Searching for the best camping near Elgin, IL? Elgin is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Illinois camping adventure.
$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."
$20 - $30 / night
"Just outside of Chicago, we have been staying here for quick weekend trips and absolutely love the proximity to home."
"I always loved going to the parks in Illinois with my grandparents when I was little. They love hiking and nature and definitely got me interested in it also. I love them and miss them everyday."
"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!"
$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!"
$18 - $35 / night
"Clean, with large sites, about a 5 mile walk around the nearby lake- saw several deer and rabbits - T-Mobile worked just fine- no Wi-Fi"
"Open campground with nearly zero tree. We had a great campfire but didn’t take advantage of the whole park to explore. She wants to again this year but we will spend more time hiking."
$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."
$45 - $70 / night
"Propane, full hookups, fairly sized fenced in dog run area, a lake with a beach front. Play ground for the kids and a strict 5MPH speed limit. "
"We couldn’t reach the WiFi from our site but it was good closer to the lake. They also have free TV but we didn’t hook up to that."
"Postage stamp space on gravel but we had things to do outside the resort. Nice walking path around the two ponds. The ponds are very low due to drought this summer."
"Stayed here for a week, nice clean campground, quiet and beautiful lake for fishing, close to town, but yet just far enough out."
$12 - $50 / night
"Normal Illinois state park. Not a lot of services but good size sites and peaceful. Lake with canoe rentals and fishing. Nice walking trails."
", with Highway 173 to the west and Harlem Road to the east."
$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!"
GuideSaw several ticks/mosquitoes, decent bathrooms/showers. Sites seemed pretty close together
TravelerThe park is great. Scenery is great. The swimming beach was in poor condition and the shower house near Plum Grove needs a lot of work. All in all we would come back. We don’t have kids so swimming is not an issue for us.
TravelerWe stayed at site 114 and were very pleased with the size and layout. Overall flat and private. Showers and bathrooms were clean.
GuideI 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.
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.
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.
Camping near Elgin, Illinois, offers a mix of beautiful nature and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several campgrounds to explore.
Camping around Elgin, Illinois, offers a variety of experiences for everyone. Whether you're in an RV or tent, there's something for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Elgin, IL is Paul Wolff Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 18 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 parks near Elgin, IL that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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