Best RV Parks & Resorts near Manhattan, IL

Located just 5 minutes south of I80, which is one of the busiest highways that runs east– west through Illinois and just a couple stone’s throws north of the mighty Illinois River, you’ll find Glenwood RV Resort located on the outskirts of the very small Midwestern town of Marseilles (specifically mispronounced so as not be confused with its actual French origins, brought here by the French fur traders in the 1500 and 1600’s). While Glenwood sits on some 100+ acres with ample space for anyone hauling a 5th wheeler, driving an RV or wanting to pitch a tent, there’s lots of grassy areas to set up camp just about anywhere you look.

What struck me as somewhat odd, although you do find this in a few campgrounds around these parts as opposed to the recreational nature of what most people think about when camping, there were quite a few seasonal residents here along with large swaths of blue-collar workers that seem to make camping here more of a residential choice. If you arrive to this place and are somewhat put off by the less than polished first impressions you will encounter, as was I, just check in here at the office and keep heading north into the campground where you will see it opens up to a pretty nice suite of amenities as well as two distinct campground neighborhoods – the center ridge and the north ridge – of which you will find some 140 or so RV parking spots.

For mi tent-pitching bredren, keep on heading north to the Outback, where you’ll come to fresh green spots perfect for setting up your camp underneath the Midwestern starry night. As far as amenities go, there’s quite a bit: horseshoe pits, catch & release pond, covered pavilions, kitchen, telephone area, shower/ restroom facilities, game room, 2 kid’s playground, trading post, swimming lake, in-ground pool and kid’s pool with outdoor deck, tennis court, baseball diamond, volleyball and basketball court as well as an entertainment area / stage. The RV slots are full hook-ups offering 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage and there is a designated dump station upon entry / exit of the property (near the front entrance) where you will also discover horse stables for rent that come with access to a nearby horse pasture.

Insider’s tips? Sure, here's a few: (1) While this wouldn’t be my first choice for an overnight outdoor camping adventure, in a pinch, it’s not bad with all of the amenities, proximity to Illinois River and overall affordability; (2) If you come to this area to do some hiking, you’re in great luck as there are quite a number of really great state parks nearby to check out, including Starved Rock, Matthiessen and Illini; (3) Should you want to go spinning on your bike, there’s great long flat and scenic trails all along the I&M Canal corridor that parallels Illinois River and which passes right in front of Buffalo Rock SP; (4) When you get tired of trying to conjure the next meal from the depths of your on-board mini-fridge or bear-proof, goat-clawed Cordova cooler, then nearby Marseilles will have a few joints to consider, from Ziggy’s which is like a diner, Illini Lounge and Snug Harbor Marina, which has a nice view of the Illinois River – but if you want truly an exceptional meal, head a bit further west to Ottawa to Lone Buffalo which is a micro-brewery and gastropub, of which I highly recommend the fish & chips.

Happy Camping!

We booked here sight unseen due to temporary employment in the area.

What a terrible mistake.

The best thing was, that there is "full hook up" here???

This place is old and run-down to say the least, there's not a flat spot on any of the roads. The sites are dirt with something green in between. The stinkest water we've ever smelled, horrible!!! Our sewer connection was nearly buried. There is a laundry area, I don't know what it's like, I'd never wash our close in that nasty water, we found a Laundromat. The lots are verious sizes of tiny. Most sites you're back to back to your neighbor. Your door faces your other neighbor's door, it's like you shared a site. We asked for a picnic table and got one, but when we left for a week, when we returned it was gone! Despite the high rent, there's no internet or cable TV, basically no emenities. We were told there was planned activities, but we weren't there long enough to find out. There's a area for long-term, yearly sites. Several of the trailers in that area were old with beat up decks, some surrounded by junk.

We installed interior security cameras to keep an eye on our rig. Then stayed in a hotel until we changed our job location.

We can't image a worse location. I should be condemned.

We feel bad for those who are on the road and fall into this trap for a place to stay on the way, or close to Chicago.

This is a small, bare-bones operation, but it's safe and friendly; a great stop-over for passing through Chicagoland or Joliet. Level sites, full hook-ups. Not far from Chicagoland Speedway.

Located right on US45-US52. Lots of truck traffic stopping at the intersection makes lots of noise at night.

Rv park opened this may 2023. It’s open all year. Clean full hookups, pull through and back in sites

This place is more of a trailer park for more long term residents. They don't provide any showers toilets or wifi. As well every spot has cemented runners which is a nice touch but you must back into them.

You can throw a stone and hit a semi driving by to I-80. There’s a lot of traffic given the proximity to Chicago. If you’re able to sleep with large trucks driving in the background, you’ll be fine. There are bathrooms and showers although the showers aren’t anything I would feel comfortable using. There are a lot of long-term campers who leave their sites a little messy.

Can you say absolutely rude!!! I don't know who Mike is and wether he just works there or is the owner. I will never spend a dime with that park. You may think you're an exclusive members only club, but your attitude and demeanor is what will kill your business.

Let me give some background to the readers. I called the park back in February asking about monthly rv spots. At the time I was told on the phone that we didn't require a membership as monthly renters because if we did have a membership we would have to leave the property after 21 and be away for 7. Okay cool. We'll do the monthly and not do the membership.

I called today and spoke with Mike, who's tone and demeanor was rude from the get go. I called and he answered "Leisure Lakes". Not a hello this is Mike or thank your for calling how can I help you. Nothing! Rude. Strike 1. Okay anyways. We went in to talk about a monthly rental, we walked in the office and "Can I help you?" Not a "welcome to leisure lakes, how can help you today?" Nothing, rude! Strike 2. He started to explain the rental and said you need to be a member of the lakes or of Good Sam. I explained when I called that the person I talked to had said I don't need a membership for doing the monthly rental. Mike's response, "okay, here it is. I'm only going to say it one more time". Really! If you talk to your customers like that, I don't want to spend a penny there ever! Who talks to customers like that. Strike 3. I said to him, "If you're going to be a d$&@, I don't want to rent from here anyways if your just going to be rude. You demeanor on the phone was rude and your even more rude in person". His response,, "Bye". I guess when you think you have an exclusive membership rv park, you can treat people like that. Members beware and future people interested beware. If this is how people are treated when interested in knowing more, how do you think you'll be treat when you're actually staying there?!

If you don't believe what I wrote, look at other reviews that mention how rude they are. I guess they equally treat everyone as if they are wasting their time.

As we were driving eastbound on I80 that day, we spotted the Love’s RV Hookup, which is a new concept that this oversized fueling depot / travel store has been working on for the past year or so. Having checked out one of their other locations in Bloomington earlier in the year, which I have to admit, I was fairly impressed by, we decided to stop in here to have a look. Located just due east on the outskirts of little known Morris, Illinois just off I80, this little roadside stand isn’t the largest Love’s I’ve ever seen, but it sure does pack a punch. 

If you do find yourself hustling and bustling east or west along the I80 corridor and are in need of a pit stop or an overnight stay, then the good folks at the Love’s RV Hookup have you covered. While the other Love’s I have stopped by seem enormous by comparison, this spot felt more like a corner convenience store that also had a fairly large fueling bay (4 double-sided pumps) in the front, primarily for cars and SUVs. 

As you pull in, there’s 4 spots earmarked to the right of the entrance for RV’s. As you pull further along in front of the Love’s fueling bay, on the other side, an additional 6 or so slots exist for other RVs to park. In all, there’s 10 back-in RV slots available and inside you’ll find that there’s 7 individual shower stalls (all of which were in pristine, brand-new shape when we stopped by) along with a laundry facility, which we were happily surprised by, as well as a designated RV dump service, propane refill station and all of the typical hook-ups (water, 30 / 50 amp electric and sewage) along with WiFi. Inside, there’s of course the Love’s retail market, which was just decent, an ATM, Hardee’s and Naf-Naf (think Subway, but instead, Middle Eastern food). There’s even a small dog park here. As I hinted at, quite a lot here for such a small location. 

If you would like something more substantial to eat, just head back west on I80 to the next exit, where if you head north there’s an IHOP, Chili’s, Bellacino’s Pizza or you can head on back to the TA Travel Center where they actually have a proper sit-down 24 hour restaurant called R-Place. If instead of heading north, you drive south on the main drag (Road 47), there’s a Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Hut, Starbuck’s, Wendy’s, Culver’s, Dunkin' and Burger King. But if you want something a bit more memorable, I would recommend either Morris Diner & Pancake House or La Casa Michoacana. And if you don’t mind a slightly longer drive back towards Ottawa, there’s 2 amazing places I would recommend that you won’t soon forget: Hank’s and Lone Buffalo. 

Should you want to actually enjoy a bit of the nature around these parts, you can continue to head south on N. Division Street / Road 47 where you’ll come to 2 parks: Goold and Chapin, where either would make for a great place to stretch your legs, walk the dog or grab a picnic. If you’d like something a bit more splendid, then head on over to William G. Stratton SP or Gebhard Woods SP where you will be able to hike the I&M Canal State Trail. 

While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot: 

Convenience: 5 

Safety & Security: 4 

Quality: 5 

Peace & Quiet: 4 

Amenities: 3 

Overall, I scored this location a 4.

Happy Overnighting!

Lake Alexander RV Park is a quiet, spacious, family owned and operated campground located near Momence, Illinois, within a 1-hour drive of Chicago. The camp is 120 acres of natural beauty on the banks of the Kankakee River. The wooded habitat abounds with fish, wildlife, and native plants, and they offer many amenities for recreation and relaxation.

They’re open from April 15 to October 15

RV Overnight (includes electric and water) • $38 (30-amp electric service) • $42 (50-amp electric service)

Tent Overnight • $32 (no electric) • $35 (incl. electric)

I felt welcome and left well rested at this RV park. It's the prettiest campground in the Chicagoland area.

Not much has changed since my previous visit to this self-acclaimed 'four star campground.'  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) Close proximity to I80 provides access to this CG in under 10 minutes; (2) There’s a number of amenities here like an inground pool, general store, arcade, playground, laundry and restroom / shower facilities, although most amenities need some TLC; (3) The CG community here is simply massive, yet friendly; (4) A small catch & release pond; (5) Decent hiking can be had nearby at Starved Rock, Matthiessen and Buffalo Rock SPs; (6) Solid kayaking and canoeing can be accessed nearby in the Illinois River

Lowlights: (1) This CG could use some TLC with some areas in need of actual repair; (2) Some of the RV and trailer overnighters here appear to be professional workers who commute and / or are more LT residents; (3) Given the massive size of this RV park, complete with 5-6 different ‘neighborhoods,’ it is both busy and noisy; (4) Designated tent camping is separated from the RV/ trailer tribe and makes one feel more like a 2nd class citizen; (5) Residents are very visual and vocal about their political beliefs

Happy Camping!

"Our family had an incredible stay at Leisure Lake Resort RV Park over Easter week. The location was perfect for a peaceful retreat, and the amenities provided everything we needed for a comfortable and enjoyable visit. The kids had a blast with the available activities, and it was the ideal setting for our family to come together and create lasting memories. The staff was exceptionally friendly and went above and beyond to ensure our stay was pleasant. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a family-friendly getaway!"

The area is well kept, clean, and well managed. I have frequented this park because it offers a lot of activities from primitive camping, RV parking, fishing, hiking, biking, backpacking, etc. They're are some rock cliffs that are suspended over the Kankakee river and also over a creek that feeds it. These are great for climbing and scaling. Additionally, there are Indian caves through the creek where you can still find arrowheads. Exploring the area is pretty cool and the park is quite expansive and impressive for this state. It's great during all times of the year.

This is a great low cost, low frills state park. It’s pretty close to Chicago so it works for weekend getaways. We stayed in the wooded loop. It’s rustic without electric/water hookups. The other loop looked more set up for rvs. 

We loved the shade of the wooded section. We had a spot that gave us enough blockage to keep our reactive dog calm. Other sites had less division between them. 

You are close to a variety of spots. Hike or bike the I and M canal trail. Drive down the expressway a bit and explore Starved Rock. The small local towns have some interesting restaurants. 

We are keeping this campground in mind for quick weekends away.