Looking for a place to go glamping near Baileyville? Glamping is not only a fun alternative to traditional tent camping, but also allows you to pack more or less gear as you see fit. Glamping offers quick access to one or more of Baileyville's most popular destinations.
Rock River Valley is home to 385 acres of paradisiacal forest, perfect for weekend getaways and family recreation. White Pines Forest State Park offers a serene backdrop for an ideal camping trip, smack dab in the heart of the vast rolling forest and dramatic Illinois bluffs. Featuring modern camp facilities, as well as up-to-date lodging, it’s easy to see why one might consider taking a voyage here. Not only are the amenities plentiful, the local geography is pretty stunning too. Gentle creek beds run against rich earthy banks through the park’s mossy cliffs and dangling vines. During the spring, wildflowers become plentiful, as trout lily, bloodroot, spring beauty, hepatica, and more all blossom into full bloom.
One of the most notable features of the park is a concrete ford which spans across the creeks. This enables drivers to pull directly up to the creek bed, and drive through the various streams. There’s even an accessible path leading straight to the bank for those interested in checking out the wildlife or taking advantage of the fishing nearby.
It goes without saying that picnicking is extremely popular here. In fact, there are over 100 campsites that feature their own picnic area, as well as various benches and clearings placed strategically throughout the park.
Thanks to the variety of campsite options, it’s really easy to find camping here at any time of year. White Pines is unique in that it boasts Class B/S Campsites vehicle access and spacious shower/flush buildings nearby. There are also 3 electric sites, however they are non-reservable. Likewise, group campgrounds cannot be reserved so be sure to wake up early for priority camping!
Whether you visit for an afternoon or stay a few days, you will leave Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area with many happy memories. Located in Stephenson County just west of Route 73 on Lake Road, the park is 6 miles south of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line and 3 miles north of Lena.
Highlighted by a 40-acre lake and all the recreational opportunities there, the park also offers multi-use trails, picnic areas, and RV, tent, equestrian and youth group campgrounds.
Developed as part of a statewide plan to provide Illinois citizens with recreational opportunities close to home, the park was started with a land acquisition program in 1948 and dedicated as a 715-acre state recreation area 10 years later.
Lake Le-Aqua-Na’s name is the result of a contest sponsored by the Stephenson County Sportsman’s Club, one of the park’s many sponsors. The name is a combination of the town of Lena and the Latin word for water, aqua.
$10 - $30 / night
Crazy Horse Campground is a family campground located along the banks of the beautiful Sugar River in Brodhead, Wisconsin. You can enjoy tubing, canoeing, kayaking (we have rentals and shuttles), or fishing on the river. Our heated pool, mini-golf, jumping pillow and skate park give you several fun options, as well as weekly activities that are planned all season long for your family’s holiday recreation.
$20 / night
$60 / night
Family owned and operated, we pride ourselves on being an affordable FUN destination for families of all sizes. You will never be charged additional daily fees for your own dependent children, nor will you incur any "resort fees" typical of our industry. Your nightly site rental fee or annual Seasonal fee is all you pay to enjoy most of the amenities and services that we have to offer! Our planned activities and themed weekends will keep your group entertained for the entirety of your stay! You are welcome to participate in all of our activities or just sit back and RELAX, while taking in the beautiful scenery and serenity of our remote setting on 130 acres. We offer annual Seasonal sites and overnight, weekly and monthly site rentals for tents and campers. For those that desire the comforts of home, we offer rental options including park models, cabins and travel trailer rentals. Leave behind the hustle and bustle of your every day life, and escape to Green River Oaks Resort for a few days, a weekend, a month or join us for the whole season! We welcome reunions and camping groups of all sizes. Come see what you've been missing!
$8 - $35 / night
At King’s Camp, we’re open about our Faith but we don’t force that on anyone. All our welcomed and encouraged to come experience God’s creation on our 90+ acres campground.
We have a total of four cabins that can be rented out. Great for families, friends, or large groups.
Our property holds over 75 individual RV Sites each equipped with working utilities that are updated and maintained regularly for your families home away from home!
Tent camping is available no matter how small or large your group is! We have multiple sites around the campground for varying levels of seclusion. Tent sites are great for weekend stays and larger groups.
$35 / night
Scout
first timers/ young kids- yes. Primitive campers- no. My husband had never been camping. I grew up with very primitive camping- no electricity, only pit toilets, sometimes fresh water, and no showers (milk jug showers!) Little by little, I’m warming him up to camping. This is a great place for new campers, families of young kids, or just looking for an easier trip. There’s a shower house with flush toilets, warm showers, and surprisingly CLEAN! The site was medium size. Enough room to spread out. Ground was flat so finding a tent site was no problem. Electric hookup worked. Picnic table was good. Check your site before booking! One section of sites is like an open field? No trees and full view of others. But these surround a playground- also very nice. Glamping with young kids? These sites would be a perfect. AT&T and Verizon cell service worked fine
Scout
Hhidden along the Rock River in Prophetstown Illinois is the state park campground. Plenty of sites for both tents and campers, playgrounds, shower rooms that are very clean compared to others we have been to. Walking distance from stores, and easy access to the water.
Legend
This was an unexpected good find in Illinois. The campground was nice with the standard set up - picnic tables, restrooms, water available. You can follow the road or the trails and make your way to the lake. We didn't go in the lake but we saw people fishing.
The hiking trails were enjoyed often by us. We found one section that had some interesting wildflowers. We paused and turned around when we found the archery area. We suggest keeping an eye on hunting season if you head this way.
We would certainly return in the future.
Ranger
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.
Legend
Wow! This place is massive! That was my first impression when visiting this family-owned and operated campground located just outside of Amboy, here in northern Illinois, where the sheer veracity of this place (some 130 acres in total) is simply enormous. While when I think of anything too oversized (big trucks, big houses, big buffet lines), I tend to cringe, because, you know, oversized anything comes with pretty big drawbacks, right? But somehow, the concept of oversized here isn’t terribly bad – there’s space, and very good distance between you and the folks that would be your neighbors. These grounds are pretty well taken care of and very well organized.
As for the campground, there’s a number of snaking gravel roadways that will have you navigate the entire property, which by my count, takes up about 4-5 football fields – sometimes hilly, sometimes flat – of cleared north central Illinois farmland. Surrounding the campground is a fairly good wall of brush, ancient Oak and Walnut trees, and of course, the ever-present, and now in late Autumn, completely barren corn fields.
Amenities? Yeah, this place has more amenities than Disneyland! The basic hook-ups for RVs can be found here (30 / 50 amp electrical, water and sewage) along with 2 heated swimming pools (although they shut off the heat towards the end of the season in late October), 2 playgrounds, ball pits, carpet ball tables (don’t ask), great fishing on nearby Lake St. George where you’ll catch blue gill, bass and even some catfish as well as Green River – which is truly the gem of this place – where you can fish, canoe, kayak, inner-tube and otherwise float down this small stream), free arts & crafts for the kiddos, kayak rentals, free WiFi in select spots (trust me, the signal is not terribly great), a cost-free bike exchange program, community library, courts of all kinds (volleyball, tennis and basketball), shuffleboard, horseshoe pits, mini-golf course (I know, I can’t believe it either!), rec room with foosball, billiards (or pool as it’s called around here), air hockey, video games, card tables, etc. There’s even a baseball diamond here! You’ll discover a laundry room, folding area, general store with snack bar, proper dump station as well as even a propane filling station. Geez, this is one long list of amenities!
This place is family owned and operated by Dennis and Nanette Gillan – who are two of the nicest people I’ve ever met – and offers pricing by the night, week, month or by the season. Truth be told, you can drop anchor here for the whole year if you’d like, although it’s fairly desolate and deserted during the winter months. Best part? Even if you don’t have a tent or RV of your own, this place has you covered by offering affordable leasing options for both RV’s and some pretty sweet cabins.
Here’s something noteworthy – while I didn’t get to enjoy with my family when we were visiting during the Fall, apparently, during the summer, each week has a theme attached to it (e.g. Barnyard Palooza), and subsequent activities organized around it, so if you’ve got kids that you are thinking about putting in a camp during the summer, this might be a really good option for you. Did I fail to mention that there’s even a free arts & crafts class for the kiddos every weekend? This place is truly VERY family-friendly.
Insider’s tip? Here’s a few: (1) If you get tired of eating beans and dogs fireside, fret not, just a short drive from Green River Oaks to nearby Amboy, where I recommend the fried chicken over at Long Branch Saloon (although their family-style pasta offering is pretty good too); (2) If it’s your thirst that needs quenching, then just head on over for a tall boy at Depot Tap or Last Alarm for daily drink specials and some seriously bad Karaoke; (3) If you come bearing any sort of watercraft, while the Green River is nice, for more challenging waters to navigate, head due north to Dixon for some pretty gnarly currents on the Rock River; and (4) For a truly amazing outdoor immersion, head a bit further north to Lorado Taft, where you’ll have plenty of trails to explore, all from a scenic overlook where there’s a towering statue of the great Indian chief, Black Hawk.
Happy Camping!
Ranger
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.
RangerWe 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.
RangerFound 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.
LegendThe 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.
LegendThis 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.
RangerThis was my favorite place to go camping as a kid because you could drive through the water! There's a creek/river that runs through the park and the road runs through it in two spots. There are bridges for pedestrians. But for a 7 yr old Midwestern kid this was exciting stuff. This place is great though the campground never fills up so you can still just drive out on a weekend. Nice trails well kept. Also they have a cute lodge and restaurant so check those out too.
ScoutI'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!
GuideI didn't camp here and I'm not sure I'd want to but they do have a great trail system if you want to hike around for a day.
TravelerStayed over memorial day weekend 2017. Even though it was a busy weekend the campground was fairly quiet. Pit toilets were kept pretty clean but the shower house was muddy. This was probably due to the amount of people there on Memorial Day weekend. The sites are a nice size although if you have something other than a tent getting it into the sites might prove difficult. We camped with the pop-up and were able to get our pop up in a spot but there are no pads. The trailheads were a bit difficult to find but once on the trail they were very well-marked. The best part of the campground is probably the fords you drive through to get to the camp sites, that's always fun. Unfortunately due to heavy rains the Fords were closed and we had to use the emergency road. The loop we stayed in all had drive-up campsites however others were short walk ins. These were located in smaller fields that would be great for small groups or two families camping together. Will definitely go back with my tent on a weekend that is not so busy.
TravelerWe’ve gone camping here the last two Memorial Day weekends with our three kids currently aged 8, 6, and 3. the hikes are all very doable, there is a playground, ice cream at the lodge and a few wide open spaces for frisbee or playing catch. The hikes were confidence boosters for our kids. Some of them you get to walk through the streams which is always great fun for everyone. highly recommend this state park!
ScoutGreat 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.
GuideThough the campsites are pretty close together, the park itself is HUGE. so many trails to choose from and tons are areas to dip in the water. all around beautiful spot
TravelerWell kept camping sites. Easy drive up style. Picnic tables and fire pits on site. Bathrooms and dumpster close by. River that is walk and drive through!
ScoutI'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.
TravelerGreat forests and trails! Nice for camping in that the campsites are not too close together but there are still bathrooms
GuideThis camp site does not have very secluded spots. I would have enjoyed a more quiet plot of land amongst some pine trees.
We did not get out to see much of the park. Would like to come back and experience the actual beauty of the park not just the family campground.
LegendIf 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.
GuideGreat park for the newer"primitive camper". Beware the sites that are on an incline. Vault toilets very accessible through out the park It's pretty cool that you have to drive through the crik to get to the campground. Fishing was lackluster, but it was also the second weekend after quarantine. Camp hostest is super nice!
TravelerNo electricity on but 2 or 3 sites but we loved our time camping here. We have been here 2 times and had no problems. So sites are close but as campers we work out our site to not interfere with others. Love the hiking and the forges. We will be back.
ScoutThis 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.
GuideLet's start with the good stuff:
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.
GuideThis is one of hte better state park campgrounds in northern IL, in my opinion. The sites are a bit more private and secluded than others. Like all state parks right now (2016) they could use some attention and maintenance, but it's not bad given the current situation in our state. The state park itself is nice, with pretty trails. There are several other state parks in the nearby area, which makes for a fun weekend of exploration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Baileyville, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Baileyville, IL is White Pines Forest State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 25 reviews.
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