakers but this was our first time as campers. For our maiden voyage with our new camper we decided to stay close to home and Loud Thunder was the perfect place. 

Because of COVID the trails were closed so while normally there are a lot of places to explore most of them were closed while we were there. The boat rentals and Lake George were open though so we decided to rent a small pontoon. This pontoon was very rickety and we did not end up staying out as long as we had planned. 

The boat rentals are all on a first come first serve basis so it's the luck of the draw. 

The camp site was very nice. Electricity and water hookups. We were in the back and really liked our spot. The campground its self was very quiet and we enjoyed our stay. I'm sure we will be back.

Site14
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Oct. 20, 2019

Multiple campgrounds within a forest near the Mississippi

Registering for any site means stopping at the main ranger office. We waited while a line of people rented pontoon boats, canoes and kayaks. We found site 6 in Silva Campground to be nicely set apart. 

Silva is wooded and has more seclusion than the other camps. River campground has campers right in a line with no shade around them. Silva was good for us. 

Some sites are close together- perfect for a small group. Others are open and along the road. 6 was carved out of the woods- we felt immersed in the forest. One set of 4 vault toilets serves this campground. Water can be found in a couple locations. Our site had full sun during the day so our screen tent saved the day.

A variety of hiking trails are here. Some are used by bikes and horses too. Rock Island is a short drive away and we hiked on Sylvan Island there. Many people are here for fishing. 

We didn’t like the large family gathering at the site across from us. They disappeared as soon as the rain came but there was a lot of activity going on. Some of the picnic areas would be perfect for these moments but they didn't move to them. We still enjoyed our stay.

Site6
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Art S., October 20, 2019
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  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Art S., October 20, 2019
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Jul. 31, 2019

Plenty to do

Our site was at Indian Meadows and it is large enough to fit my big 8-person tent, a picnic table, my truck, and all our other stuff with room to spare. The sites are very close to each other. The sites at Riverview and Silva both seemed smaller. The Riverview sites had great shade and a breeze coming off of the Mississippi river but had very little privacy. Each site at Indian Meadows and Silva are surrounded by a wall of trees. Our site had a picnic table and a fire pit with a swing over grill. There was no trash can, though. My plan was to collect the garbage then walk it to the trash point, a dumpster up the road. Unfortunately, while we were at the shower house raccoons got into it. I was better prepared the second day. Just remember to bring trash bags and dispose of your trash often, the raccoons out there are brave. The Loud Thunder office is top-notch. They sell a few necessities like batteries, firewood, ice, and stuff for s’mores. Service was incredibly helpful and nice.

At the center of Loud Thunder is Lake George. Lake George is a boon for kayakers and anglers. For us, it was the highlight of the trip. Loud Thunder rents kayaks, john boats, pontoons, and mini-pontoons. I had never heard of a mini-pontoon prior to this trip; they are amazing and now I want one. For 30 dollars we navigated the lake for two hours. My son loved steering the boat. Even though we were in the sun there was a nice breeze. We could have easily spent another two hours on that lake.

There are also plenty of trails for horses, bikes, and hiking.  The trail we went on started as a wide gravel path then narrowed to a single-track dirt path.  It had one hard climb.  The trail was very nice and led to some great views.

Read about my adventure at https://www.lost13.com/camping/2019/7/26/loud-thunder

SiteI6
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Scott N., July 31, 2019
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Scott N., July 31, 2019
  • Review photo of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve by Scott N., July 31, 2019
  • (7) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the elevation of Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve?

    Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve is located at 615 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Riverview Campground - Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.