Best Cabin Camping near Apple River, IL

Recent Cabin Reviews in Apple River

106 Reviews of 19 Apple River Campgrounds

• 

  Jenna R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 11, 2024

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Great for families

  Lots of playgrounds for kids age 2-10. Pit toilets smell- I’d avoid sites around them. Hot Showers by lot 30 and at pool. Pool is not heated as stated- definitely not 80 degrees. West tower is the best for sunsets. Site 75 was nice as it was a bit back from the road and you can’t see your neighbors.

• 

  Alex A.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 22, 2024

  Toms Campground

  Great, friendly, affordable, convenient

  We needed a place after visiting the House on the Rock and couldn't find anything with hookups nearby. We stumbled upon Tom's Campground hoping to find a site. We pulled in and Tom met us at our camper as soon as we got to the top of the hill and before we even got out. He was very friendly and informative. Showers were good enough but we aren't picky, 7 minutes for $0.25. The area was beautiful.

• 

  J H.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 18, 2024

  Crazy Horse Campground

  Used to be a great place to camp

  Unfortunately, I can no longer say this is a great, affordable place to stay. The weekly rates increased by over $75 a week for the full hookup sites this season.  

  There was also a link to last years pricing still active until 4/16 that has since been deactivated when I asked to have my pricing adjusted to that amount. Seems deceptive to me, having 2 different prices in 2 different places on their site.  They will not honor the price and told me if I don't like it I can find somewhere else to camp. 

  Also, they no longer offer kayaks, which was the big draw to the campground. 

  We may keep our reservation this year, but likely won't be back next season.

• 

  Leah M.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 3, 2024

  Wisconsin Riverside Resort

  Great place on the river

  I’m a tent camper so tucked in the back was great. It’s a bit of a normal RV easy camping almost glamping with the amenities around.

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 14, 2023

  Lake LaDonna Family Campground

  Lakefront Pasture Family Campground Getaway

  Let’s begin by highlighting what an amazing family-oriented, mega-campground compound this is, perfectly situated on Lake LaDonna, which offers up non-stop fun for every member of your family - young and old alike. And it doesn’t matter if you’re driving an RV, hauling a 5th Wheel or looking to pitch a tent – whatever you are bringing to camp out underneath the stars out here in the Midwest prairieland, no worries, Lake LaDonna Family Campground has a spot for you. And even if you don’t have anything, it’s not a problem, as this campground will easily rent you one of their A/C-equipped cabins (either Primitive of Deluxe) that offer up a stove-top, oven, refrigerator, wet bar and full-sized bathroom with shower. 

  Throughout the entire campground, you’ll find there’s tons of shade with ample amounts of giant oaks lining the pathways and roads along with 2 meandering streams that create a really cool natural vibe. The most consequential amenity here at LaDonna is, of course, the lake itself, which provides a pretty amazing white sand beachhead. This is unusual because of, well, let's be frank, here smack dab in the middle of north central Illinois, there should not be any beachheads, so you’ve got to appreciate this man-made convenience that offers up a perfect spot for sunbathing, sipping Mai Tais or building a sandcastle. There’s tons of water toys here including two oversized Funbrellas that offer a decent amount of shade during a hot summer day. You’ll discover there’s a rope swing deck that sits atop a pirate ship, where you can plunge through 30 foot tall waterfalls before hitting the nice cold lake water. Waterslides, trampoline, floating innertubes and water spray cannons are also a blast for the kids that will be sure to keep them entertained all day long. As a parent, what I appreciated most of all is the fact that LaDonna has very well-trained, certified lifeguards who remain constantly vigilant about keeping an eye on your kid’s safety, leaving us parents to enjoy our time worry-free. 

  Off the water, the amenities don’t stop, and also include: basketball courts, beach volleyball courts, kids playground, outdoor stage and pavilion, live music, themed weekends, full-service lodge and market selling snacks, beverages, groceries, ice, candy, sundries, beach toys and firewood. Let’s just say, if you forgot anything, it’s definitely a drive from here back to civilization, but LaDonna has you covered, once again. For RVers, there’s full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric and water) along with flat pads that are easy to get set-up on for just about any size of RV. There’s a designated dump station in the corner of the campground that you would have passed just as you crossed the railroad tracks to access the entrance of LaDonna right on Harmony Road. Most all sites come with a BBQ grill, fire ring and picnic table. 

  As for the downsides, there are really just two to be aware of. First of all, if you are just a day camper or looking for a nice long weekend to enjoy out in the midst of nature, you will feel like a second-class citizen here at Lake LaDonna, who places much more focus and provides greater service and access to those RVers who are seasonal. And from a business standpoint, while I understand it, as a weekend tent camper, it’s certainly a draw back. What do I mean? Well, if you book a weekend like we did, you are only allowed certain spaces to choose from that are earmarked for overnight or non-seasonal campers, which have basically been isolated right next to the train tracks. This is the second, but arguably, the biggest negative for LaDonna – if you are located right next to the train tracks, at least once a night, if not 2-3 times a night, you will be startled awake by the blaring horn of the train and after it passes, a good 10-15 minutes of a roaring train, which our kids were certainly frightened of. So if you do come, a simple solution is to bring ear buds, if your negotiation efforts aren’t good enough to land you a spot somewhere far enough from the tracks where the commotion won’t disturb you. 

  Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you do end up renting one of the cabins, be sure to remember to bring your own bed linens, towels, toiletries and anything you need to make use of the kitchen. I have to admit, when I heard that the cabins didn’t come furnished with this stuff, I wasn’t as interested; (2) While the Pioneer cabins are moderately priced at $75-$85, I thought the Deluxe cabins were a bit pricey at $129-$149 for what they offered; (3) Should you be interested in getting some good hiking in, head back east to Route 2, where you can access the decent trails at Castle Rock State Park, including Pond Trail with 2 miles of easy-to-moderate trails and Oak Ridge Trail, which is a bit more challenging, but only a single mile in length, with Fox Trail the shortest at a half mile, but quite scenic. These 3 trails make up the South Trails; (4) The far better and more challenging hiking over at Castle Rock SP can be found with the North Trails, where there’s a total of 5 trails to choose from: River Bluff (.5 mile), Wildlife Viewing (1 mile), Heather Valley (2 miles), Timber Edge (1/4 mile) and Forest Ridge (1 Mile). These make up the North Trails; (5) There’s also a sweet little picnic area up here in the North Trails area called Aspen Ridge that is nice, and closer to the river, near River Bluff trail, you’ll see the picturesque Old Orchard picnic area, which I highly recommend; and (6) When you get tired of trying to figure out that next meal from your on-board mini-fridge or from the depths of your roto-molded Cordova cooler, head east to Oregon (the town, not the state, mind you) and try out Jay’s Drive-In, which will take you back to the 1950’s where you can pull up, stay seated in your car and have a server take your order from the parking lot, or head on inside, where you can put some quarters in the juke box while munching on any of the traditional burgers and hot dog combinations you might imagine, although I HIGHLY recommend trying out one of their pork tenderloin sandwiches and washing it all down with a chocolate cake shake.  Yeah.  A cake shake.  Go ahead, just process that!

  Happy Camping!

• 

  Barb N.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 8, 2023

  Toms Campground

  Clean and full hookups

  Friendly and well kept.

• 

  Paul B.

  Ranger

  

  May. 12, 2023

  Palace Campground

  Well Established Campground

  Campground is convenient to Galena and Dubuque. We stayed in site 73, which they call a double. If the campground is full, it would be pretty tight. No negatives I encountered here to mention.

• O

  Oliver

  Scout

  

  Oct. 16, 2022

  Crazy Horse Campground

  Very nice and clean

  Great place. Super clean and very nice RV spots. Highly recommend.

• 

  Nikki P.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 10, 2022

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Quiet camping in old growth forest

  We stayed for a night while passing through - ended up picking site #58 w/electric. It was next to the restrooms and water fountain, which was convenient. The campground road and sites were a bit curvy and heavily wooded, there's no way Starlink would work in the area we stayed and ATT was limited. I do think the campground has more to offer though; our stay was a short one because of our trip. Overall the night was quiet and enjoyable

• M

  Michael T.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 2, 2022

  Crazy Horse Campground

  Very nice campground

  Campground was clean and quiet. Bathrooms and showers were very nice! It gets very quiet earlier than I expected. My only complaint is that firewood was expensive! But I’d definitely stay again!

• 

  James M.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 21, 2022

  Eden Valley Refuge

  Main CG- neat County CG along Bear Creek with Nature Center

  Main CG has primitive and electric sites on gravel pads, restrooms/showers, dump station, Nature Center, play area, along Bear Creek. Trails are very cool, especially up the bluff to the watchtower, swinging bridge, and backpack sites.

• K

  Kacey

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 19, 2022

  Coconut Cove RV Resort by Journey

  Party cove, but the trains…

  Catering to RV life style with lots of amenities such as restaurant, beach bar, water feature with floating water obstacle course, pool and more. Occasionally live music is on the beach. For us, the freight trains crushed the experience. Trains ran all night long, park is near a crossing so trains sound the horn each time they pass. We had an infant with us so we were up all night however we spoke with people who stay there often and they said you get acclimated. I gave this site 3 stars because the staff and amenities are great but can not give 5 starts due to the location in proximity to the trains. It really is a bummer.

• 

  Meg

  Guide

  

  Jul. 26, 2022

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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!

• J

  Jodi

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 5, 2022

  Seven Eagles RV Resort & Campground

  Enjoyed our stay, will be back!

  Mostly a seasonal campground, only has 4 sites that are for weekenders. Very nice folks running the place. The neighbors where also very welcoming. Sites were closer then I would like would be the only negative. Nature reserve accessible from campground. We took several walks and bike rides around it. There is also a pool and a club house on property, however we did not visit them. There is ATT service, but not strong. There is also WiFi, but also not strong. We will be back.

• 

  Stacie H.

  Guide

  

  May. 29, 2022

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• A

  Alison

  Scout

  

  May. 19, 2022

  Fireside Campground

  Nice Campground

  Level sites. Full hook ups available. Friendly owners. Clean bathrooms and showers. Dog friendly. Recommend if you are in the area and need a place to camp.

• 

  kassondra T.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 31, 2022

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Good fall camping

  This park had nice trails and was beautiful in fall. Would be great in the summer for little kids with the splash pad. Wish there was some body of water for fishing.

• c

  carol M.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 27, 2021

  Blackhawk Lake Recreational Area

  The lake and the beach are beautiful and clean

  We like the upper campground the best the lower campground the lower loop had a lot of small campsites

• 

  Bob M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 1, 2021

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Blue Mounds State Park

  Absolutely beautiful location. They are open into November. Enjoying the fall colors and cool weather.

• 

  Mike F.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 1, 2021

  Palace Campground

  Great CG for the Galena Halloween parade

  Some sites were tight and the lack of fire rings was disappointing.

• 

  Ivana B.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 24, 2021

  Palace Campground

  Highly recommend

  Very spacious, grassy and clean. There are a lot of people with RVs so it’s pretty lively. There is a Walmart right next to it. The bathrooms are clean. They host events like mini golf. Swings and playground for kids. Would stay there again

• 

  Bob M.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 4, 2021

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Blue Mounds State Park

  So much to do here. The sunsets are amazing. I saw wildlife (deer, turkeys) almost every day.

• 

  Heather H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2021

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Fall camping at its best

  Gorgeous state park with tons of hiking and biking trails. Views are outstanding ! Bathrooms even the vault ones very clean. Near the cute small town blue mounds and mount Horeb. Be sure to go to cave of the mounds!

• N

  Nate R.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 29, 2021

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Good RV sites, great site isolation

  The sites are very well isolated and shaded, and have a well maintained gravel and packed earth surface. Not great for staking a tent, but doable. Excellent for RVs but some sites are non-electric. There are no other hookups, but there is a dump station. Every site has a fire pit and a picnic table. Many sites have a slight slope. Trail access to both the state park trails and to the Military Ridge Trail which runs nearby.

  I stayed two nights in a tent and really struggled to find an ok spot on my site to pitch it, between the slope and the occasional roots and rocks. I managed to get stakes in but only at great effort. It looked like some other sites may have been better suited.

  There is a raccoon problem here. They were definitely snooping through my things on the first night. Heard coyotes during the night in the distance.

  Overall I'm pretty happy with my stay due to the location in the park, and most of the issues I had would be moot with an RV.

• J

  JC

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 29, 2021

  Lena KOA

  Lena Koa

  This campground is absolutely wonderful. Spots are spaced apart nicely. Many activities for kids and adults. Also, a pool, showers and if you just want a weekend getaway they have cabins as well.

• 

  Mountainman McBeachfront

  Scout

  

  Aug. 24, 2021

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• 

  Erik O.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 23, 2021

  Crazy Horse Campground

  Great clean place lots to do

  Crazy horse is a very clean and well maintained campground with a lot of things to do like river tubing, kayaking, and canoeing.

  Also they gave a slot of amenities for the kids like mini golf , jump pad, play grounds and a pool.