Best Glamping near DeKalb, IL

Chicago Northwest KOA and White Pines Forest State Park Campground house upscale glamping accommodations within driving distance of DeKalb, Illinois. Chicago Northwest KOA features spacious yurts with comfortable beds, electricity, and climate control systems for year-round comfort. White Pines offers rustic-chic glamping cabins nestled among pine forests with private fire pits and picnic areas. Both locations provide resort-style camping experiences with modern amenities including clean shower facilities, on-site markets for essentials, and convenient access to drinking water. The glamping tents at these locations offer a perfect balance of outdoor immersion with indoor comfort, featuring raised platforms, quality mattresses, and thoughtful touches like reading lights and USB charging ports. One visitor noted, "The park is beautiful with lovely trees, lots of shade, and the hiking trails are nice, well marked, and they even have an accessible trail for those with disabilities!"

Hiking trails directly accessible from glamping sites provide excellent opportunities for nature exploration, with White Pines Forest State Park offering scenic routes through mature forests and alongside creeks. Water enthusiasts can enjoy nearby lakes and rivers, with Chain O' Lakes State Park providing boat rentals and fishing opportunities just a short drive away. Several glamping locations feature on-site dining options, including White Pines Forest State Park's restaurant and gift shop where guests can enjoy meals without leaving the grounds. Winter visitors will find many glamping cabins remain open year-round with proper heating systems. According to a camper, "The breakfast buffet at the restaurant is mid but very pricey- $50 for 2 of us." Most glamping sites require reservations well in advance, especially during summer holidays when availability becomes limited at premium locations like Chicago Northwest KOA and Pleasant Creek Campground's upscale glamping options.

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Best Glamping Sites Near DeKalb, Illinois (19)

    1. Chicago Northwest KOA

    16 Reviews
    Union, IL
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 923-4206

    "Plus they have a quiet time at night.So people and kids can go to bed without a bunch of noise."

    "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"

    2. Thomas Woods Campground

    17 Reviews
    Marengo, IL
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 338-6223

    $20 - $35 / night

    "The trails are both wooded and hilly, but there's also a large prairie nature walk
    The campground has many secluded walk-in tent sites and a variety of sites for other types of campers."

    "Firewood is cheap on-site and delivered to your site on demand."

    3. Hi-Tide Beach & Campgrounds

    5 Reviews
    Somonauk, IL
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 495-9032

    "bordering Lake Michigan – other than this, finding a proper beachhead is impossible."

    "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."

    4. Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Millbrook

    6 Reviews
    Newark, IL
    25 miles
    Website

    "But noise was not an issue. Bathrooms were clean. Everything was good."

    "Bathrooms need some attention and hotter showers would be wonderful. Always came here for trick or treating and it’s a fun event for the camp ground with plenty of spooky things to do."

    5. White Pines Forest State Park Campground

    22 Reviews
    Mount Morris, IL
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 946-3717

    "Easy drive up style. Picnic tables and fire pits on site. Bathrooms and dumpster close by. River that is walk and drive through!"

    "Very clean, and beautiful hiking trails. My only complaint would be that at the private cabins you are not allowed to cook out."

    6. Kings Camp

    1 Review
    Stillman Valley, IL
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 645-8277

    $35 / night

    "There is a lake for swimming and fishing (with paddle boats and kayaks available to use for free, a very nice playground and the camp hosts kid/family activities on most weekends."

    7. Camp Bullfrog Lake

    30 Reviews
    Willow Springs, IL
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (312) 636-9785

    $20 - $138 / night

    "Each site comes with a free bundle of oak firewood which is nice to use on the fire pits."

    "The tent sites are right next to the water which is beautiful but can get very windy. There is no privacy between the sites (no trees, etc)."

    8. Green River Oaks Camping Resort

    9 Reviews
    Nachusa, IL
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 638-2088

    "That was my first impression when visiting this family-owned and operated campground located just outside of Amboy, here in northern Illinois, where the sheer veracity of this place (some 130 acres in"

    "Clean bathrooms and showers, well maintained sites with water and electric. A bit cramped for tent camping as sites are small and no space between neighbors."

    9. Pleasant Creek Campground

    27 Reviews
    Oglesby, IL
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 431-0936

    "A little creek runs through the campground and you can walk along that. They sell firewood and the bathrooms are really nice."

    "Within LaSalle County or for that matter, the whole of north central Illinois, I don’t know of any other privately run, multi-campground locations like Pleasant Creek that offers a total of 6 separate,"

    10. Big Foot Beach State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Lake Geneva, WI
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (262) 248-2528

    "Popular destination for locals and people from Illinois. 4 stars because it's not the camping in nature experience I am looking for. Lots of noise. Lots of kids. Lots of dogs."

    "Nice large sites. gravel spot for arc/trailer. fire pit and picnic table. trails for hiking are nice, but the overall camping area isn’t very big. 100 sites only. 30 with electric. this was the first time"

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Glamping Reviews near DeKalb, IL

212 Reviews of 19 DeKalb Campgrounds


  • Hannah T.
    Oct. 1, 2018

    White Pines Forest State Park Campground

    Lots of things to do!

    Well kept camping sites. Easy drive up style. Picnic tables and fire pits on site. Bathrooms and dumpster close by. River that is walk and drive through!

  • Stacie H.
    May. 29, 2022

    White Pines Forest State Park Campground

    Lovely natural scenery; campground leaves something to be desired

    Let's start with the good stuff:

    • The park is beautiful. Lovely trees, lots of shade, the hiking trails are nice, well marked, and they even have an accessible trail for those with disabilities!
    • There is a restaurant and gift shop on site. Gift shop sells wood if you run low or forget.
    • The bathrooms and shower house are relatively clean and well kept.

    Now for the not so great stuff:

    • Many of the campsites are sloped and some are sloped A LOT. This isn't obvious from the booking page.

    • The campground is absolutely jammed with camp sites- it's ridiculous. I've never been to a campground where the sites were so on top of one another.

    • We stayed in the Sunny Crest loop and the drinking water well was broken so we had to travel to other parts of the campground for water. When carrying a 10 gallon jug full of water back, that really sucked.

    • The sites that are marked as "hike in" aren't secluded and away from other sites at all, as one might expect. They are jammed in with all the others but there just isn't any parking nearby.

    • It had rained the day before was went and so the road to the campgrounds was blocked off (presumably because the creek was running too high), but there was NO SIGNAGE telling us how to get there another way. There was no one in the park office or in the camping registration station to ask. We finally figured out that we had to take an emergency road/auxiliary road to get to the campground, but that was after about 30 minutes of confusion.

    • The breakfast buffet at the restaurant is mid but very pricey- $50 for 2 of us.

    • The quiet hours and no alcohol policy are not enforced at all. While we were there, there was a very loud group playing beer pong into the wee hours of the morning.

    • About half of the fire rings don't have grill grates so bring your own or bring a camp stove (See pic). Also, when you book your site, there is no way to know if your fire ring will have a grill grate or note.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2023

    Nature’s Way RV Park

    Splendid Countryside Campground Experience

    If you find yourself either stuck in the middle of nowhere here in north central Illinois or actually looking to escape the hustle & bustle to find peace, serenity and a tranquil encounter with nature, then look no further than Nature’s Way RV Park, which is set amongst the golden rows of sweet corn that you’ll find out in these parts. From the winding blacktop that you’ll have to maneuver to get here, just a few minutes north of I80 and east of I39, while you will feel as though you are completely isolated, and for the most part you are, what I like most about Nature’s Way is that if you know where you are at and the surroundings, there’s actually an awful lot to explore and enjoy, but if you don’t want to go anywhere, you can simply set up camp here and allow nature to envelope you in a way that only she can. 

    As for the campground, what makes Nature’s Way pretty amazing is that there’s a tremendous amount of infrastructure and a ton of amenities that most private campgrounds don’t offer. Upon entry, you’ll veer left and arrive at the main office where you’ll check-in. Here also is a quaint community room chalk full of books, DVDs and VHS tapes (for anyone still using these) and board games as well as a small alcove kitchen area complete with microwave, sink, dining table & chairs along with 2 driers and 3 washers, both coin-operated. Beyond this, there’s also a seating room with two oversized dollies with freshly cut wood bundles available for purchase as well as yet another room that is the campground market store and has everything from souvenirs to camping supplies, ice, beverages and snacks to charcoal and lighter fluid, BBQ tool sets and roasting forks and just about anything else you could think that you’ll need during your stay here. Just outside and behind this main building, you’ll discover a rather large, covered pavilion which is great for larger groups or for anyone wanting to picnic under some shade. 

    Another reason why I love Nature’s Way RV Park so much is how they have organized the living arrangements. For mi tent pitching bredren, this campground IMHO has set aside the best spots for us – clear in the back, completely surrounded by God’s green nature, you’ll be able to pitch a tent just about anywhere under this shaded forest and will feel a world away from the caravan camping types that, rest assured, are on the other side of the careening creek that cuts this campground nearly in half. Over in these parts, just past the bridge that you would need to cross to reach this primitive camping area, there’s a K9 dog park as well as plenty of scattered picnic tables, in-ground raised BBQ pits as well as water spigots. For the RV driving / 5th Wheel toting crowd, Nature’s Way has spots reserved on its front porch lawn that you will encounter upon first arriving to the entrance. There’s about 20 or so designated RV spots here that offer full hook-ups including 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage. Apart from being located right in front of the main office / market, you’ll be straddled next to the main road, which really should be a problem as this is just a quiet, small country road with not much traffic on it. Just due east of these RV slots are 4 cabins available for rent along with small porches complete with benches, brand new grills, fire pits and picnic tables, which is great for anyone not packing a tent or hauling a makeshift campground with them. Due south of these cabins as well as west of the main building are additional RV slots, but these only offer electric and water, so if you need sewage, you’ll have to book slots #1– 19. 

    From an amenities standpoint, apart from what has already been covered, the ‘crown jewel’ asset here is the in-ground heated swimming pool, completely fenced in preventing the young kiddos from straying too far. Above and beyond this, there’s a designated propane refilling station, very well-maintained restroom and shower facilities, basketball court, scattered picnic tables and stand-up BBQ grills, WiFi and cable access, kid’s playground, community fire rings as well as designated dumpsters and dump stations. 

    Insider’s tips? Here’s but a few: (1) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or onboard mini-fridge, then check out some of the local establishments, of which I highly recommend nearby Cajun Connection, which has some pretty amazing deep fried alligator tail as well as somewhat mediocre Jambalaya (but ask yourself the question: who else is serving up this dish so far away from Louisiana?!); (2) If you are a hiker and looking for some trails to blaze, then check out either Starved Rock SP, which as more than 13 miles of hiking trails awaiting you, or better, the lesser known Matthiessen SP, which has 5-6 of fairly decent challenging, but completely isolated, non-touristy-laden trails to plant your steps on; (3) Should you be wanting to get that beak of your watercraft wet on your outdoors expedition, then look no further than the Illinois River, which is literally less than 5 miles away from Nature’s Way, where you’ll be able to oar your way to some pretty epic wildlife encounters as well as some fairly decent currents as well as amazing fishing holes; and (4) Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you – within just a 20 minute drive of where you have camped out, you’ll discover Rip’s Chicken, which is hand’s down, unequivocally, and judged by experts in more than 40 nations (mmm, OK, that last one may be a stretch) as the best fried chicken in the known universe. Oh, and they have Schlitz on tap. But this place only takes cash, so come prepared. 

    Happy Camping!

  • Addison G.
    Oct. 23, 2024

    Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

    Awesome choice for campers on a budget

    These campsites are as low as $12/night!! One of my favorite spots to test new gear. Family friendly. There’s some small trails around as well that are beginner. There was electricity, however those sites are $25/night. Bathrooms could’ve been cleaner but we were grateful for the facility which doubled as a storm shelter. There’s indoor showers and bathrooms. There are also cabins at this campsite, not sure on pricing tho

  • Mountainman McBeachfront
    Aug. 24, 2021

    White Pines Forest State Park Campground

    Nice park, with some downsides.

    This is the type of campground you go and check your spot out before you reserve it. Many of the tent campsites are literally on a hill. Some are very close. They really crammed them wherever they could. The amenities are excellent and the only reason I gave 3 stars, the shower/restroom was very nice and air conditioned. Potable water available. If I knew the campground was gonna be sideways I wouldn’t have reserved it, not gonna lie I was pissed when I saw it as I reserved it for 3-4 days. There’s lots of them that are on flat ground/tucked away and look excellent but it’s a gamble unless you go there beforehand to look. There’s a ford you have to cross to get to the campground but its not that bad people this isn’t Oregon Trail you won’t float away and lose an Ox and wagon wheel.

  • M
    Jul. 30, 2023

    Big Foot Beach State Park Campground

    Not a nature type campground

    Always full on weekends. Popular destination for locals and people from Illinois. 4 stars because it's not the camping in nature experience I am looking for. Lots of noise. Lots of kids. Lots of dogs. It's park area is very nice. Nice playground for kids. Volleyball nets. Lots of picnic tables and grills available. Dogs not welcome in most of the park. More of a party place. But the staff is very active. They clean sites quickly, clean the bathrooms regularly.

    We stayed on site 50. We were closer to our neighbors than I'd like, including the campsite behind us. The campsite behind us had a path thru it to get to the bathrooms. There was a thin layer of growth between sites but not much. Our site had a nicely placed tree providing just enough coverage but nothing stayed wet in the rain. We camped in a popup, if we had a tent I think we would have been soaked. Lots of pooling water on the backside. The campground just added new gravel to the sites and asked that all trailers and vehicles stay on the gravel but the gravel doesn't go back far enough for both car and camper to stay on.

    The inner ring of the campground are smaller(shorter) sites. The outer ring sites are better for RVs. Except for site 70. That should be tent only because there are 2 trees right in the middle behind the gravel. 50, 69, 74 seemed the best for both shade and sun combo. Site 79 is paved but not marked as handicap because it isn't being maintained as handicap and is not close to the new bathrooms. Not enough sites with electric, however we didn't need it for the weekend.

  • Amanda W.
    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.

  • F
    Aug. 1, 2016

    Chicago Northwest KOA

    Dirty

    When I visited this place it was such a disaster. The trash was overflowing, the bathrooms were a mess, and there was no TP, and the quiet hours was not enforced, so people were up partying all night. I will look for another place to stay next time

  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2024

    Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

    Fine camping in Northern Illinois

    We stayed in the Turner lake south loop, which has nice and private sites. This is in contrast to Honeysuckle hollow which is open and row after row of RV sites. Fox den and Prairie view loops are nice as well with mostly primitive sites. Be aware that the map on www.ExloreMoreIL,com(where you make your reservations) doesn't show where the restrooms are. 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. Facilities are clean and well lit. Fire pits are slightly raised steel troughs with a heavy adjustable grill. This is a BIG park, the campgrounds are two miles from the front gate, and it's a drive to the main boat launch at Maple Grove, where you have access to the Fox River and Grass lake. This location has a huge parking lot for boat trailers, a very well stocked general store with fishing supplies, a cafe, boat rentals and good firewood. To get away from the crowd if you're a canoeist or kayaker it's nicer to leave the park and go back in at Oak Point picnic area and boat launch at the northern border. This will put you on the Fox river with developments to the north(including a bar& grill) or to the south which is all nature. I think the distance by boat between the two launches is 4-5 miles, but I'm not sure, Halfway there you'll meet up with the Goldfinch trail which is the shortest loop and the most diverse in term of flora. There are horse/ snowmobile trails, but no equestrian campground. Chain o' Lakes is one of the busiest waterways in Illinois, with motorboats everywhere in the height of the summer season. We canoe, and both times we stayed there it was October, so I can't tell you how crowded, but the vast number of picnic areas must be there for a reason. An odd thing is that you can hear a Steam Train whistle quite often, this is from Richardson's Adventure Farm in Spring Grove. We don't have kids so we went to Stade's Farm& Orchard(which is also large and kid friendly) because they have an orchard and vegetable market. One last thing, the gates close at 10:PM and there are tire shredders, you can leave but you can't get back in… unless you want to walk 2+ miles in the dark:)


Guide to DeKalb

Camping options near DeKalb, Illinois range from rustic tent sites to comfortable yurt accommodations within an hour's drive. Located in the northern Illinois prairie region at approximately 850 feet above sea level, the area experiences four distinct seasons with warm summers and cold winters. Most campgrounds in the region operate from April through October, with several exceptions offering year-round alternatives.

What to do

Hiking trails: White Pines Forest State Park Campground offers scenic paths through mature pine forests. "The park is beautiful with lovely trees, lots of shade, and the hiking trails are nice, well marked, and they even have an accessible trail for those with disabilities," notes a visitor about the diverse trail options.

Fishing opportunities: Thomas Woods Campground provides a pond for fishing about 45 miles northeast of DeKalb. "Great hiking trails, a pond for fishing, private camp sites," mentions one camper who enjoyed the angling options.

Kayaking and boating: Green River Oaks Camping Resort offers water activities approximately 45 miles southwest of DeKalb. "Green River – which is truly the gem of this place – where you can fish, canoe, kayak, inner-tube and otherwise float down this small stream," reports one visitor who explored the waterway options.

What campers like

Private campsites: Kings Camp provides spacious sites about 30 minutes from DeKalb. "The sites are a little tight but are very shaded and well maintained," notes a camper who appreciated the layout of this Christian-owned campground.

Clean facilities: Camp Bullfrog Lake maintains well-kept bathrooms approximately 65 miles from DeKalb. "Bathroom/shower facilities were clean and well stocked," remarks one visitor who stayed at this campground near Chicago.

Yurt camping options: Chicago Northwest KOA features comfortable yurts about 25 minutes from DeKalb. "Cozy, small park with friendly staff and plenty of amenities. You can walk from one side to other no problem," explains a reviewer who enjoyed the compact layout with diverse accommodation options including yurt camping near DeKalb, Illinois.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds near DeKalb require advance booking, especially on weekends. "We had to leave a horrible CG to the south. Booked this site on app the day before. Which was a huge plus," mentions a camper who appreciated the flexibility at Chicago Northwest KOA.

Seasonal considerations: Many area campgrounds close during winter months. "When I visited this place during the fall, most things were closed for the season but had a good time. Bring everything you need if its after season," advises a visitor to Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Millbrook.

Site conditions: Pleasant Creek Campground has drainage issues during heavy rain. "The bulk of the campsites are down in a valley and ours was along the creek. A heavy downpour resulted in water up over our ankles all through the site," warns one camper who experienced flooding.

Tips for camping with families

Activity planning: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Millbrook organizes regular family events. "Lots of activities to do everyday like crafts to keep the kids preoccupied during the day," shares a visitor who found the programming helpful for children.

Swimming options: Green River Oaks Camping Resort provides multiple pools for children. "We enjoyed this site as it backed up to a creek that was perfect for building stone structures and exploring. Sites are rather close together and most are fully shaded," notes a camper about the water play areas.

Playground access: Thomas Woods Campground offers play areas within walking distance from sites. "Our site had the usual picnic table and a short walk to the restrooms and water. What we enjoyed the most was the variety of hiking trails," explains a family who appreciated the convenient amenities.

Tips from RVers

Site selection: Chicago Northwest KOA accommodates larger rigs despite compact spacing. "A little bit smaller of a campground with regards to site space, but that's about the only thing 'bad' to say, and it's not really a bad thing at all," mentions an RV camper.

Hookup availability: Big Foot Beach State Park Campground provides electric sites but limited full hookups. "Nice large sites. gravel spot for arc/trailer. fire pit and picnic table. trails for hiking are nice, but the overall camping area isn't very big. 100 sites only. 30 with electric," explains a visitor who stayed at this Wisconsin location 90 minutes from DeKalb.

Dump station access: Camp Bullfrog Lake maintains clean sanitation facilities. "There are two bath/shower houses. I would rate them at a 4/5...not the best we've seen, but by far not the worst," reports an RVer who appreciated the well-maintained amenities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near DeKalb, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near DeKalb, IL is Chicago Northwest KOA with a 4.1-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near DeKalb, IL?

TheDyrt.com has all 19 glamping camping locations near DeKalb, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.