Chain O' Lakes State Park spans over 6,500 acres of wetlands, forests, and waterways in northeastern Illinois, about 65 miles northwest of Chicago. The park contains a network of glacial lakes and channels, offering campers access to 488 acres of water surface with depths reaching 40 feet in some areas. Winter camping options remain available at select sites when temperatures drop below freezing, though water access points close seasonally from November through April.
What to Do
Hiking trails of varying difficulty: Fox Den Campground connects to multiple trails through the state park that accommodate different skill levels. "There are a lot of groomed and ungroomed walking trails. It has a boat ramp and a small store and restaurant. It allows dogs and the rangers keep the site relatively quiet, especially at night," notes Christopher R.
Kayaking through connected waterways: Turner Lake South Campground provides direct access to the chain of lakes system. "I love to kayak through here because I don't need to paddle through the river unless I'm feeling competitive. I enjoy this route for the wildlife and nature scenery. I've seen beavers, minks, ferrets, and sand cranes on my two trips so far," shares Cora M.
Fishing opportunities year-round: Fish Lake Beach Camping Resort offers fishing directly from lakefront sites. "The lake is beautiful and surprisingly picturesque as it is all nature preserve on the opposite side. The lake is large enough and there are clean bathrooms right there," according to Chloe N., who recommends the lakefront tent sites for the best fishing access.
What Campers Like
Private, wooded sites: Thomas Woods Campground features secluded tent sites set back from the main camping areas. "We stayed in one of the tent camping sites with a little walk up (parking for a car available about 50 feet away). Nobody else was camping within sight of me, which was nice," reports Emily H.
Clean facilities despite high usage: Honeysuckle Hollow Campground maintains its shower facilities even during peak season. "Very impressed with this state park! It was huge, almost 3 miles just to our site! The showers were clean. The spots were large and wooded with nice fire ring set ups," notes one camper who stayed at a primitive site.
Quiet atmosphere during weekdays: Multiple reviewers mention the dramatic difference between weekend and weekday camping at Chain O' Lakes. "The campground was really busy during the weekend, but cleared out Sunday and we nearly had the whole loop to ourselves during the week," explains Tina who stayed at Honeysuckle Hollow for a full week.
What You Should Know
Seasonal insect concerns: Expect ticks and mosquitoes, particularly in summer months. "SO many ticks. With a baby crawling that needed to be set free, we were constantly doing checks. They literally fall out of the trees into people!" warns a camper about Honeysuckle Hollow Campground.
Wildlife interactions after dark: Raccoons are particularly active and bold throughout the park. "The raccoons at night here are no joke. The second it's dusky, they come scavenging for absolutely anything food has touched. So basically, eat dinner and do s'mores early, then everything must be packed into cars for the night and all surfaces wiped down."
Electric hookup placement varies: Site selection impacts convenience for RV campers. "These sites share an electric box. Some spaces the box is further than 30 feet from the pad. A lot of the spaces are also crowded together. Recommend sites 23 to 46 for spacing and electric distance," advises Debra M.
Tips for Camping with Families
Choose sites near amenities: When luxury camping with children near Antioch, select loops with playground access. "We chose the loop 11 was on because it was close to the path to the playgrounds and lakes plus bathrooms. Avoid the first 2 sites from either end as the ones closest to the main loop aren't very deep. Closer to the center of this row is best," recommends a camper at Honeysuckle Hollow.
Bring containment solutions for toddlers: The natural environment requires extra precautions for the youngest campers. "Plan for toddlers and babies to have a contained covered screen house and have them wear hats or a wagon shade on walks so nothing lands in their hair," suggests a parent dealing with the park's tick situation.
Consider off-peak visits: Weekday glamping experiences offer a dramatically different atmosphere. "While pretty busy it still felt private and quiet aside from nearby sites playing music most of the day and early night. Nothing too rowdy especially since no alcohol is allowed," shares Matt K. about Turner Lake South Campground.
Tips from RVers
Best loops for RV camping: Fox Den Campground offers superior sites for recreational vehicles. "Fox Den is superior to Honeysuckle Hollows because each site has an individual electric post. Sites in Honeysuckle have electric posts too far from parking pad. Fox Den also has more space between sites, more level pads and each site is tucked away with trees," explains Debra M.
Dump station timing: Plan for potential wait times at peak checkout periods. "The dump station was near the entrance to the camping loop and had potable water. It was also very busy and we had to wait when filling up and again when dumping," reports an RVer who stayed at Honeysuckle Hollow.
Electric-only considerations: Most campgrounds in the area offer electric hookups without full service. "We had 50 amp, but no water/sewer, although there was a water spigot next to our site that we could use to fill up jugs of water," notes a camper describing the limitations of sites in the northern section of Honeysuckle Hollow.
