Best Tent Camping near Coal City, IL

Recent Tent Reviews near Coal City, Illinois

424 Reviews of 13 Coal City Campgrounds

• 

  Amanda K.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 26, 2020

  Pioneer Family Campground

  Beautiful, Friendly & Outdated

  We tent camped with 8 small kiddos. One if the largest tent sites I’ve been on. There is a small playground, and a pond for swimming and fishing. This campground gets stars from me for the gorgeous and peaceful surroundings, as well as very friendly staff. However, their two flushing toilets and two showers (free) are very outdated with some rusty nails sticking out, and we didn’t see anyone clean anything in the bathrooms for the few days that we were there (which meant a very full garbage and lots of dead bugs everywhere). Ice was an affordable $2 per bag, but bring your own firewood... it was $10 for a few pieces of fallen branches which did not even fit in the firepit. Near the campground is an awesome playground (Lincoln Township Park), as well as an adorable family owned Ice Cream shop (Sycamore Drive-In).

• T

  Tim H.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 24, 2020

  Kankakee South KOA

  It’s an alright place to stay

  I stayed here a couple times camping in a tent. It’s a quiet place, not much to do and very little exploring options. Right across the street is a landfill, but never smelled anything bad.

• 

  Marisa A.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 31, 2020

  Blackwell Family Campground

  Weekend Camping with lots of activities

  For years, this was our go-to campground for weekend nearby adventures. Over the years, the price has increased and at $30 per site for non-residents, it's a bit steep for tent camping for me (so I left off a star rating). All sites are electric, so if you are tent camping and want your fan or slow-cooker, then it's as good as it gets in the burbs. It's located in a beautiful wooded Dupage County Forest preserve. While the sites are pretty close together, there are a few good ones that feel more secluded. Designated chip bark tent sites are level. The grounds are very well maintained. While I didn't camp here this year, I took these photos the last weekend in October to give everyone a sense of how nice this campground could be for them. My favorite sites over the years were the ones closest to Silver Lake along the South Loop road because those sites have the best views. For privacy, my favorite site is #27 on the north loop road which makes you feel like you are alone in the woods. Other than plenty of hiking options including a big hill, the fishing is outstanding. There are lots of places along the lake and ponds to get an easy catch and release. There is also archery, a dog park, picnic areas, boat rental/ramp, and a compass course. It is a great place for families. I've brought cub scouts here and my kids' friends. Heads-up that sites 21 & 22 may not be able to see traffic on the busy Winfield Rd in the summer, but you will still hear it at those sites.

• 

  Kim N.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 17, 2018

  Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

  Great Hiking

  Tent-camped here with my husband and dog and loved it! Great site, very clean, very peaceful!

• 

  Kim M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 15, 2018

  Great Falls Campground — Illini State Park

  Camping on the riverside

  Located right on the river. There are many tent sites available and at a great price. The bathrooms located near the electrical sites have showers and running water. The bathrooms that are in the tent site only area are more like port-o-potty style. So in the heat of summer there are a lot of flies and you should have something to wash your hands ie no running water. I’d stay there again and the hosts were very sweet.

• 

  Tony G.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 23, 2022

  Lasalle/Peru KOA

  This is no longer a koa

  It's now called nature's way campground, it's quite nice,they have several cabins,tent sites, and nice pull thru rv sites.

• L

  Layla R.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 5, 2022

  Livingston County 4-H Campground

  Great Place!

  We tent camped for one night the weekend of Independence Day. Very quiet campground. Clean and spacious camping areas with a nice bathroom and multiple shower stalls. Bring firewood with you. We plan to stop again on our next road trip!

• 

  Marisa A.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 10, 2020

  Big Rock Campground

  Expensive RV park for non-residents

  Not worth the drive here to tent camp if you live outside of Kane county. Even their 9 hike-in primitive sites hugging the treeline lack privacy. Yes, all the sites are very flat. It's a nice field if that's what you look for in a campground.

• 

  Mike P.

  Scout

  

  May. 13, 2020

  Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area

  Beautiful lake, mediocre camping

  The lake is beautiful. We did some fishing from the shore. 

  We went last minute and got one of the few remaining tent camping spots remaining. 

  These are a long walk from the lake and the bathrooms. Only pit toilets within walking distance. 

  Not a place we would go back to.

• 

  Sara W.

  Scout

  

  May. 27, 2018

  Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

  Great as campgrounds go!

  Our family has been camping here for years. Starved Rock State Park and nearby Matthiessen State Park offer beautiful hiking, canyons, and waterfalls along the Illinois Michigan River.

  Regarding the campground: There are several options for tent camping, RVing and trailers. I definitely recommend making reservations in advance as it tends to fill up quick!

  Showers and toilets are… well… camping showers and toilets… nothing special but do the job.

  There is a small town close by with lovely little cafes, shops, and gas station.

  There is also a Grizzly Jacks Grand Bear Resort that has an indoor water park and amusement park.

• A

  Andrew S.

  Traveler

  

  May. 29, 2019

  Camp Bullfrog Lake

  Fantastic car camping close to Chicago

  Great site, not far from Chicago, but feels well away from city life.

  Tent sites around rim of a lake. RV sites and cabins as well.

  Beautiful forest surrounds the lake, lots of hiking in the surrounding enormous forest preserve. Lake has fishing and boats as well.

• 

  Mike C.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 9, 2019

  Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area

  seinic overlooking lake

  Has rustic tent sites along with camper sites with water and electric. Privies can get ripe in summertime but depending on your site you could walk to laundry shower building. Camp store has everything you forgot to bring along with boat canoe and pontoon rentals bait and tackle

• 

  Jonathan S.

  Scout

  

  May. 21, 2023

  Big Rock Campground

  First time campers

  Nice clean area to camp. Most of the sites are for travel camper or RV’s.

  A couple of drive Ups.

  50/30 amps hookups. Water hookups as well. Great water pressure.

  Running water restrooms & non-running water restrooms.

  2-dump sites they have sections for tent camping- but down fall is they do not have showers.

  Overall experience was great and we will return.

• 

  Amanda P.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 14, 2020

  Hi-Tide Beach & Campgrounds

  Great for kids!

  Tent sites are right across from a park with a back drop creek that runs through the camp. Fish are very abundant. 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.

• 

  Ben E.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 12, 2022

  Great Falls Campground — Illini State Park

  Inexpensive stop along I-80

  Stopped into Illini State Park on a Saturday night and was pleased to see plenty of spots open to roll into. Primitive tent sites were plentiful in the woods, and some RV sites along the water were open as well. It wasn’t the best park in the world, but for $10, it was a fine place to stop.

• 

  Ashley C.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 31, 2021

  Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

  Clean and Quiet

  I got here after dark and paid for a walk-up reservation. They don’t differentiate tent and RV sites, so I picked one that looked like it wouldn’t be near other RVs since I’m tent camping. Registration was easy although a bit confusing about credit card options. Everyone was quiet and the bathrooms were clean.

  A dog ran up to my tent and scared the crap out of me at like 11pm, but he quickly apologized. I’m not sure if he was unleashed or on a long leash, but there were a lot of dogs.

• J

  Joe K.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2019

  Great Falls Campground — Illini State Park

  Woods near the river

  Went tent camping here and reserved our spot in advance. We bought fire wood from a locals front lawn at the entrance to the state park. Put 5$ in the bin and take a bundle. Its 30 mins away from Starved Rock and Matthiesson State Park. Good hiking. The river spots are all booked by large RVs and the tent spots have grills over the fire pits and picnic tables. lots of tree cover which came in handy when it rained in the morning. Otherwise great weather and not buggy. Dogs allowed.

• 

  Amanda W.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 17, 2018

  Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

  Amazing hiking

  Starved rock has so much to offer. trails that lead to caves, waterfalls, lakes and beautiful scenery all around. great for kids too. I have a two and 10 year old and they both do great on all the trails. the campground is pretty but a typical Midwest campground. Some spots are more secluded than others. Some are wooded others are open. Clean bathrooms, RV and tent camping. Firepits. close to the park so you can get up and hike!

• B

  Bea

  Guide

  

  May. 17, 2022

  Glenwood RV Resort

  Good and Bad

  We stayed here for several months while working in the area. We chose it because they have “winter water”, which was great to have. Most of this large campground is for seasonal membership campers so we were in the East area with other traveling workers and vacationers. There is a reasonable amount of space between sites, and large grassy areas for tent camping. What we didn’t like is the powdery gravel sites (muddy when wet) that were not very level, and the long road in is very rough. We did make it okay with our big 5th wheel - no overhead branches etc.

• C

  Chris S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 29, 2019

  Lasalle/Peru KOA

  Just what we needed after a day on the road

  Beautiful 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! :)

• M

  Megan R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 11, 2018

  Camp Sullivan

  Good for Car Campers

  Our trip to Camp Sullivan was mostly a test run to determine how our new dog handled camping. The campsites are pretty crowded, you can easily see and hear your neighbors the entire time you're there. The bathroom facilities were clean with an average level of amenities. We tent camped, but could see the cabin grounds which looked nice. However, important to note dogs are not allowed inside the cabins. Overall it was an okay spot to test our dog's temperament, but the closeness, expensive fire wood, and lack of extensive hiking trails means we probably will not return.

• 

  Alan F.

  Traveler

  

  May. 11, 2023

  Starved Rock Family Campground

  Solid camping close to the state parks

  Staff were great and the campground layout was solid. We stayed at one of the primitive tent sites which had a sense of privacy. Shower house was cleaner and nicer than some and the addition of a port-a-potty closer to the sites was nice.

  Unfortunately, our site wasn’t level which made tent placement interesting. It wasn’t bad enough to request a change, but if we’d stay there longer we’d definitely move.

  Lastly, the fire pits are not the typical metal rings with grates. They were nice, but we had to adjust a little to cook.

• J

  Jason P.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Camp Bullfrog Lake

  camping in your own backyard

  kudos goes to CCFPD for making an incredible campground on what was once just a weed-ridden pond. the campground offers up Cabin, RV and tent sites. Power to some sites esp hook ups for RVs. we stood at the tent pad sight and I was impressed by how spacious and clean it was. We were lucky enough to camp with a full moon which lit up the park and heard coyotes howling across the woods. This was a great experience for my twin brothers who are 16 years old and first time camping. defiantly will be back here because it’s so close too home and was a great experience

• 

  Amanda W.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 17, 2018

  Pleasant Creek Campground

  Nice Campground

  This campground is nice, but not our favorite. It’s really expensive. Most sites have no privacy at all. the kids loved going to the playground and they do have an arcade but other that that there’s not much to do. A little creek runs through the campground and you can walk along that. They sell firewood and the bathrooms are really nice. The staff is also very nice and live on site so are there to help whenever you need. RV and tent sites. fire pit and picnic table provided. Close to the state parks where they have tons of amazing hiking. Overall good campground just a little expensive.

• 

  Annie C.

  Legend

  

  May. 1, 2019

  Pleasant Creek Campground

  Illinois Berkshire Feel

  This is an amazing full service type private campground. Everything you could want is here: there is a creek with tent sites along it, there are RV sites with full hookups, there are cute little cabins, and there are even yurts! There is a general store where you check in, and if you get there after it closes, they leave directions on the door for reserved sites and info on how to get a non reserved site. There is a nice pavilion, a game room/club house, basketball court, fishing pond, firewood for sale, and a few short trails. I felt like I was in the Berkshires instead of northern Illinois since most of the buildings down by the creek were whitewashed with green trim. Even though sites are close together, it still felt a bit private at the tent only sites on the creek. Up top it was more open with kids running around and playing everywhere. The rates are somewhat pricey ($28 for primitive sites), but include showers in the super clean (looks brand new!) bath house.

• 

  Autumn D.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 21, 2018

  Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area

  Beautiful lake, loud area

  I was so excited to camp at this park unfortunately for the most part, I was let down. I wish the website would of included more photos of the sites. I picked a spot near the water and it turned out to be completely open to about 3 other campsites. I prefer camping in a more secluded area. The worst part in my opinion, were the freight trains at night. I heard at least 5 trains & they were all blowing their horns. Maybe it would be better in you were in a camper but it’s definitely not a good spot of tent camping.

  I will say however, that I appreciated the fact that you could rent boats, canoes, and paddle boards on the beautiful lake.

• 

  Shannon H.

  Scout

  

  May. 19, 2021

  Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

  Great to be back! Land is beautiful

  We had four sites on Osage loop for tent camping.  Two were very small (14&15), and little grass for tent setup, fine for RV or trailer campers.  They were private with brush between sites.  16&17 were amazing for tents!!  Open, tall trees for our tight rope and hammocks and shade. Grass for tents  16&17 Osage loop also open to 9&10 on Hickory loop.  With a lot of space between so no site setup is on top of each other.  Wish we knew more about individual site layout.  Grills were new.  Bathrooms inclu vault were cleanest I’ve seen.  Bike path/hike path is long and wide and very nice.  We had kids under age 8.  River is fast, tried to fish.  Stars were out.  Had rain Saturday but we all just hang out and manage just fine.  Overall, where the loops get close on the map, the sites back up with good space without ground brush - if you’re trying to string together a few sites for a group where you can pass through - also fine for strangers.  Biggest spaces.  Can add that 13, 6, 5, ,4  Osage are good RV but not good tent.