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Best Tent Camping near Arlington Heights, IL

428 Reviews

Several tent campgrounds exist within an hour's drive of Arlington Heights, Illinois, offering various primitive camping experiences. MacQueen Forest Preserve provides secluded tent sites with significant privacy between campsites. The preserve features nine tent sites that require walking in along gravel paths or across meadows. Camp Shabbona Woods offers tent camping with more developed facilities but maintains an urban setting. Most tent sites in this region are walk-in only, requiring campers to transport their gear from parking areas to designated campsites.

Tent camping near Arlington Heights typically offers basic amenities. MacQueen Forest Preserve provides fire rings and picnic tables at each site, with vault toilets available but no drinking water. Sites cost approximately $4-5 per night and operate on a self-check-in system. Camp Shabbona Woods offers more facilities including showers and drinking water, but closes gates after 10 PM. Most tent campgrounds in this region require campers to pack out all trash to dumpsters in parking areas. Weather conditions vary seasonally, with sites being accessible year-round but experiencing cold winters and occasionally hot, humid summers.

Forest preserves and parks around Arlington Heights provide varied camping experiences for tent campers seeking primitive settings. MacQueen Forest Preserve sites are spread at least 50 yards apart, creating private camping zones either in wooded areas or open meadows. The sites near the Kishwaukee River offer both secluded forest camping and open-field sites suitable for stargazing. Train noise can be heard at night at some locations. A camper noted, "This is one of those places that's so awesome, you really don't want to tell people about it." Camp Shabbona Woods provides a more structured environment but with urban sounds in the background. Channahon State Park Campground offers tent sites popular with cyclists along the Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail.

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Best Tent Sites Near Arlington Heights, Illinois (8)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Arlington Heights, IL

8 Photos of 8 Arlington Heights Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Arlington Heights, IL

428 Reviews of 8 Arlington Heights Campgrounds

  • Marisa A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2020

    MacQueen Forest Preserve

    Secluded Hike-in Tent Campsites on the Kish

    This is where to go if you don't like pitching a tent in a field of RVs. There is one wheelchair accessible tent site on a blacktop path in the forest canopy. This is a very primative campground with 1 set of Vault toilets. The other campsites require a walk/hike along a gravel path for completely wooded sites or cross a football sized meadow for open air sites. There are several well-water pumps "not for drinking." Each campsite has a fire pit and a picnic table. Pack out your garbage for the dumpster in the parking lot. There are only 9 sites total. VERY private and secluded. Tents only! Massive forest preserve area for excellent hiking. Some fellow campers were doing a diy tubing right to the campground. (About a 2 hr lazy river tube from Kingston or 5hrs from Genoa on the slow moving S. Branch of the Kishwaukee River which can be pretty deep in places.) Absolutely NO ALCOHOL. Cost for tent sites is only $4 per tent or tent-like structure. There are primitive cabins for rent and a large lodge if you rented the structure for an event here. By their facebook page, it looks like there have been beautiful weddings here. This is a former scout camp flanked by more forest preserves. The ranger is very nice and the entrance is locked from sunset to sunrise. I hesitated even posting this tent-camping primitive heaven, because I almost want to keep it for myself and the locals. Please practice leave no trace and follow the rules if you go so this place stays open. Dog friendly, but must be leashed all of time or a $50 fine. My dog loved the trails and river crossings! Gorgeous hidden gem about an hour into cornfield country from Chicago NW suburbs like Woodfield Mall. I had cell service at one spot in the parking lot, but it was fleeting with T-mobile. A fellow camper had the best private spot (#2) which other than the ada site was the best because it was closest to the parking lot, yet she still had a festival/yard cart to pull her gear up a gravel path. Make sure you bring yours or are outfitted with backpacking gear. Like anywhere, prevent insect deforestation and don't bring firewood, it's fine, they have plenty.

  • H. K.
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Camp Bullfrog Lake

    Nice but very little shade

    We stayed in the primitive tent area near the back of the park. It is walk in.

    There was a pole for a lantern, a picnic table, a fire ring and tent pad. There is one clean flush toilet and shower per each gender (the shower stall was spacious with plenty of hooks and benches). There were also vault toilets not too far away. The water spigot was pretty far away though. There were plenty of garbage cans.

    There were a few small trees but very little shade. On hot days I think a pop up shade shelter would be necessary to make it bearable.

    Overall it was pretty quiet.

    The last night we were there a large group of people with their tents showed up. There were not enough tent pads or picnic tables for all of them. I don't know if it was the park that booked so many people or if it was the group that overbooked.

  • D
    Aug. 3, 2025

    Paul Wolff Campground

    No showers

    We would gladly stay here again!

    Great campsite with the best staff ever! The sites are clean and very well maintained. We loved the staff patrolling the grounds. The trail system is great for walking the dogs. And I even grew to like the no alcohol in the preserve rule.

    The vault toilets are clean but smell like vault toilets at 95 degrees. There is one very clean flush toilet building but no showers. They don't advertise showers, but this is the newest and nicest campsite I have seen without showers. There is some shade, but you have to search for it.

  • Marisa A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2020

    Paul Wolff Campground

    Great value Chicago suburb campsite

    I've camped here four different occasions this 2020 covid-19 year. The staff are super nice and the campground has great social distancing rules in place for the check-in shack and bathrooms. It is a super clean campground with multiple hosts and forest preserve staff. There are a large number of RV pads overlooking the prairie and a few along a grove of trees. I was lucky once to see the equestrian area full of campers with their horses. There are 9 walk-in tent sites about 10-20 yards from parking (the two at the end p7 and p9 are connected for groups that know each other). There are multiple ada sites and two "walk-in/ie roll-in" site in the tent-only area. It's a good mix of young people, retired people, and families. I've seen weekends with mainly RVs and one weekend with a quarter of the drive-in sites being tents. The most shaded sites are p1,3,5,7 and 9. Many of the sites in the middle are wide open with little shade but nice summer breezes. Prices are a great deal if you live in Kane county but still worth the trip if you live in another county. Firewood is $7 for about .75 cu ft (what you can fit in a milk crate.) There are a few trails and I've seen lots of butterflies, gold finches, hawks, deer, flocks of giant sandhill cranes, rabbits, ground squirrels, and of course actual squirrels. Lots of people (including me) bring their leashed dogs. The other campers have been polite and friendly. I wish there was more distance between sites in the water/electrical loops for more privacy, but I'd go every weekend if I lived in Kane county because it would be worth the resident price even tho there are so many RVs. Because there is electrical it is a peaceful campground with no generator noise.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 12, 2020

    Honeysuckle Hollow — Chain O' Lakes State Park

    Well maintained and clean

    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. The staff was very helpful answering any questions and giving recommendations. We stayed on a primitive/wilderness site for $12 with no electric. They will allow anyone on these sites-we even saw huge RV'S and 5th wheels on primitive sites.

    There are amazing trails through park for people to hike, bike, or ride horse on.

    Spring Grove is a tiny town nearby with a little corner bar called “The Grove”. They serve amazing food with great service. Very clean! I recommend checking it out if you’re looking for some good food.

  • Amy G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 15, 2021

    MacQueen Forest Preserve

    Beautiful primitive campground I almost don't want to tell anyone about

    $4 individual primitive site

    Note: if you cannot sleep to the sound of trains at night, this is not the campground for you. I don't mind them at all, and rather enjoy the sound, but there were probably three of them that went by in the middle of the night rather close to the campground. There's a little bit of road noise, but not disturbing at all in the middle of the night. There's also a river on one side of the campground, but it can only be heard if you were at one particular campsite.

    This is one of those places that's so awesome, you really don't want to tell people about it. It used to be an old boy scout camp, and now they let the public use it. There are eight primitive campsites here, and they're spread out at least 50 yards apart. That's right, at least 50 yards. You can't see the campsite next to you, and they all have a picnic table and a fire ring. You do have to walk into all of them, but they do have one wagon and a dolly you can use to tote things in. It's an easy walk, on a crushed gravel road and mowed trail, and they do have one space near the parking lot that's handicap accessible. About half of the campsites are in a meadow at the back end of the campground. It would be beautiful for stargazing! There's also a giant fire pit with benches. The perfect area for a small group camp (as long as each party paid for the campsite that's back there).

    There's vault toilets and the one I used wasn't terrible, but it is primitive. There's even a light switch inside with a functioning light! There is a ranger house at the very front, and I get the impression that there's the possibility that someone actually lives there. The campsite looked very well maintained, like it had been freshly mowed around the edges.

    Even if the rangers don't actually live here, they're here regularly and it's obvious.

    The very best part? You're in the middle of the country, with gorgeous sunsets, and the primitive camping is only $4.

    There is water, but it is not, I repeat is not, potable.

    There are trash cans and dumpsters. There's also a lodge and pavilion which can be rented out for separate cost.

    I'll definitely be back next time I'm through this area. It's all self-checking, you just use the pay box in the parking lot.

  • Jonathan S.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 21, 2023

    Big Rock Campground

    First time campers

    Nice clean area to camp. Most of the sites are for travel camper or RV’s.

    A couple of drive Ups.

    50/30 amps hookups. Water hookups as well. Great water pressure.

    Running water restrooms & non-running water restrooms.

    2-dump sites they have sections for tent camping- but down fall is they do not have showers.

    Overall experience was great and we will return.

  • Scott N.
    Jul. 14, 2020

    Thomas Woods Campground

    Great trails, loud neighbors, lots of bugs

    Thomas Woods campground has some great sites, particularly the tent sites. Many of them are set off a short distance from the parking area. I stayed at site 30 which was less than a tenth mile from the parking spot. There are no trash cans at the site, the dumpsite is near the entrance. Most of the roads are one way so after dropping the trash off you must drive all through the campground to get back to your site. The site itself had plenty of room and privacy. The woods are dense and block all views of the neighboring sites. Unfortunately, I think some people think if they can’t see you, you can’t hear them. Every site has a raised pad for a tent. This was very nice. I did track in some of the small gravel into the tent, though. It looks like kitty litter. Not a big deal. It was nice sleeping flat and not sliding off my sleep pad.

    Near Marengo Ridge is a bike trail called H.U.M. Trail. It is only 3.5 miles long. From what I understand is they lost funding for the project. The path is paved and offers a scenic forested view. The hiking trails of Marengo Ridge are the true stars of the area. I walked for almost two hours and still didn’t see them all. Some of the trails have wide paths of grass while others are single-track dirt. 

    As other reviewers have written, the mosquitoes are insane.  Bring plenty of bug spray!

    My website:  https://www.lost13.com/camping/2020/7/13/marengo-ridge

    My video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh4TzLzf\_PY&t=1s

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 20, 2019

    Paul Wolff Campground

    Amazing hiking and beautifully kept but a bit pricey

    This campground is in a populated area but the nature preserve is big. We rarely saw traffic once here. A train goes by a couple times but it was always during the day. 

    It’s pricey if you are from out of the county. We were hoping to camp at the primitive sites but they are walk-in only. Our teardrop wasn’t allowed. We settled at site 37 and enjoyed our stay. There are vault toilets but the large number of big RVs meant they were not used often leaving them almost like our private restrooms. Each site has water and electric. Trees are around the outside with few on the inside sites. All the sites have paved pads. 

    The highlight of our experience is the hiking. There are miles of trails. On one hike we were on paved, sifted gravel, grass and single trek trails. There are a lot of loops giving you options. When we left we still hadn’t hiked all of them. 

    If the price was more reasonable we would certainly be back. If you need the water/electric then this is a great choice.

Guide to Arlington Heights

Tent camping opportunities within an hour of Arlington Heights, Illinois include sites at forest preserves and state parks situated in both wooded settings and open meadows. Most locations require a short walk from parking areas to campsites, with distances ranging from 50 yards to a quarter mile depending on the site selected. Weather conditions include cold winters with occasional snow and summers that can reach high humidity and temperatures above 85°F.

What to do

Hiking trails access: Camp Shabbona Woods connects to trails suitable for day hiking, though visitors note the urban setting affects the experience. "Camp suite is set up very well for first time campers or new people interested in trying out camping. The campgrounds do not have a lot of shade as new saplings are still growing," reports Scott M.

River activities: MacQueen Forest Preserve campsites near the Kishwaukee River provide opportunities for wading and water exploration. "Some fellow campers were doing a diy tubing right to the campground. About a 2 hr lazy river tube from Kingston or 5hrs from Genoa on the slow moving S. Branch of the Kishwaukee River," notes Marisa A.

Cycling options: Channahon State Park Campground serves as a strategic stopping point for cyclists. "The Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail passes right by camp. You can stop for a rest or stay the night. It's a nice stopping distance if you are riding from Chicago to Starved Rock. The trail is crushed gravel and is a beautiful ride," explains Art S.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Sites at MacQueen Forest Preserve provide significant separation from other campers. "Spots are pretty spread out. Only sites 1,2,8 are forested the rest are around a large open field," reports Nick C., while another camper notes, "I hate to even tell people about this great spot."

Value for money: Kishwaukee Valley Farms and other preserves in the region offer camping at low costs. Marcus D. notes about MacQueen Forest Preserve, "I will definitely be going back this year especially since it's close to me and it's only $5/night."

Well-maintained facilities: Despite being primitive, many campsites receive regular maintenance. "Well maintained bathrooms, great secluded sites. Super easy no registration its first come first serve. I will be going again with my family," shares Darshon J. about one preserve, while another camper notes vault toilets with functioning lights at their campsite.

What you should know

Transportation logistics: Most tent sites near Arlington Heights require equipment to transport gear from parking areas. "Make sure you bring yours or are outfitted with backpacking gear. Like anywhere, prevent insect deforestation and don't bring firewood, it's fine, they have plenty," advises one camper about MacQueen.

Noise considerations: Camp Shabbona Woods and other sites may experience urban sound interference. "Definitely felt the urban community close by with ambulances and firetrucks noises in the background. They close the gates after 10pm was weird but overall ok," reports Jeffrey L.

Water availability: Drinking water access varies significantly between campgrounds. MacQueen Forest Preserve has pumps but campers report, "There is water, but it is not, I repeat is not, potable," requiring visitors to bring all drinking water needed for their stay.

Tips for camping with families

Best sites for first-timers: Hammel Woods offers more developed facilities making it suitable for novice campers and families with young children. Camp Shabbona Woods similarly provides "a very well set up" environment for families new to camping.

Winter camping options: Year-round access at some preserves allows for family winter camping experiences. "Second time coming to this great local spot. This time I stayed in site #8. By far the best spot on the grounds. Great remote location overlooking the river. Great time minus the winter squall that rolled threw our first night," shares Nick C.

Site selection strategy: For family camping near Arlington Heights, choose sites based on specific needs. "There is one wheelchair accessible tent site on a blacktop path in the forest canopy," notes one reviewer, while another mentions that sites in open fields provide better stargazing opportunities for children interested in astronomy.

Tips from RVers

Alternative accommodation options: While tent camping dominates near Arlington Heights, Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area provides alternatives for those seeking more shelter. Several preserves offer cabin rentals that provide protection from weather while maintaining a natural experience.

Parking constraints: RV and vehicle access is limited at most tent camping locations. Jeffrey L. notes about one campground, "No electric or water hook ups can't keep your vehicle close to your campsite," requiring careful planning for gear transportation from parking areas to campsites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Arlington Heights, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Arlington Heights, IL is MacQueen Forest Preserve with a 4.7-star rating from 6 reviews.

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TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Arlington Heights, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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