Cary is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Cary is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Cary, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$12 - $35 / night
"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."
"The staff are super nice and the campground has great social distancing rules in place for the check-in shack and bathrooms."
$45 - $60 / night
"Lots of biking and walking trails and plenty of off trail paths that lead to unique clearings, bridges, etc."
"tucked alongside a bike and walking path that goes through a beautiful forest preserve. The path is gorgeous dipping through forested sections, open fields, and lilly pad covered ponds!"
$43 - $73 / night
"Very Friendly Staff I received warm welcome from nice staff at the entrance gate. Tent Campground is nicely tucked inside by the lake. Quit place night time I can hear fish jumping from the water."
"We biked around the campground during the days and took advantage of the adult only hot tub hours at night. It was a nice getaway from Chicago."
"We stayed here for a weekend and there were plenty of activities for the kids...the staff was friendly and the bathrooms were clean...our camp site was near the bathrooms, pool, and store so we were nice"
"Plenty for the little kids to do, and the text message communication was great with regards to weather updates or any goings on around the campground.
We'll be back for sure!"
$25 / night
"The group camp site is located pretty far away from the rest of the campsites, bathrooms, trails and amenities."
"We had a phenomenal time at Illinois State Park camping facilities! Space was clean, nature was alive, and the neighbors so friendly!"
"*** reviewing as a baby/toddler camp family on the go :-) we chose the loop 11 was on because it was close to the path to the playgrounds and lakes plus bathrooms… avoid the first 2 sites from either end"
"Campsite is nice, we're pretty close to our neighbors but not as bad as other places I've been. Walking distance to a fishing dock!"
"We can both drive to work and then come back to relax. Close to some great places for antiquing if you don't want to hike the trails or fish."
"It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, but it is close to everything. "
$20 - $35 / night
"While the highway riding was occasionally a bit harrowing, it was absolutely worth it for the beautiful views and camping here."
"Most of the sites were right on the road and you’d need to position your car right for privacy. The tent sites are clumped pretty tight together with a couple exceptions."
"In the Turner loop, the pit toilets are next to the path to the fishing pier, while the showers and full restrooms are between Turner and Fox den, there is a short path between sites 60& 61."
"You can hear whatever highway is nearby pretty clearly and constantly.
But if you’re not looking for something super remote then it’s fine!"
"Prairie View campground is in the Chain O Lakes State Park series. This is the no services campground. We could walk to fill up with water but no electric on site. Checking in was interesting."
"You could barely see the neighbors because of how overgrown the edges of the site were. We felt like we were in our own little bubble."
TravelerWe stayed at site 52 which is along the boat launch parking lot. You cant tell from the pictures online but theres a walking path between all the sites in that area. There was literally a 10ft opening into the neighbors site so we could clearly see eachother. I thought it was going to be more private. Site was clean though and easy access to the lake. Easy getting kayaks in and out of the lake. The noise from the highway was loud. Even at night it was loud. Pit toilets could use a cleaning. For a quick stay it wasnt bad but i would probably go somewhere else for longer stays. We drove through the tent only sites and they were terrible looking. Very uneven and zero privacy between sites. Its basically an open field. The boat landing area at least had trees between sites.
LegendThe sunrise campground offers electric and non-electric campsites as well as some sites accessible for people with disabilities. Campground amenities include a shower building, flush and vault toilets, a dump station and a playground area. Firewood is sold at the Molinaro Visitor Center/Headquarters parking lot through a firewood vending machine which is open 24/7. It is a credit card only.
ScoutThe owner was honest about the services offered. Really nothing but a place to park. It was basically his back yard filled with tents. We were told drive down through the tents and park in the back. No real site offered. If you want firewood go ahead and pick up the branches they have fallen. This was one step alone above staying overnight at the Walmart offering lot but they charged $50 for it. Over all nit good.
ScoutThe grounds are well maintained. Bathrooms are clean. Wood is available for purchase.
ScoutThis was the Memorial Day pick for 2025, first off when it hits curfew its super quiet, there are a lot of playground areas for the kids, the pool was working and it was heated, the price for 5 bundles of wood is reasonable and we used a lot because this was a cold windy weekend.
One complaint was the lady in registration didn't give me a window card which I didn't think about til the security person wouldn't let me get back to my campsite, this was after I got back from taking my wife out for breakfast. I had to go back into registration to get one.
The second complaint was they didn't cut the grass so there was a mix of tall grass and dandelion stems.
The third complaint was since there's no full hookup, they needed someone to control the traffic that comes from two different directions going to the dual dump stations. There's no honor system, especially on a holiday weekend, my assistant, my wife, reminded the driver that we were waiting before he got in the other line. I tried to be nice to them, which I am always in public, and told the drivers wife they needed a traffic controller, but I got the snob treatment anyway. The guard shack was right there too but they just stand there and bs while this is going on,
This campground is between two major cities and I won't go back because of that, too many stick your nose up, dirty look types around that park.
GuideIt’s just outside of Chicago and it feels like it. It’s like camping in a city park. I kept looking for the hot dog vendor, paddle swans and a bowling pin juggling mime. The lake is a pond but the illegal fireworks were great. I gave it a 2 star just for the free hot shower.
ScoutJust beautiful piece full with nature
ScoutReally enjoyed this campground. Sites are pretty close to each other, but neighbors were quiet. Beautiful little lake. Bathrooms were warm and clean. There’s also a little store on site that was open until 10:00 PM. Firewood was still wet and hard to burn.
ScoutThis is our favorite place to camp. It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, but it is close to everything. It has the electrical hookups that we need and has a bath house that is close to where you camp (hundreds of feet versus getting into a car and driving to it). It has lots of groomed and ungroomed walking trails. It has a boat ramp and a small store and restaurant. It allows dogs and the rangers keep the site relatively quiet, especially at night. And within 5 miles of the campground, you have the amenities that you need in case you forgot something along the way. We love going there.
Camping near Cary, Illinois, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. From scenic trails to family-friendly activities, there’s something for everyone in this beautiful region.
Camping around Cary, IL, has its perks and quirks. Whether you’re in an RV or tent camping, there’s plenty to enjoy in this beautiful area!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Cary, IL is Paul Wolff Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 18 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 parks near Cary, IL that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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