Best Cabin Camping near Apple River, IL

Recent Cabin Reviews near Apple River, IL

106 Reviews of 19 Apple River Campgrounds

• 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.

• J

  Joe K.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 6, 2018

  Wisconsin Riverside Resort

  Camping with all the amenities

  We came here to enjoy some river tubing! Free shuttle takes you up river for a 3 hour float trip. We reserved one campsite for 2 couples. There was a picnic table, fire pit and electric hookup onsite. Port o potties and spigot nearby and a dumpster for trash. They have non electric camp sites along with RV sites and cabins with everything you could need including kitchen and tv. Seems like a lot of people stay there for the long haul as there are some trailer homes with heavy decoration.

  The general store has everything you would need available for purchase and there's a large bar/restaurant attached. We were there the same day of a wedding reception. Free mini golf and swimming pool for campers. Bugs were a bit of an issue but thats expected. The river is clean with a shallow sandy bottom which attracts many parties and fun times. Not exactly the place for a quiet getaway.

• A

  Abbey W.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 9, 2018

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• 

  James M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 29, 2018

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• 

  Sara S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 13, 2016

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• 

  GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

  Legend

  

  May. 12, 2020

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• J

  J J.

  Scout

  

  May. 9, 2019

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• 

  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!

• 

  Scott M.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 7, 2020

  Palace Campground

  A little different, but tons of things to do

  This campground is tucked into a little area next to a Walmart, Culvers, and Mini golf course. It sits between east Dubuque and Galena. When we stayed they had a dirt bike rally. They have a lot of property you can't see from the road, and honestly we had driven by this place many times but just never stayed. 

  The staff in the store was great and very helpful. They have a ton of sites (125) that range from tent all the way to full hookup. If you get along the outsides you have a lot more privacy and better chance they will be level. If you aren't worried about sharing a conversation with your neighbor then you can pick anything. We were up the street from a "girls" weekend where they had turned the bed of a pickup into their own pool since the properties pool was closed due to the pandemic. 

  Lots to do here with the ability to play mini golf on a very nice course, walk through the trees and property, and get ice-cream from culvers. I imagine this place is a great place for group sites. 

  They also had some cabins to stay in but we chose not to stay there. Instead we found a partially shaded area at site 109.

• 

  Art S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 5, 2016

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• 

  Randy S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 22, 2016

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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!

• 

  Jeff G.

  Ranger

  

  May. 22, 2019

  Timber Lake Resort

  Live music!

  Found this place by snooping around the internet prior to a free weekend. Made a call and had reservations for the next day/weekend. They had live music, loud live music Saturday night. To be fair, the music was made clear on their webpage. We were kind of close and didn’t have to go to the stage area to hear it clearly. It was good music and it was fun. They have a margarita bar as we’ll as a bags tournament. (Corn hole anyone?) The pool is big and clean. There is a little store and a snack bar too. The camp spaces are wacky and strangely placed, but with some buddy sites. The rise angle to our space was almost too much to back in without dragging the bumper. Once in, the concrete pad was level. Lots of seasonal residents and lots of golf carts. Lots of kids driving golf carts all day, and lots of drunks driving golf carts at night especially after the music wound down in the dark, many without lights on. The golf cart stupidly cost a star for this review. There is supposed to be fishing and peddle boat rentals, but it it has rained and the little lake was dark brown and dirty.

• 

  Kim L.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 11, 2020

  Wisconsin Riverside Resort

  Great family campground right on the lower Wisconsin River!

  Overall my family LOVED this campground. There is a decent sized pool that is clean and well-maintained with a smaller kiddie pool with a slide. There is also a man-made lake with a beach for swimming and bigger kids to enjoy the large inflatable slides and swim platforms. The campground is right on the river, and provides rentals for canoes, kayaks, and tubes. They will shuttle you as far up the river as you'd like to go, and you float or paddle back while enjoying all the sand bars along the way.

  As an RV campground, the sites were level and grassy with at least one tree per lot. In the sites closer to the pool and lagoon (swim lake), they offer little privacy but are great for multi-family groups. We got a site with some woods in the back, so it was more quiet and private. The electrical and water hook ups were conveniently located, and the site was easy to get into. There were a lot of big Class A motorhomes, so the sites are plenty big. The tent sites are further away from the action, but have easy access to another bathroom and shower. They're also close to the river, and back up to a large corn field. There's a row of pine trees for easy hammock set up, and open grassy areas to let your group sprawl. The bathrooms were clean and nice, but they do have a $1 min for a shower. There is a change machine in the laundry facility.

  The Resort also has an extensive camp shop and a huge restaurant with outdoor riverside seating. With live music and a full bar, this made for a really relaxing atmosphere if you're not up to campfire cooking. 

  We enjoyed this campground and it's friendly staff and campers. Even through there are a lot of people there so you're not isolated in the woods, it wasn't loud or obnoxious with partiers. It's Wisconsin, so everybody was drinking beers and having fun but it wasn't loud and rowdy. The best part is the location on the Wisconsin River- you can get your fill of quiet solitude on the water, or float in a tube with a case of beer if you like. We enjoyed ourselves and can't wait to go back! It’s a great spot to use as home base for river trips, and don’t forget the Spring Green Desert conservancy nearby. Who knew there were cactuses in Wisconsin? Total hike is about 3.2 miles round trip, with a gorgeous view of the valley.

• 

  Marisa A.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 16, 2020

  White Pines Forest State Park Campground

  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.

• P

  Pete M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 28, 2020

  Lena KOA

  Great KOA

  This is a great place to stay when in the Galena area. It is about 40 minutes away, but is nice to be away from the traffic. The KOA store is well stocked and has some pretty cool souvenirs!

• C

  Christie S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 20, 2018

  Lena KOA

  Very family friendly

  This is the second KOA I’ve stayed at and is by far the better one of the two, the staff was super friendly and there was a lot of activities for the kids to do. My family and I will definitely be back here!

• 

  Chad C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 10, 2020

  Palace Campground

  My family and I’s favorite place to camp!

  My family and I have been coming to this campground for over 6 years running now. We started with a tent and in the past 4 years we have moved up to a 40’ travel trailer we bought. This is by far my kids favorite place to go camping and we will continue coming here every year for as long as we can. If you and your family haven’t been here I highly recommend you go. The staff and amenities are the best by far. I promise you will have a great experience like we have.

• L

  Lauren P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2018

  Palace Campground

  Love Galena

  Very nice campground. Plenty of tress . The sites are VERY close together but we were next to very nice people, if you like space you won't like this. The bathrooms are nice , clean we showered in our trailer but the showers looked decent. You can't beat the location!!! We love Galena, we didn't do the shops this trip just two days of hiking, BEAUTIFUL views. We would go back! nice pool (closed right now too cold) small park for kids. People very nice.

• 

  Siobhan R.

  Ranger

  

  May. 19, 2019

  Palace Campground

  Good campsite for Grant Pilgrimage

  Stayed here on a wet and snowy weekend for the Boy Scouts Grant Pilgrimage. Campground was right next to Walmart, which was convenient, and a short walk down to the high school to get the shuttle into Galena itself. Port-a-potties were well maintained and the bathrooms up by the office were very nice (and warm on a chilly day!) Sites weren’t huge, but worked well for our group.

• 

  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

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Melissa B.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 19, 2018

  Timber Lake Resort

  Ranger Review: Matador Transit Tote Bag at Timber Lake Resort

  Campground Review

  Although it is a beautiful location, our site, 124 it was situated next to the lake. And across the lake was Timberlake playhouse where they had live music several times throughout the day. To the other side of us was the live music at the resort, which was impressive considering. If you like that kind of thing. It was way too loud for me to enjoy this particular campground. Most of the sites had concrete pads and overall it was well-maintained. To me there is just nothing wilderness like about this place. The fishing was less than par. My son enjoyed the pool and some of the activities, it was Lego weekend.

  Product Review

  What I really appreciated was the opportunity to use a couple items we received from Matador. The one thing I really enjoyed using was the Matador transit tote bag. That little thing was easy to pack in my bag and when I needed to use it I packed a Ton of stuff in it. It was incredibly durable and able to hold all of the stuff I needed for my puppy one day. And then I would give it a thumbs up for being puppy proof as well. She could not tear through that thing if she wanted to. I’m excited to use other Matador gear, but I can tell you that this tote will go with me everywhere, on every trip camping or not. It’s lightweight, durable, and a great looking tote. Overall it packs a lot of stuff into it. I can attest that 4 beach towels, suntan lotion, and a frisbee all fit comfortably in there.

• 

  Kim L.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 28, 2019

  Timber Lake Resort

  Activities yes, nature-less

  We had the campsite right across from the pool and the tiki bar. The site was easy to get into with help from the friendly staff. We were surprised to have a bar right outside our campsite, but with an RV running the fan all night the noise didn't bother us at all. This campground is great if you want to watch football Saturday morning with a bloody Mary in hand, and like kids activities like bingo. There was also a very good CCR cover band playing, so my kid felt like she was at a real rock concert. Pool was kept open late in September because it was warm. Overall we really enjoyed our time there. It's a great place for socializing. If you're looking for peace and quiet and natural beauty, this is not the place. We would go back for Sure- level campsite, friendly staff that let us stay late when we had a flat tire and waiting for tow, and overall experience. Easy full hook ups made it a very fun experience with lots of full timers there.

• 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.

• 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.

• 

  g T.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 14, 2021

  Toms Campground

  Tom’s Campground

  Nice rural setting,peaceful and nice scenery. Showers could be updated and it does cost 25 cents for a 7 minute shower. Camping sites reasonably priced only take cash or a check. Would have no problems staying there again.