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Big Rock Campground accommodates pets with water and electric hookups across nearly 100 improved sites. Dogs must be leashed at all times and owners are responsible for waste cleanup. The level, spacious sites provide ample room for pets to rest alongside their owners in tents or RVs. Visitors note the campground is relatively new with young trees, offering wide-open spaces for dogs to enjoy the surrounding wildflowers and wildlife viewing opportunities. Water hookups are positioned behind camping pads, requiring extra hose length for convenient access. The campground maintains clean facilities with running water restrooms, though no showers are available. Non-Kane County residents pay additional fees for overnight stays.
Nearby trails within Big Rock Forest Preserve provide excellent opportunities for dog walking, with a short hiking path connecting to a scenic one-mile loop around the lake. Dogs can access the small beach area where many campers launch kayaks and canoes for fishing excursions. Wildlife sightings are common, with campers frequently spotting deer and rabbits throughout the preserve. Campers with pets should be prepared for limited shade in summer months, as the young trees haven't matured enough to provide adequate coverage. During peak camping season, the preserve remains surprisingly quiet despite full occupancy, making it suitable for pets sensitive to noise. The surrounding Yorkville area offers additional pet supplies at nearby retail locations for emergency needs.
"Nearby Siegler Lake and Big Rock Creek in the Big Rock Forest Preserve are picturesque."
"They have a short hiking path that leads to big rock forest preserve where there is a tiny beach that we use to put our kayaks and canoes into for floating parties."
from $18 - $35 / night
Check Availability"If you find yourself out in these parts near Shabbona in north central Illinois it is because of either one of two reasons - you are incredibly lost and stumbled across this hidden natural preserve gem"
"All within easy walking distance to the lake. Camp store and two boat rental spots allow for flexiblity on busier weekends."
from $25 / night
Check Availability"Just outside of Chicago, we have been staying here for quick weekend trips and absolutely love the proximity to home."
"I always loved going to the parks in Illinois with my grandparents when I was little. They love hiking and nature and definitely got me interested in it also. I love them and miss them everyday."
from $20 - $30 / night
Check Availability"This location has been taken over by new management and they are absolutely the greatest! We will continue to go there for as long as we live in this area."
"There’s something so comforting about pulling into Sycamore RV Resort and seeing the sunlight dance across those two spring-fed lakes, giving you that immediate exhale that only a calm Midwestern campground"
"Postage stamp space on gravel but we had things to do outside the resort. Nice walking path around the two ponds. The ponds are very low due to drought this summer."
"The staff are super nice and the campground has great social distancing rules in place for the check-in shack and bathrooms."
"Half of them were in the Prairie and the other half was tucked into wonderfully private spots with burn pits and picnic tables. We hiked the trail and saw a mother deer feeding her 2 babies."
from $12 - $35 / night
Check Availability"There's a gorgeous Creek, a lovely small lake and I really enjoy the walking trails."
"The location requires a 2 night stay minimum."
from $65 - $95 / night
Check Availability"bordering Lake Michigan, right?"
"We camp here every year around my daughters birthday and celebrate her birthday out here...there is a lake stocked with fish and also a creek behind the campground as well...we love coming back here year"
"Quiet campground not far off the highway! Didn’t expect this kind of camping in Illinois! Nicely wooded and picturesque area, similar to northern Wisconsin!"
"Beautiful Starved Rock is Illinois's favorite state park. Hiking through forests along the Illinois River to canyons and waterfalls with eagles soaring overhead."
from $25 - $35 / night
Check Availability"Situated about five miles west of Yorkville in Kendall County, Silver Springs State Fish& Wildlife Area spans over 1,350 acres including the beautiful Silver Springs, two manmade lakes and several"
TravelerVery friendly host at the gate! Just what my wife and I were looking for. Quiet campground not far off the highway! Didn’t expect this kind of camping in Illinois! Nicely wooded and picturesque area, similar to northern Wisconsin!
ScoutAlthough we camped in Illinois record rainfall, we still had a blast. Plenty of trees to hammock, clean bathrooms, and a great river view.
ScoutWe’ve been staying at this resort for several months now, and wanted to share some feedback based on our experience.
The pool only opened mid-summer.
Water quality has been very bad. On one occasion, our pet had stomach issues after drinking tap water, which was concerning. The water is so unclean that our shower develops yellow stains within a day, and we’ve had to install a five-stage filtration system just to make it usable.
We’ve also noticed that rules aren’t enforced consistently, and it sometimes feels like certain guests are treated unfairly. For example, while we were told that personal kiddie pools aren’t allowed, we’ve counted at least six others set up around the park.
Package delivery is only permitted under special circumstances, and only if pre-approved by staff.
Had an incident where a staff member criticized my swimsuit at the pool, despite it being modest and similar to what others were wearing. I wore this swimsuit to many pools for many years. Additionally, the beach area is often closed even during posted open hours, and pool hours or updates aren’t clearly communicated—you have to inquire to get any information.
The storm shelter is typically locked, making it inaccessible in emergencies, which is a major concern.
We’ve also had to fix the swing set at the playground ourselves multiple times, as it’s been broken for a while. Many of the park’s facilities and amenities are showing their age and could benefit from updates and maintenance.
That said, there are aspects we’ve truly enjoyed, and they’re the main reasons we’ve continued our stay: the spacious layout of the RV park, a nice lake, beach, pool, gym, and a dog park.
GuideBeautiful spot for our single overnight. Staff were great; friendly and helpful. Park was well kept, with lots of green around RV and tent sites. Nice pool, dog park, store, and even a stream system that wanders through the park (no swimming in the stream). Also close to Starved Rock State Park for some neat scenery and hiking. The only downside side is that some of the RV sites are a little close together - didn’t impact our stay though. Two thumbs up! :)
GuideWe are here on Memorial Day weekend and it is full, but still very quiet. The sites are well maintained including the fire pit areas. Water hookup is back from pad so as others have said, bring the longer water hose. Nearby Siegler Lake and Big Rock Creek in the Big Rock Forest Preserve are picturesque.
LegendAs we were driving eastbound on I80 that day, we spotted the Love’s RV Hookup, which is a new concept that this oversized fueling depot / travel store has been working on for the past year or so. Having checked out one of their other locations in Bloomington earlier in the year, which I have to admit, I was fairly impressed by, we decided to stop in here to have a look. Located just due east on the outskirts of little known Morris, Illinois just off I80, this little roadside stand isn’t the largest Love’s I’ve ever seen, but it sure does pack a punch.
If you do find yourself hustling and bustling east or west along the I80 corridor and are in need of a pit stop or an overnight stay, then the good folks at the Love’s RV Hookup have you covered. While the other Love’s I have stopped by seem enormous by comparison, this spot felt more like a corner convenience store that also had a fairly large fueling bay (4 double-sided pumps) in the front, primarily for cars and SUVs.
As you pull in, there’s 4 spots earmarked to the right of the entrance for RV’s. As you pull further along in front of the Love’s fueling bay, on the other side, an additional 6 or so slots exist for other RVs to park. In all, there’s 10 back-in RV slots available and inside you’ll find that there’s 7 individual shower stalls (all of which were in pristine, brand-new shape when we stopped by) along with a laundry facility, which we were happily surprised by, as well as a designated RV dump service, propane refill station and all of the typical hook-ups (water, 30 / 50 amp electric and sewage) along with WiFi. Inside, there’s of course the Love’s retail market, which was just decent, an ATM, Hardee’s and Naf-Naf (think Subway, but instead, Middle Eastern food). There’s even a small dog park here. As I hinted at, quite a lot here for such a small location.
If you would like something more substantial to eat, just head back west on I80 to the next exit, where if you head north there’s an IHOP, Chili’s, Bellacino’s Pizza or you can head on back to the TA Travel Center where they actually have a proper sit-down 24 hour restaurant called R-Place. If instead of heading north, you drive south on the main drag (Road 47), there’s a Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Hut, Starbuck’s, Wendy’s, Culver’s, Dunkin' and Burger King. But if you want something a bit more memorable, I would recommend either Morris Diner & Pancake House or La Casa Michoacana. And if you don’t mind a slightly longer drive back towards Ottawa, there’s 2 amazing places I would recommend that you won’t soon forget: Hank’s and Lone Buffalo.
Should you want to actually enjoy a bit of the nature around these parts, you can continue to head south on N. Division Street / Road 47 where you’ll come to 2 parks: Goold and Chapin, where either would make for a great place to stretch your legs, walk the dog or grab a picnic. If you’d like something a bit more splendid, then head on over to William G. Stratton SP or Gebhard Woods SP where you will be able to hike the I&M Canal State Trail.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 5
Safety & Security: 4
Quality: 5
Peace & Quiet: 4
Amenities: 3
Overall, I scored this location a 4.
Happy Overnighting!
ScoutWe bought our first RV in 2019 and this place was in town so we used it to learn how to better rv camp after work some days. They have a short hiking path that leads to big rock forest preserve where there is a tiny beach that we use to put our kayaks and canoes into for floating parties. Fishing is decent and it has a 1 mile loop that goes up and down hill around the lake. Peaceful and quiet. Great place to get away and chill.
RangerI was here for three months this time as i get to business completed. The park was still kept up very nicely and this time I was here long enough to be able to see how. The grass is mowed every week. There is patroling at all hours for security. The laundry machines are great the dryers ore good. The dog park is clean and secure. The lake is natural and kept free of litter and garbage. The park is much bigger than i thought it was last year. The store has many items you may need. The showers are cleaned and work great. The camp water is high in Iron. The pot roads need service as thay do have a lot of pot holes. Good thing for the 5mph speed limit.
LegendMy first impression when I first arrived here was the overwhelming scent of a newly minted campground, what with the freshly laid gravel, the mint condition security gates, finely manicured and recently raked greenery (as it was October when we visited, it might be better described as brownery) surrounded by a fairly decent gated enclosure lined with perfectly pruned tall towering oaks. Upon arrival, you’ll find what looks to be a brand-spanking new log cabin office on the right after passing a seemingly freshly-minted activities center / community lodge complete with in-ground heated swimming pool and jacuzzi on the left.
Amenities? As you could guess, this pet-friendly 60-acre RV resort has all the attractions in spades from pickleball, playgrounds, volleyball, log pergola patio, full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water & sewage), picnic tables, fire pits, BBQ grills, wagon rides, river access, picnic areas, bathhouses w/ showers & restrooms, cable TV WiFi (pretty poor connection though), gaga ball, game room, community room, billiards table, playground, wet bar, tabletop shuffleboard, community living room with large screen TV, DVD player w/ DVD library, clubhouse, dog park, horseshoes, hot tub, covered pavilions with picnic tables, catch & release ponds, inflatable water toys, jumping pillow, laundr-O-mat, propane refueling station and dump station.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) This place isn’t EZ to find – for some reason, if you plug the campground into your GPS, you’ll literally be on the wrong side of the tracks, where you will arrive at a dead end with a sign that says you are in the wrong place and that you’ll need to double-back, cross the train tracks heading north and turn right just before arriving to High Road School of Belvidere (so if you see a school, you’ve gone too far); (2) You will want to take note that yes, you actually cross train tracks to get to this campground, so if you’re sharp, you’re going to want to ensure you haven’t booked a site right next to where trains will shoot through every few hours, this specifically means avoiding sites #E1-#E5 and #FS23-#FS36 as well as #FE1-#FE20; (3) If you’re a tent camper, you can certainly stay here, but you will want to note that this is very much an RV outpost; (4) The best sites IMHO are those on the northernmost perimeter, as far away from the train tracks as you can get and that also border the Kishwaukee River with sites #S9-#S20 being excellent, as well as #S25-#S81, which are equally amazing; (5) If you are planning on using that amazing pool that you saw as you came in, make sure you call management a good day or two before you come in to ensure that they turn on the heater – when we were there for 2 days, by the time we left, the pool was still too cold to go for a dip; and (6) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up a meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler and want to venture out to try some local fare, just a short walk into the nearby town is Garden Prairie Café, which has a very simple menu offering no shortage of fried everything (fish, shrimp, chicken, etc.) and then there’s Pleasant Street Tavern, but that’s mostly cheap national beers and frozen pizza fare, so if you want something a bit more substantive, head west of here to Miles Bar N’ Grill that serves up typical Midwestern fare like cheese curds, pork tenderloin, Italian beef and a variety of fried fish like blue gill, cod and catfish.
Happy Camping!
Big Rock camping areas offer level, accessible sites across multiple forest preserves and recreation areas. Most campgrounds in the region sit at 700-850 feet elevation with summer temperatures averaging 80-85°F and high humidity. Winter camping is available at select locations, though water systems are typically winterized from November through March.
Fishing opportunities: At Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area, the lake provides excellent fishing conditions year-round. "The lake has produced a lot of trophy fish, if that's your thing. Otherwise it's quiet and peaceful. We like to go just to chill and read out in the woods," notes Scott C.
Hiking trails: Nearby Blackwell Forest Preserve offers multiple trail systems for various skill levels. "We like to hike and this site had great (kid and beginner adult level) trails. We were in town for the Sgt Tommys fishing day and lived that event as well," reports Nicole R.
Swimming beach: During summer months, families enjoy the sandy beach areas at Hi-Tide Campgrounds. "When the lake is open it's great to bring kids for the water sports. They have dances every Saturday night. It's mostly an RV park, but really great for the family," shares Amanda P.
Quiet atmosphere: Most campers appreciate the peaceful setting at Paul Wolff Campground. "Well maintained park. We stayed at a tent site, nearby pit toilets are basic with no running water. Odd numbered sites had better shade than evens," writes Cari B.
Lake activities: The recreation options at nearby lakes receive high marks. "Love going to this campground. Always nice and clean. Bath/showers are very clean with hot water. Nicely kept grounds with a beautiful lake for dock and boat fishing," reports Meg K. about Shabbona Lake.
Wildlife viewing: Nature enthusiasts can spot various animals throughout the forest preserves. "I've seen lots of butterflies, gold finches, hawks, deer, flocks of giant sandhill cranes, rabbits, ground squirrels, and of course actual squirrels," one camper noted about their experience at Paul Wolff Campground.
Reservation requirements: Many campgrounds fill quickly, especially during summer weekends. "Book early- reservations open online 6 months in advance and book up quickly. Most summer weekends are completely full," advises Kim L. at Starved Rock Campground.
Limited shade: Several campgrounds in the region have young trees that don't provide significant coverage. "This is a pretty new camp site, so the trees need some time to get big enough to provide some shade," explains David W.
Hookup positioning: Water connections are sometimes inconveniently placed. "Water hookup is far behind camping pad - bring extensions!" warns Amanda K.
Water recreation: Jellystone Park Millbrook offers extensive water activities for children. "My family and I have been going to Jellystone in Millbrook for the past 4 years now. The last 2 years have been the best out of the 4. This location has been taken over by new management and they are absolutely the greatest!" enthuses Chad C.
Playground access: Several dog friendly campgrounds near Big Rock feature playground equipment. "Fun for the kids. The pool is nice as well as the hot tub. The hot tub is supposed to be adult only but it isn't really enforced. That's a little disappointing. The mini golf was really neat," says Jeff G.
Weekend events: Check campground calendars for special activities. "My family never misses the Halloween camping season at Millbrook. This is an activity packed weekend which is amazing. Good for kids of all ages including the adults," mentions Marc W.
Site selection: At most pet-friendly camping areas near Big Rock, strategic site choice makes a difference. "Sites 96 and 97 would be my picks if I could choose: both are private and have large camping pad areas. Avoid the sites by water spouts and roads, there is no privacy when everyone is cutting through your site!" advises Kim L.
Leveling considerations: Most sites in the region require minimal leveling. "The sites are pretty level. The spaces are roomy and a mix of open grass as well as more private wooded spaces. At least half of the spaces will accommodate large RVs," notes Jeff G. about Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area.
Hookup preparation: When staying at dog-friendly campgrounds near Big Rock, be prepared for water access challenges. "The water hookups are kind of far from the individual sites (make sure you have extra hose)," cautions Rodney D.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Big Rock, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Big Rock, IL is Big Rock Campground with a 3.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Big Rock, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 90 dog-friendly camping locations near Big Rock, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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