Best Campgrounds near Coal City, IL
Looking for the best campgrounds near Coal City, IL? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Coal City. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
Looking for the best campgrounds near Coal City, IL? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Coal City. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$29 / night
"You get to see tugboats and barges go up and down the Illinois river right from your campsite."
"Small and hidden right on the Illinois River. Received a free night of camping with a whole day of kayaking which is absolutely recommended."
$12 - $55 / night
"Although we camped in Illinois record rainfall, we still had a blast. Plenty of trees to hammock, clean bathrooms, and a great river view."
"Spent a couple nights here (site 3) for Vintage Illinois at a nearby park. Quiet, fairly level, gravel sites. Electric worn but fully functional. Lots of trees and shade."
"Right at the start of Osage is an entrance to the crushed gravel bike path. It gave us a great hike through the trees. You can find picnic areas and playground equipment by following the bike path."
"Easy access to water pump. Have to drive to get to the toilet/ shower station though."
$25 - $35 / night
"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."
"Partial hookups (sewer just outside of park behind hotel). $46/night (+fees) for a pull-through spot. Pet-friendly. Pleasant park with good pad. Near busy road and shipping plant."
"Nice safe location. Flat, pretty large spots..picnic tables."
"It is a bit away from businesses. However if you arrive by car you drive through the quaint town.
Arriving by bicycle is even better. The Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail passes right by camp."
$37 / night
"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. "
$37 / night
"Quiet, family orientated, fishing lake, miniature golf, activities"
Last minute stop for an overnight on the way to another sight. The information online was scarce (navigation was able to get me most of the way there, but had to use a map and some common sense to find the actual camping zone).
It was dark by the time I’d arrived. There’s a local bar that was still hopping nearby. Generators are allowed, so there was a hum of one running all night but it was no bother at all.
Otherwise, entirely peaceful and quiet. Only a few campers here on a weekday night.
Affordable rates. Grateful for the night. I will almost certainly return!
This park does NOT have water and sewer hook ups. You will have to fill your water tank, before parking. The facilities on site are terrible. The showers on site TRICKLED, not even enough to wash your hair. The sinks constantly run, they don’t shut off. When we called to reserve the guy told us we had to do a pull up basis. But there were slots reserved for other people. Very confusing. Not staying here again.
OMG where do I even start? It’s Illinois. It’s all corn and soy until the actual park which is just a few trees along a very industrialized and ugly river. This was just a stopover and we weren’t expecting much for nature, but it somehow had less than I expected.
Stopped at the office which was closed (4pm on summer Saturday). A sign said to just go set up. There is an initial sign pointing you in the general direction of Whitetail, but then more intersections with no indication of which way to go so you get to drive around aimlessly until you find the right place. Hint: go in the direction of the Lock.
Once we finally found Whitetail, I was getting quite discouraged. In the non-electrical side there is a giant ugly unnecessary lawn in the middle of a loop with sites on the outside of the loop. There is one vault toilet at the very beginning of the loop that would mean probably a 5 minute walk at least to get to the toilet if you’re on the farther end of the loop. The sites are ugly. It’s just weedy vegetation that looks more like a disturbed junk yard or ditch than a nature area.
Our site could have been fully enclosed with shrubs or brush but had a large opening to the next site, so no privacy. But there was almost no place to put our small tent, especially since, at the end of a very long trip, our pads no longer stay inflated and we need somewhat flat ground under our them.
The “fire pits” are weird like fireplace insert things and so previous campers have built fires on the ground all over. The vegetated area surrounding the site was covered in litter. The “fire pit” was completely full of someone’s garbage. I wish I had taken a picture before leaving. There were shingles, a charred baking pan, other garbage, and even a 10 foot long metal furniture thing? Idk what it was but the campground is clearly not managed at all or they would have cleaned that stuff up. There was a bunch of fishing line strung from the trees as if people were using it to hang things and then just left it there?
The good thing is that there was cell service so we used it to book a hotel room and left immediately. Wasn’t able to successfully cancel my reservation. You have to call the park directly to do that and I don’t know if they are ever actually open for that.
I am directly in the sun in my spot. There is trash in it as well. I barely have T-Mobile service (not the camps fault but thought I’d share) It’s ridiculous there are two bathroom stalls and complete strangers have to pass a toilet paper roll between the stalls- for the price I’d expect more. I’m normally uber easy to please but this camp is not run well in the slightest. I only gave two stars for the veterans discount. Last minute RV site- $33. Go elsewhere.
We stayed here while visiting relatives in Marseilles, and this park was the closest. Things here were fine for our purposes. I don’t see this as a great destination. During our stay, the place needed mowing and the men’s shower and bathroom didn’t have water, but the women’s side had ALL the water running-the sinks where you push to turn on and they go off on their own didn’t go off. Both showers were running. The next morning, the women’s sinks were better, and I was able to reach in to turn off the shower. We did take a morning walk along the river and we enjoyed MANY different birdsongs.
It is a nice campground (sites are great and it was a reasonable price for out-of-state), but the facilities are in need of updating. There is only one shower for about 60 sites. Campground bathrooms are portable toilets. Campground is about 1 mile away from visitor center and park/trails.
Basic river view site, electric hookup, water spout about 300ft away, bathrooms/showers nice little walk, across from the dump station. Some good fishing spots and boat dock down the road.
It’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.
I camped there the week before Memorial day weekend--not exactly peak season, but not exactly off-season either. I arrived at about a quarter to five on a Sunday, and surprisingly the office was closed. So was the camp store, where I'd hoped to buy local firewood.
I was left to find my campsite on my own, which was easier said than done. One sign pointed the way to Whitetail Campground--but below it said "Closed for the Season." This made no sense as I'd made the reservation via the Illinois DNR website. The signage in other parts of the park was so minimal that I spent about 20 minutes wandering the grounds until I finally found my site. A couple of signs were missing letters, and some of the site number signs were angled in such a way that they couldn't be read from the road..
At one point I tried calling the number listed for Illini State Park on the DNR website. I didn't even hear ringing--I just heard a strange tone, even though the name "Illini State Park" appeared on my phone confirming I had the right number.
I'd reserved a site with electrical hookups, but the hookups were actually on the site net door, which, luckily, wasn't occupied. But my 25 foot power cord was insufficient to reach the hookups. I had to drive an hour round-trip to the Menard's in Morris to pick up a 50 foot cord.
The site was so overgrown with weeds that I couldn't find a place to put up my tent that was also a safe distance from the firepit. The neighboring firepit was just about 10-15 feet from our picnic bench--had the next site been occupied, our privacy would have been a joke even in this wooded area. So perhaps it was just as well that I couldn't find firewood.
The potable water pump about 150 feet from the site didn't seem to work--I tried pumping it, opening and closing the handle, but no water. So I had to rely on the ginger ale packed in my cooler for liquid refreshment--it was either that, or go back to town again.
I was hearing reports that there might be as much as three inches of rain in the area falling in the next 24 hours so I went to the office at about 11 am the next morning. This time the office was actually open. I told them about the water pump and they were a bit confused because they heard reports that the other water pump at Whitetail was broken too. I asked them what the likelihood was that my site could turn into a lake of mud with such rain and they said it was possible so I decided to depart early. As I drove back to my site, I noticed that the staff person managed to get the water pump going--he explained to me that after pulling the handle back, it needed to be pulled back an extra notch further. It would have been nice for there to have been a sign telling people that, as I had not intended to finish a six-pack of ginger ale in one night.
There's a difference between a "primitive" site (which, as I paid extra for electrical hookups, this was not) and one that just simply isn't maintained. I wonder if there's even any security at the park at night. The campground has rules, such as no alcohol, which is valid given the way people act when they have a few drinks within them. But I wondered who would be there to enforce the rules.
Camping near Coal City, Illinois, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. From scenic trails to family-friendly amenities, there’s something for everyone in this beautiful region.
Camping near Coal City, Illinois, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation. Whether you’re hiking, fishing, or just enjoying nature, there’s something for everyone in this beautiful area.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Coal City, IL is Kayak Morris with a 4.9-star rating from 11 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 parks near Coal City, IL that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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