Looking for an adventure where you can explore Lena and then fall asleep in your tent? Finding a place to camp in Illinois with your tent has never been easier. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Lena campsites are perfect for tent campers.
$15 - $25 / night
Castle Rock State Park is located along the west bank of the Rock River in Ogle County, three miles south of Oregon, on Ill. Rt. 2. Castle Rock camping is centrally located in the Rock River Hills region of Illinois, and its rolling topography is drained by the Rock River. The park is representative of the Rock River Hills area with rock formations, ravines and unique northern plant associations. A sandstone bluff, adjacent to the river, has given the park its name.
$6 / night
It's not a huge place, but the goats, sheep, and a very bossy donkey will keep you company as you bake in the sun, or read under a tree by the creek. Close hwy access, but far enough from that, and in most cases the house, to afford privacy. This is a working farm.
I have several locations for campers based upon multiple factors like weather, phase of hay growth, whether you have kids, want sun or shade, or animals in your space. I limit the number of people here at one time - there is only one bathroom.
We're happy to have you, to answer any questions you may have, and to introduce you to the animals. We mind our own business unless you need something. If you require a lot of attention, manicured lawns, electrical service at your site, a grill at your disposal, and parking at your tent, you probably wouldn't be happy here, but if you like animals, quiet, and open space, we may be just what you're looking for.
Reasonable driving distance to Le-Aqua-Na, Apple River Canyon, Krape and Read Parks, Cadiz Springs, Pecatonica Forest Preserve, and Head Gates Park. About an hour from the Mississippi to the southwest, Galena to the west. There's also a popular walking/biking trail less than 5 mins away.
We are a safe space for LGBTQ+ folks.
Lambs are born in March. Kids are born in April or May. Most are gone, or mature enough to be less fun, by Oct.
Contact me with any inquiries, or questions.
$35 - $55 / night
There are six backpack campsites near Hickory Ridge. All sites are about 0.5 miles from the parking lot. Water and pit toilets are near the parking lot. Please note that coordinates listed on The Dyrt are for the entry to the State Park. Please call to gather detailed instructions on how to access these walk-in sites.
This is an equestrian campground only. Please register at the self check kiosk.
$4 - $8 / night
There are 8 campsites that can accommodate groups of 15 to 40 persons per site in the Hickory Ridge Group Camp. Only tents are allowed. Each group site has a tent area, picnic tables, a large fire ring and a set of pit toilets. Drinking water is available at the shower building located near group site B and across from the backpack sites parking lot near group sites E, F, G and H.
Legend
Ever dreamt of working / living / camping on an actual working horse ranch? Then you've arrived at the perfect spot. As my post from a bit more than a year ago provided quite a bit of detail on this campground, I’m following up on that review by sharing more fotos as well as providing a topline update:
Highlights: (1) Great hiking and kayaking in nearby Rock Cut State Park & George Fell Nature Preserve; (2) Supreme amount of peace & quiet; (3) Authentic feeling like you are actually on a working horse farm; (4) Sites are spacious and nicely shaded; (5) Excellent, well-maintained amenities like a game room, arcade, playground, small swimming pond, clean restroom & showers; (6) Very friendly and welcoming CG staff; and (7) Ample space to wander around and get lost in nature
Lowlights: (1) This CG is very remote; (2) There is nothing nearby to either stock up on supplies or grab a bite to eat, so when you come here, bring everything with you that you’ll need
Happy Camping!
Legend
Located just northwest of the little hamlet called Franklin Grove, which is just due north of Ronald Reagan’s birthplace in Dixon, Franklin Creek State Natural Area Equestrian Campground is ideal if you are one of those primitive campers who want to take their noble steed(s) with them for the night in order to gallup along some pretty amazing horse-friendly trails. While there’s not a lot in the way of amenities here, if you need a post to tie up your horse, a round-about where they can go for countless circle walks along with plenty of hay to keep them fed, then this location might just be ideal for you.
What I enjoyed most about Franklin Creek State Natural Area is the 882 acres of fresh prairieland that feels fairly untouched and ready for some eager exploration. There’s several small natural springs completely shadowed by endless forests of hardwoods along with all of the natural fauna that you would expect in these parts like gray and fox squirrels, white-tailed deer, racoons, chipmunks, beavers and opossums. If you’re a bird watcher, you’ll enjoy the flycatchers, warblers, and woodpeckers, vireos as well as barn and horned-rim owls. And according to the information I found on-site, there’s more than 19 species of fish that you can find in the fresh water streams, creeks and rivers here.
From an amenities standpoints, while you will find 4 picnic shelters (Bartlett, Sunday, Banker and Hausen-Knox, all of which can be reserved), restrooms, potable drinking water, stand-up grills and fire pits, there is very little in the way of amenities in the actual equestrian campground apart from water spigots with a picnic shelter, restrooms, running water, show area and the occasional picnic table. The equestrian trails offer more than 12 miles of horse hoofing fun and the terrain is heavily forested with just slight variable grades increasing and decreasing around fairly easy-to-maneuver turns. You’ll also discover that there is a very nice stream here that the kids will love jumping across and / or wading in searching for crawdads or small fish.
What you’ll enjoy most about being here, apart from the peace & quiet as well as the abundance of serenity is that this place has a really nice connection with history as it features a fully functioning grist mill that goes all the way back to early Americana where corn meal and wheat flour were made from the stream currents of water passing by that would fuel the grist mill. On weekends, you can actually take the kids to this site, located just 70 yards west of the Equestrian Campground for a super-cool interactive exhibition. Other activities here that you can access include an archery range, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, biking, hunting and even snowmobiling.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Should you get tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or on-board RV mini-fridge, then you are in luck as with in the nearby town of Franklin Grove, given its very small population of just slightly more than 1,000 souls shouldn’t have many restaurants (let alone stop lights), but thankfully for your sake, it does. Apart from the Casey’s gas station, which actually serves up some pretty awesome pizza believe it or not, there’s 3 proper restaurants all serving ‘down home Midwestern comfort food’ that are each pretty delectable: Lincoln Way Café, Rooney’s and Rev on 38; (2) If you are looking to explore a slice of history in these parts and the grist mill just isn’t your thing, head due west to Dixon where you can go explore the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. There’s also nearby Chaplin Creek Historic Village featuring an old salt box farmhouse as well as a one room school, which will take you back to the late 1800s before the world knew modernization and technology; (3) Although the trail hiking at Franklin Creek State Natural Area are very good, should you be on the hunt for much more challenging trail hiking or biking, then head on over to either White Pines Forest State Park or Castle Rock State Park, both of which are only about a 20 minute drive from here and offer very large areas to explore; (4) Should you come with kayak or canoe and are looking for some good challenging currents to get some excellent oar-rowing in, you will struggle to find that here at Franklin Creek State Natural Area, so I highly recommend towing your watercraft over to the banks of the Rock River where you will be richly rewarded; and (5) When you are ready to book this particular equestrian campground, just go to the IL SP site to book it: https://camp.exploremoreil.com/location/221.
Happy Camping!
Guide
The rustic campground was closed for winter. The main campground was half closed off also. Everyone was funneled in to one area so there was no privacy. The statue was pretty cool though.
Traveler
I originally went to this campground a couple years ago for a music festival, but I discovered how much fun it was. the people were incredible. the staff was really awesome so I continue to make it back at least once a year
Legend
Offers basics: water, electric, showers some shade, stores nearby
Guide
The park is on the beautiful might Mississippi river. It’s 2 miles from Potosi, WI with a large brewery with good food as well. Army Corps so half price with America The Beautiful senior discount card. If you like trains you will see many, close and going fast.
Scout
Nice trails around. Camp was clean. Cool creek and bridge. Priced appropriately at $23 a night.
Traveler
I got a primitive tent site in an area all to myself, with a shower house just down the road, in a beautiful and quiet campground for $10 cash. You really can’t beat that. Campground is separate from the park so you don’t have to pay a park entrance fee to stay here.
Scout
We stayed at this campground over Labor Day. The owner intentionally doesn't fill all of the sites in order to give people more space- a great luxury over a holiday like this. The sites are pretty small and only one 'sleeping structure' is allowed on each site but we found that Jeff was very willing to let us put up two tents (one for my wife & I
+ one for the kids) because we were in the same family.
The bathrooms and showers were very neat and well maintained. We didn't use the showers because they were paid but our friends did and had good things to say about them.
The campground has a very nice playground (the favorite of the trip for one of my kids) and a lounge where anyone staying at the campground can rest with A/C, wifi, a phone charging area, and some board games.
The primary drawback is that there isn't a lot of outdoor activities to do in the area. All the land is private so there's not great hiking (a little in the state park about 20 min drive away), IL law allows waterways to be privately owned so you can't kayak the river, etc. Galena is nearby if you want to go shopping and we really enjoyed going to Terrapin Apple Orchard and picking some apples (if you're there in the Fall). But all in all I would say this is a great campground to rest and relax at- probably not ideal for outdoor adventures.
TravelerI was hitchhiking thru, was dropped off by a ride that said he was buying a $14 tent site for me, come to find out he never did, I just was honest with sandy and the gentleman worker and offered the only 8$ I had, no sir, they said please stay for free and just enjoy. WONDERFUL PPL THAT CARE ABOUT OTHERS!! THANKS YALL
Scout
Lots of playgrounds for kids age 2-10. Pit toilets smell- I’d avoid sites around them. Hot Showers by lot 30 and at pool. Pool is not heated as stated- definitely not 80 degrees. West tower is the best for sunsets. Site 75 was nice as it was a bit back from the road and you can’t see your neighbors.
Traveler
Great backpack base camp! Great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike. We stayed at 806.
Guide
I've visited this campground twice and it's been a hit both times.
Pros:
- Scenic overlook is gorgeous.
- The dense tree cover and near-constant slight breeze help to both keep this campground cool and the mosquitos at bay.
- Well-kept vault toilets.
- Close to a many points of interest.
Cons:
- Some of the sites are strangely graded and situated. One site near ours had the fire pit at the very edge, making sitting around it virtually impossible. 14 was a pretty site but had a large tree in the middle of it.
- Using the County website to reserve the site was clunky and time consuming.
Traveler
Quiet , off the grid! Very pleasant !
ScoutWe needed a place after visiting the House on the Rock and couldn't find anything with hookups nearby. We stumbled upon Tom's Campground hoping to find a site. We pulled in and Tom met us at our camper as soon as we got to the top of the hill and before we even got out. He was very friendly and informative. Showers were good enough but we aren't picky, 7 minutes for $0.25. The area was beautiful.
Guide
I wanted so badly to love this campground experience, but just didn't. Site 19 was an easy walk-in that theoretically had nearby vault toilets, parking, and water.
Each site only had space for one car to park before walking in. Not a huge deal, but annoying as there were 2 of us who drove separate and we had to problem solve. When we got to the site I was shocked to see that what was labeled as a tent site had literally NO flat space to actually set up a tent. Spacious site, but fully sloped.
Also, what I would have loved to know, is that the vault toilets are closed because they are doing construction to build something new in that space. Construction that starts loudly each day at 7am. Honestly every site from about #35 down was affected by the noise because the construction is happening in the middle of the loop (and actually blocking some of the one-way road as well).
The park in general was okay. Per the usual, the pet areas were lacking. No beach at all, just grass covered in goose poop and one cut out on the raised shore between tall grasses and foliage where a dog could potentially jump in. Certainly nowhere for a human to enjoy the water with their pups unfortunately.
Traveler
Handful of sites, not very level. Lots of bugs, had raccoons fighting outside my tent. Was right across from the New Glarus brewery.
Traveler
Nice quiet place no neighbors usually bothering you showers and toilets could be better but overall ok
Scout
We have a 30 amp trailer. When we got there, the electricity wasn't working. It was 93° on a Saturday. We called the Rangers and asked them to look at our site breaker since it kept tripping. They came, told us the park was old and not updated but then ultimately told us it was our trailer. We had to rent a motel for the night because we couldn't even pull out the slide or anything. This was after spending about 6 hours pulling apart all the electrical in the trailer. Went to camping world the next day just for us to use their plugs and it was fine. We thought maybe it was our cord so we bought a new one and still nothing. We called the Rangers again who came to look at it. Told us that the park was just so old that it probably couldn't keep up and moved us to a 50 amp sight. The 30 amp plug there would work for about 2 mins and then would keep tripping again. So we ended up having to go back to camping world to get an adapter to use the 50 amp. Wasted about 30 hours of our trip over their electrical not being updated and they knew that. Tried to reach out to get the first night reimbursed since we literally couldn't even stay there or use our trailer. Was told we had to come back the next day to speak to the head ranger, came back and he wasn't there again. Was told he would call us two different times and never got a call. Will never stay here again.
Ranger
I took my son and one of his friends campjng to Bellvue State Park, however, we did not visit the actual park itself. The camp sites were close to one another, many had almost no privacy from the other campsites. We were at campsite 40, which had a severe incline. Also, if you prefer to hammock camp you may not be able to do so. I was able to find one tree and hook the other side up to my vehicle.
ScoutHuge park! This is a beautiful place to go camping, lots of things to do! Lots of access to pit toilets and water fountains from primary camping sites!
Legend
It would be EZ enough to miss this little campground outpost as you find yourself navigating across I88 searching for the perfect little patch of prairieland to call home for the night in these parts where the cicadas sing endlessly, crisp towering stalks of golden sweetcorn easily outnumber the local residents and where, somehow, it seems as though time has just come to a grinding halt here in north central Illinois. So, if you find yourself driving one of those monstrous over-the-top RVs or hauling a 5th wheel behind you in search of a slice of what this flat, prairieland has to offer you, then this small RV-only lakeside campground might just work for you and your camping plans.
One quick note – so as not to waste anyone’s time here – in case you missed it in the headline, there is no tent camping at this property, which was a major bummer to learn, especially after learning this was ALSO the case at the only other nearby campground over at Crystal Lake. Unlike this latter camping outpost, Leisure Lake makes no qualms about saying that they have zero plans to allow tent campers anytime soon, so if that’s what you’ve got in mind, keep on looking for higher ground, mi bredren.
Contrary to the non-stop, almost carnival-like amenities that you will find over at Crystal Lake (you’ll have to read my review on to understand the very long laundry list of family-friendly amenities that are offered there), here at Leisure Lake you will either be incredibly happy with or utterly disappointed by the stark contrast in terms of just basic, nearly non-existent amenities here. One thing is sure, if you are looking for greater solitude, enhanced peace & quiet and less distractions in which to truly embrace what this area of God’s green garden has to offer, then you might actually have found the perfect location. These are the amenities you will find here at Leisure Lake Campground: typical 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage hook-ups, community showers & bathrooms, private access to Leisure Lake, which honestly, is more like a pond IMHO, picnic tables and a fire ring. Yup, that's it.
As for the campground itself, it likely doesn’t get any simpler. There’s about 60 or 70 RV slots that encircle the namesake Leisure Lake and while every site is lakefront, the only real difference between sites is that the northern side doesn’t have much shade or privacy and parallels the only road that runs past these parts, whereas the eastern side has closer access to what looks like a beach house and has the best views particularly around sunset as these sites are westward facing, followed by the southern side which has a bit more shade / privacy and has only the swoosh of traffic coming of I88 to content with (albeit the highway is elevated, so the whole property doesn't really experience any traffic noise per se).
Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the remains of what is in your onboard mini-fridge or you just want to try out some local fare, then nearby you’ll have a few fast food joints to choose from like Culver’s and Burger King, but there’s a few other spots I would recommend first like nearby Rock Falls Candlelight, which is simply fantastic and a bit upscale for this area or the very modest A’s Kitchen; (2) If you come here expecting (like most people I would imagine) that you can swim in this lake ... you would be mistaken, as there is absolutely no swimming in this pond, which was a bummer to learn about, and honestly, I have to question 'WHY?!' (as coming from FL, I can't imagine there's alligators to contend with);(3) If you are camping here you can fish for free, but if not, the owners want to charge you $5 for dropping a line, which seems silly; (4) While the prices are modest at $32 per night / $190 per week, it feels a tad steep considering you really aren’t getting much of anything on the amenity front, but I guess that’s for you to decide; (5) Should you find yourself getting ‘cabin fever’ here (due to the lack of just about anything in the way of diversions) then just due west of here a few miles down the road, you can find Centennial Park which offers up playground areas, baseball diamonds, paddle boat rentals, shelters with picnic tables, tennis courts and hiking trails; and (6) even if you could dip your canoe or kayak in Leisure Lake, trust me, you would be bored in under 10 minutes as the pond is just too small, but good luck for you, nearby there’s Hennepin Canal or the more challenging Rock River to choose from, either of which will provide ample hours of fresh water exploration, sight-seeing as well as angling and, the best part? No one will charge you $5 for the right to drop a line!
Happy Camping!
Scout
Unfortunately, I can no longer say this is a great, affordable place to stay. The weekly rates increased by over $75 a week for the full hookup sites this season.
There was also a link to last years pricing still active until 4/16 that has since been deactivated when I asked to have my pricing adjusted to that amount. Seems deceptive to me, having 2 different prices in 2 different places on their site. They will not honor the price and told me if I don't like it I can find somewhere else to camp.
Also, they no longer offer kayaks, which was the big draw to the campground.
We may keep our reservation this year, but likely won't be back next season.
Legend
Located just 4 miles or so south of Oregon in north central Illinois, Castle Rock State Park is located along the snakelike Rock River, where Route 2 parallels a scenic drive full of nice foliage and heavily forested areas that are interrupted from time to time by deep gorges and ravines, sandstone bluffs, heavily forested dells and limestone-sheathed rock formations. If you’ve come this way to do some decent hiking, with more than 6 miles of moderate landscape, you’ll be rewarded for finding this place off the beaten path. And during the winter months these hiking paths make for great cross-country skiing and tobogganing. What’s super unique about this place is that you’ll discover in some areas of the park outcrops of the native forest, seemingly untouched over time, but yet, in others, the Midwest prairie sneaks up and surprises you just when you least expect it.
As for the campground itself, be forewarned, you cannot drive or even hike into this campground – as it is accessed only by boat along the Rock River. And while there is supposed to be a boat dock right in front of the Castle Rock State Park Campground (just look at the photo of the map), I never found one, and I careened up and down the Rock River a number of times, so be prepared to get wet and muddy when trying to access this very secluded and often sparsely populated spot. I could only speculate that as we were in shoulder season, they hadn’t put the dock back in place yet as perhaps it was taken down during the winter? In all, there are only 9 sites to choose from and while fairly well-maintained, meaning that the grass is cut and the shrubbery trimmed back some, this is a very primitive site with virtually nothing, apart from a few in-ground rectangular fire rings w/ grill covers, a handful of stand-up grills and a couple of scattered picnic tables to make use of. There is only a single bathroom that can be accessed and there are no showers.
From an historical perspective, you will find all sorts of rich Native American history up and down the Rock River, which in its original native tongue was called Sinnissippi, which is Sauk for ‘Rocky Waters.’ Here in this place, the Sauk and Fox tribes lived in peace until the advance of colonists in the early 1800’s, when the great Sauk chief, Blackhawk, led his and other tribes out of the area, only to return a few years later to ignite a series of battles called Blackhawk Indian Wars, which ended in less than a year and ultimately led to Blackhawk’s capture. If you have the time, I would highly recommend you drive further north just past Oregon where you can see the massive 10 story statue commemorating the Great Chief Blackhawk at Lorado Taft, which is another fantastic place to get in some hiking, explore nature and connect to this amazing patch of land.
Insider’s tips: (1) While you can’t hike or drive in to this campground, you can canoe or kayak in, and decide to hike out of the campground, where I would strongly recommend ascending the single gravel lane that takes you up to Route 2, where you can cross the road and access all of the great hiking trails that are, here including Pond Trail with 2 miles of easy-to-moderate trails and Oak Ridge Trail, which is a bit more challenging, but only a single mile in length, with Fox Trail the shortest at a half mile, but quite scenic. These 3 trails make up the South Trails; (2) The far better and more challenging hiking is to be had in the North Trails, where you’ll have to hike down along Route 2 for a bit or hitch a ride, but here there’s a total of 5 trails to choose from: River Bluff (.5 mile), Wildlife Viewing (1 mile), Heather Valley (2 miles), Timber Edge (1/4 mile) and Forest Ridge (1 Mile). These make up the North Trails; (3) There’s also a sweet little picnic area up here in the North Trails called Aspen Ridge that is nice, and closer to the river, near River Bluff trail, where you’ll see the picturesque Old Orchard picnic area, which I highly recommend; (4) When you head downstream to access the Canoe Campground, be sure to stay on the right, as you’ll encounter a number of islands in the river that will block your view, so row close to shore in order to spot the campsite; and (5) You’ll access the boat launch up river from the entrance of the State Park, which is just beyond the Castle Rock Scenic Overlook and Wayside Area, but before you reach Aspen Ridge picnic area.
Happy Camping!
GuideWe camp here at least 5 times a year. It’s only 8 miles from our home. Many trails and not to expensive. They have sites with electric and sites just for tents. The only negative is no drinkable water. Tons of trails, fishing and even a swimming pond.
Legend
This fairly new State Park would of merited "5 stars", but the pit (aka vault) toilet smell was just tooooooo much and we weren't even close!
PROS
Park beautifully maintained and mowed throughout S
Site 109 shady
Site 109 gravel parking pad level
Moveable wooden picnic table
Metal campfire ring with cooking grate
Roadways easy to maneuver without obstacles
Quite except for train whistle close by
Partial privacy from neighbors
Toilet/shower facility in next campground (Savanna) very clean and sufficiently stocked
Very nice 12 ft wide asphalt bike trails
Night sky friendly as no street lights in campground
Firewood for sale at entrance gate
Frequent park ranger campground drive throughs
Double lane dump station
Double lane portable water fill stations
CONS
The aroma of the pit toilet between Spruce and Savanna Campgrounds could be smelled throughout both campgrounds. Disgusting!!! No hand wash station at pit toilet
Modern toilet/shower facility only in Savanna Campground
No security gate closure overnight
All trash dumpsters near campground entrance gatehouse
5pm checkin
No interpretive programs Monday thru Thursday
ScoutA perfect spot for a weekend trip. We stayed in the White Oak area and used our tent. This location was close to the shower house (which could have been a little bit cleaner but still usable). There are plenty of scenic photo opportunities especially during the fall season.
Tent camping near Lena, Illinois offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from serene parks to unique private sites, there's something for every tent camper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lena, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lena, IL is New Glarus State Park Campground with a 3.6-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lena, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near Lena, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
