Best Glamping near Bloomington, IL

Needed a couple nights stay near Bloomington and chose site #29 sight unseen. Ended up having to grab a different site since #29 was too unlevel. The campground office was very accommodating. Park is very well maintained with small lake access and lots of open space. Enjoyed peace and quiet with only one other camper in our loop. Filled the fresh water tank on the way end and used the easy access dump on the way out. Verizon signal was minimal, but worked. Recommend the McLean County History Museum in downtown Bloomington. Located in the old courthouse building and extremely well done.

Located just northwest of Bloomington, which is located absolutely smack-dab in the middle of the state of Illinois, you’ll discover a nature wonderland over here nearly hidden from plain site. One moment you’ll be driving down the well-paved country road with golden tassles of corn popping up on either side of you and the very next, you’ll turn into a wooded sanctuary that is punctuated by the marvelous Evergreen Lake, which was built in 1970 and is some 925 acres in size with an average depth of nearly 20 feet and 50 feet at its deepest.

It is this fresh body of water that really makes Comlara County Park stand-out from just about anything else in the surrounding area. It has not one but two outstanding boat launches as well as a separate launch for canoes and kayaks. There are simply tons of little nooks and crannies all around the lake to get some decent fishing in – which you will predominantly find largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, saugeye, muskellunge and crappie – as well as a small individual isle called Deer Island, although when we explored the small land mass, no deer were to be found. There’s boat rentals and a bait shop that is available on the weekends only as well as a proper beach head with swimming available 7 days a week during the summertime (Memorial Day – Labor Day).

As far as the campground(s) are concerned – if you look closely, there's actually not 1, not 2, not even 3, but actually 4 to choose from – but if you add up all of the 144 campsites (apart from the primitive camping options) collectively, they are spaced a little too close to comfort for my taste, which when you add on top of that there isn’t much brush or anything separating you from your neighbors camping alongside of you. This is likely my biggest complaint: privacy. If that doesn’t matter to you and you enjoying being in a large wide open space chock full with other tents, RVs and 5th wheelers, then Comlara County Park is a great choice for you.

I would first begin by pointing out that the entire Comlara Park is very well organized, kept impeccably clean and very easy to navigate with relatively good roads and decent signage. It feels as though whether you are looking for a trail to hike, a spot to launch your kayak, biking trails to navigate or finding a fishing hole to cast a line, everything seems as though it is in very close reach and just a short walk away. All of the 144 campsites are made available on a first-come, first served basis, with 94 including 30 / 50 amp electric while 23 are non-electric sites, with the 11 remaining devoid of any hook-ups.

For my tent-pitching primitive bredren, there’s 16 walk-in sites in the main recreation area (I guess that is situated amongst or in-between the other 3 campgrounds that exist here), but there is a completely separate whole other area (oh, and located completely in a different county altogether), which is technically a completely different campground in a completely separate physical location with these 16 primitive campsites.

With amenities in mind, aside from the greatest asset being Evergreen Lake itself and beyond the associated amenities that have already been highlighted (e.g. boat launch, beach, canoe / boat rental, bait shop) there’s 3 kid’s playground, at least 5 large shelters by my count, at least 3 his / her bathroom and shower facilities as well as scattered in-ground fire rings, water spigots (basically planted every 3rd or 4th site) stand-up BBQ grills as well as the prerequisite picnic tables, all of which were in very condition during our stay. There’s only one dump station, which seemed odd considering that there’s at least 3 campgrounds if not 4 here and 144 sites collecting garbage at a single time. There is firewood, ice and fishing worms available at the visitors center and campground station in the main area.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If like me you are a primitive tent camper and on the look out for some pretty amazing, not-so-EZ places on earth to really feel like you are out enjoying pristine, undisturbed nature, then you’ll want to have a very close look at the primitive camping areas west of Evergreen Lake over near White Oak. There’s 16 or so simply excellent lakefront sites over here along with your own boat dock; (2) Should you be ‘herd camping’ with a much larger group, there’s actually a simply fantastic hidden group camping oasis over here in White Oaks as well that you can get away from it all; (3) In the event that you grow weary of cooking up franks & beans again for dinner, you’ll have a decent drive to either El Paso, where there’s a Monical’s Pizza, Dairy Queen, Casey’s, El Paso Mexican or, upgrade yourself to The Local Tap, which is a craft kitchen and alehouse serving up some excellent fare. Of course, you could head into Bloomington, of which you will find everything, but that’s a bit of a hike unless, like me, you would make that drive to either have some of the best deep dish pizza Chicago has to offer, Giordano’s, or one of the greatest sausage and Italian beef joints in the world, Portillo’s.

Happy Camping!

Full hookups each site. On Illinois river. Has cabins for rent, showers. Check it out on google.

Stayed with daughter in tent site right on shore of Illinois River. Has marina adjacent, showers, host, and laundry. Inexpensive tent sites with access for fishing, paddling, wildlife and sunset viewing.

Peaceful campground, well maintained, beautiful views of the Upper Peoria Lake/Illinois River. We enjoyed a nice pull-through full hookup site that required minimal leveling. Water has a lot of iron so does smell/taste weird.

We stayed here last year and will likely stay there again this year when we are back in Illinois. The park has two sides, one side closer to the stage. We haven’t been there when they have shows, so I can’t speak to what that is like. When we were there it was lovely. There is plenty of shade, sites are large enough for our Class A and they are pet friendly.

In mid-Illinois a campground waits for you. Well tended grassy sites with an impeccable grassy picnicking area. There was plenty of room in our site but most of the campground is empty. It would feel more crowded when full due to a lack of vegetation between sites. We grabbed a non-electric site but most have electric. The showers/restrooms are centrally located and could be crowded if the camp was full. 

We set up and walked some in the trails. The conservation area extends across the road and that’s where most of the trails are. Start at the one room schoolhouse and make your way down wide trails. They aren’t that long but take a few and they add up. Stay on the camp side of the road and you can find large grassy areas with playgrounds and picnic shelters. A few trails are on this side too.

Clinton Lake Recreation area is just down the road if you want to fish or bring some watercraft. 

One note: if you reserve a camping spot it’s just to have a site. Specific campsites aren’t reserved. Get here early and you have your choice. 

This is a nice mid-Illinois campground!

This is our go-to campground when visiting the U of I. It is a large campground with well spaced campsites for tents and rvs. Almost every site has plenty of shade with lots of tree cover. This also means in the dog days of summer the breeze is blocked by the trees so get an electric site even with a tent and bring a fan. They have a beach and a boat launch. The loops that allow alcohol can get a bit rowdy with weekend partiers, but the alcohol restricted loops can get loud from all the families. However, with full hook-up options there is no generator noise. The showers/bathrooms are kept up well given the massive amount of people served. If you own a boat and camp, this place is ideal for central Illinois.

This waterfront campground is perfect for anglers and particularly boaters who want to have their vessels close at hand, tied up at the marina, providing quick and EZ access to a fresh body of water that is formed where Upper Lake Peoria meets the Illinois River. For campers who want to get away from it all, while still being within close driving distance to civilization, Carl Spindler offers the convenience of a nearby major city (Peoria) while still providing a decent escape for some rest & relaxation within a fairly decent vicinity to nature. The best part about this lakefront getaway – apart from the incredibly cheap prices for an overnight stay – was hands down, the very friendly staff who offer up everyone a very strong dose of Midwestern hospitality.

This pet-friendly CG offers a lot of amenities including: FHUs featuring electric, water and sewage as well as playground, community fire pit, restroom and shower facility that are in pretty good (not pristine) condition, laundry, fresh tap water, boat launch, 2 dump stations, WiFi (although very poor connection) and a beachhead. All sites are very level here and come with a picnic table, fire ring and electric, while a good number of the RV slots have a combination of electric amp options in addition to water and sewage hook-ups. At the marina, you can purchase ice, small sundries and camping supplies and / or simply use this spot to launch your boat, kayak or canoe from. There’s also options to rent a slip, store your boat and / or trailer for the winter. There’s even a deluxe cabin to rent in case you don’t have a tent or RV.

While most of Carl Spindler is designed more for the RV-driving or 5th Wheel toting kind – and to be honest, some of these look like longer-term residents and / or traveling professionals – offering up some 55 individual slots (some of which I would definitely describe as ‘very snug’), this outfit does provide 2 different options for decent camp sites with me tent pitchin’ bredren in mind, both of which sit right in front of the Illinois River. In these areas, and actually for the entire campground, there’s not much (if any) shade, tree cover or brush that contributes to an overall lack of privacy – so whatever your activities might be, you and your camping brood will be on full display to the rest of the campground. At least if you chose to set up your tent over in the primitive camping area, this area is still pretty underdeveloped (for now), so over in these parts, you’ll have a greater feeling of solitude, peace & quiet.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’d like to knock some pins down while slurping some delicious local cold brew, head on over to Landmark Bowling Center; (2) Should you be looking for some decent trails to hike check out nearby Powerton Lake State Park; (3) You will want to time your sundowners correctly, because if you do, you’ll be sipping Mai Tais leaning back in your camp chair listening to some Amy Winehouse watching the sun set in the west over the Illinois River as the twinkling stars come out to shine their brightest all with a crackling bonfire keeping you warm and lit on a gorgeous Midwestern night; (4) While I always pack a long 100 foot electrical cord for all of my electricity needs, I’ve never had to use it, except here, where the electrical outlet in the primitive tent camping area is shared by all 4 sites and ours was the furthest away – so we got lucky; and (5) In the event that you grow weary of conjuring up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or onboard mini-fridge and want to check out some local flavor, there’s a handful of options, but all will require a bit of a drive, of which I highly recommend Avanti’s Ristorante for their excellent pizza and Italian subs, the Blue Duck BBQ Tavern for outstanding smoked brisket and Obed & Issacs Microbewery for the finest local taps as well as their signature dish, Kitchen Sink Pie (don’t ask, just order).

Happy Camping!

Perched on Upper Peoria Lake where the Illinois River conjoins, this family-friendly and pet-inviting lush camping outpost is completely surrounded by Spring Bay Fen Nature Reserve, absolutely guaranteeing a sublime encounter with nature on top of offering direct waterfront sites that will frame one of the most beautiful sunsets as you look west to Peoria during Happy Hour. In all, there’s about 80 sites – all of which are incredibly spacious, unlike a lot of other RV parks – to choose from at Millpoint, where a slow meandering gravel lane will have you navigating around the campground where you’ll take good note of the excellent shade that is provided everywhere.

From an amenity standpoint, Millpoint Park packs a punch with a combination of back-in and pull-thru sites offering up standard water, sewage and electric hook-ups, relatively new picnic tables and in-ground fire rings as well as a designated dumpster upon exiting the grounds. There’s a fantastic boat launch that will have you fishing, kayaking and experiencing this body of fresh water shortly after you anchor into your spot for the night.  In fact, you don’t even need to get into a boat, by accessing one of 2 small little lakes where you can simply cast a line in from the dock or around the perimeter. The meticulously clean restroom / bath house facility is located near the front adjacent to the main office, where next to this are 3 cabins that can be rented, just in case you forgot your tent or RV. Additionally, there’s decent hiking paths to explore both north and south of the property, with the latter offering up a small beachhead at Funks Run. The place also sells firewood, but if you need anything else, you’ll need to head south towards town where there’s no shortage of shops and restaurants.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are a tent camper, there’s 3-4 designated areas for primitive camping, but if you’d like something less primitive and with access to water and electricity, then book yourself into one of the 5 designated tent sites: #233-#237, of which I recommend #236 and #237 as they have a small waterfront area flanking the southern perimeter; (2) The water here has a lot of iron in it, so don’t attempt to drink it, but according to the locals, it’s fine to shower in, so I would encourage you to bring a decent amount of bottled water with you; (3) If you haven’t camped out here in central Illinois during the summer, you will want to bring good DEET spray to keep the ticks away as well as hard-core smoke or scent-fused candles that are peppermint, eucalyptus or lavender-scented to keep the gnats at bay; and (4) The owner, Don, is quite possibly one of the most accommodating and friendly campground owners I have ever met– so don’t be shy if you need anything at all during your stay, including a discount to his pizza restaurant.

Happy Camping!

If you want to visit Peoria, this is an ideal place to stay. The campground is part of a marina on the Illinois River and not too far from downtown. We wanted to stay here so we could visit the Caterpillar Visitor Center which is totally worth the visit.

We visited the park in November and since it was the shoulder season the park was not very crowded. The park is open year-round and you will find more seasonal people during the off season. They close most of the park in the winter time which only leaves 22 paved sites available. Otherwise, they offer a mix of paved, full hook-up sites or electric only sites.  Sites that are close to the river have a great view of the skyline at night and if you don’t mind having just electric and being on sand these are great sites. There is a small beach area where you can access the water and a community fire pit which seemed to draw a lot of people in the evening.  

The park has shower/bath house that was clean as were the laundry facilities. Wifi was non-existent but our Verizon 4G phone and hotspot worked well. We were able to get a decent number of antenna television channels. The roads are paved and easy for us to navigate in our 45’ RV. Our site was paved with a picnic table and fire pit and all the hook-ups worked well.

We enjoyed the short nature trail that leaves directly from the area. The trail starts off as a boardwalk over an interesting marsh area and then transitions to a primitive trail eventually leading you to the lake shoreline. This was a great walk for our black lab who loves trails and water. Of the four times we walked the trail we only encountered people once. After a heavy rain, the low lying areas of the trail were pretty muddy so wear appropriate shoes. 

The nice aspects of this park were the location to downtown Peoria, the pretty view of the skyline and the access to water if you want to kayak, fish, or swim. The price of $27/night for full hook-up was a great rate. The downside of this campground is that sites are close and there is a bit of road noise. There are a lot of seasonal people who were up and going to work in the morning which may bother late sleepers but meant for a quiet campground during the day.

This park is mainly flat grounds. Camping plots are very open with options very close to the water. You can rent boats and kayaks to take out on the lake during the day and grills throughout the park to have a bbq at night with friends. There are a few playgrounds for the kids to stay busy as well as small marked trails to follow. Not too populated. I rate this a 4 star because it is not close to food and the nearest gas station is about 10 minutes away. I also prefer longer trails and a rougher terrain with options for camping in the trees. Over all nice place