Best Cabin Camping near Hawthorn Woods, IL

My first impression when I first arrived here was the overwhelming scent of a newly minted campground, what with the freshly laid gravel, the mint condition security gates, finely manicured and recently raked greenery (as it was October when we visited, it might be better described as brownery) surrounded by a fairly decent gated enclosure lined with perfectly pruned tall towering oaks. Upon arrival, you’ll find what looks to be a brand-spanking new log cabin office on the right after passing a seemingly freshly-minted activities center / community lodge complete with in-ground heated swimming pool and jacuzzi on the left.

Amenities? As you could guess, this pet-friendly 60-acre RV resort has all the attractions in spades from pickleball, playgrounds, volleyball, log pergola patio, full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water & sewage), picnic tables, fire pits, BBQ grills, wagon rides, river access, picnic areas, bathhouses w/ showers & restrooms, cable TV WiFi (pretty poor connection though), gaga ball, game room, community room, billiards table, playground, wet bar, tabletop shuffleboard, community living room with large screen TV, DVD player w/ DVD library, clubhouse, dog park, horseshoes, hot tub, covered pavilions with picnic tables, catch & release ponds, inflatable water toys, jumping pillow, laundr-O-mat, propane refueling station and dump station.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) This place isn’t EZ to find – for some reason, if you plug the campground into your GPS, you’ll literally be on the wrong side of the tracks, where you will arrive at a dead end with a sign that says you are in the wrong place and that you’ll need to double-back, cross the train tracks heading north and turn right just before arriving to High Road School of Belvidere (so if you see a school, you’ve gone too far); (2) You will want to take note that yes, you actually cross train tracks to get to this campground, so if you’re sharp, you’re going to want to ensure you haven’t booked a site right next to where trains will shoot through every few hours, this specifically means avoiding sites #E1-#E5 and #FS23-#FS36 as well as #FE1-#FE20; (3) If you’re a tent camper, you can certainly stay here, but you will want to note that this is very much an RV outpost; (4) The best sites IMHO are those on the northernmost perimeter, as far away from the train tracks as you can get and that also border the Kishwaukee River with sites #S9-#S20 being excellent, as well as #S25-#S81, which are equally amazing; (5) If you are planning on using that amazing pool that you saw as you came in, make sure you call management a good day or two before you come in to ensure that they turn on the heater – when we were there for 2 days, by the time we left, the pool was still too cold to go for a dip; and (6) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up a meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler and want to venture out to try some local fare, just a short walk into the nearby town is Garden Prairie Café, which has a very simple menu offering no shortage of fried everything (fish, shrimp, chicken, etc.) and then there’s Pleasant Street Tavern, but that’s mostly cheap national beers and frozen pizza fare, so if you want something a bit more substantive, head west of here to Miles Bar N’ Grill that serves up typical Midwestern fare like cheese curds, pork tenderloin, Italian beef and a variety of fried fish like blue gill, cod and catfish.

Happy Camping!

10min away from my home, this is a ideal getaway place for Chi-town people. Camp sites are all flattened and mulched but not too spacious. You cannot pull your vehicle by the site but they provide wagons and staffs are willing to help. They have cabins as an option too. Btw, nice fire-spitting show at the pavilion!

Located in a Cook County forest preserve this family camping option is a nice local getaway. The facilities are all newly built or remodeled. The bathrooms are modern. The campsites are well kept as are the grounds. There are trails to walk. There is an activities barn with a rock climbing wall. There are smaller family cabins with heat available to rent as well as large bunkhouses for organized groups.

We go at least once a year to see the Christmas lights. A great little after work trip on a Friday to cure the kiddos cabin fever a bit.

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.

There is nowhere to swim here, they have multiple camp sites, a couple of group sites and a few cabins to rent. There is a concession area, however it is a moderate hike to get to from the campground area. This campground would be best for those who want to spend their time fishing, kayaking, or paddle boarding as it is connected to the fox river.

Normal Illinois state park. Not a lot of services but good size sites and peaceful. Lake with canoe rentals and fishing. Nice walking trails.

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

For nature that's close to civilization, Deer Grove Forest Preserve is the best. While the camp sites are small, the amenities are super clean and the rentable cabins are as well. The trails through the grounds are varied and long--you can find something to suit just about any preference for suburban midwest hiking. There are plenty of paved trails as well as dirt, lots of fun little off-shoots into the woods, creeks run throughout, and there's even a little up-and-down thanks to ice age glaciers.

We took our new to us pop up camper to Rock Cut for a quick 2 night mid-week getaway. Loved the shaded, wooded sites of Staghorn loop and would only book that loop going forward as the others for small RVs are in a huge grassy open area with few trees. The loop was not even half occupied when we were there, and perhaps because of that, the bathrooms and pit toilets near us were great. We had electric only at the site, but water wasn't a far walk. Camping during a pandemic, we were frustrated that most campers didn't feel the need to wear a mask in the camp store/boat rental concessions area despite posted signs. We rented a paddleboat and a SUP board to go out on the lake, which is kind of murky and stinky. Beach was closed at the time due to Covid-19 restrictions, but I am not sure we would have wanted to get in the lake, despite the hot June temps!

Had a great time last weekend at Rock Cut. The camp grounds and roads were well maintained, and the larger park as a whole was very clean and spacious. Toilet facilities are about the average for a state park, but hopefully you will spend most of your time outside of them enjoying nature. We spotted turtles along the lakeshore, very healthy (well fed) chipmunks, and a large variety of birds which made beautiful background sounds. Plenty of mixed use trails for hikers, joggers, and cyclists. The lakes were gorgeous and it looked like fishing folks were having a good time. The sheer variety of sites and styles make this a campground worth returning to again and again. Tent, RV, Cabin, all looked enjoyable. Looking forward to going back in warmer months!

I visited Palos early this week (mid-April) for a very very chilly three days. 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). There are small and medium cabins, some heated with their own bathrooms, that feature bunk beds and are great for getting out of the cold. The central bathrooms are clean, heated and offer showers. The water is not yet potable so bring your own or check with the park team to ensure it's drinkable when you go. The hiking here is AWESOME with a bajillion different routes right from the campground. We hiked 10 miles and saw tons of animals and birds including a snake, loads of herons and songbirds, deer, a raccoon and a Cooper's Hawk. I will definitely be back!

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:)

Yogi Bear campground is a nice, clean campground. Rental options and the big pool are wonderful. I can’t afford to go there often though because it is pricey.

We tent camped in the staghorn section, less packed that the other options. Nice place, bathroom and showers were decent. Lot of trails, rentals of kayak, great for dogs and kids. Meijer is also close by in case you forget anything.

Nice quiet place to get away. Large lake for boating and fishing. Sights are good sized for campers and pop-ups. Tent sites are a little sloped. Easy trails around the lake.

Some sites are more secluded than others. Down by the boat ramp is more privacy than the other tent area. There have been issues with poison ivy overrunning the paths in the past but I don’t think it’s been an issue lately. Rentals for water activities and supplies at the concessions or camping store if needed. Lots of hiking trails to explore.

Close by so I can still take care of my client yet still have camping time and this year I get my Serior discount! Close by stores, medical clinics, Local Racetrack, within one mile of camp ! Big hardware store in case you forgot something. Check out the concession on the lake they have most things, and great food too, water big wheels , canoes and kayaks and paddle boards available for rental come and have a great time.