Best RV Parks & Resorts near Manhattan, IL

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.

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)

Located just 7 miles south of nearby Sandwich, which is by no means a roaring metropolis mind you, but certainly a nice quaint Midwestern town that will offer up a small bit of refuge and resource, should you need anything while staying out in these parts. This hidden campground gem, which is incredibly homey and likely a communal outpost for many fellow campers for more than the past half century, sits right on the Fox River and therefore offers pretty stunning views as well as great access to some decent fishing and kayaking. 

While incredibly family friendly, Rolling Oaks, which is also pet-friendly, offers an abundance of amenities in addition to river access, including: horseshoe pits, playground with slides and swings, volleyball courts, 2 outdoor swimming pools and a maintained lake perfect for cooling off during the heat, propane exchange station, covered pavilions, scattered picnic tables, stand-up BBQ grills and fire rings, snack bar with sandwiches, burgers, wings and pizza as well as all of the traditional hook-ups (electric 30 / 50 amp, water and sewage) for pull-thru, back-in partial and full sites for RVs and 5th Wheelers. The bathroom and shower facilities are not amazing, but decent.  Further down the road is a general store where you can buy those items that are ‘must-haves’ and for everything else, it’s just a short drive to nearby Sandwich. 

What I love most about Rolling Oaks Campground, unlike many of the other available nearby options is that this location really feels as though it perfectly balances the seasonal ‘year rounders’ who rock up with their RVs for the annual stretch and those that are simply looking for a long weekend getaway, whether it be in their RV or for those of us that want to pitch up for the night in our tent cabins. There’s also a very strong community vibe here, which happens as a result of countless activities, group get-togethers and themed events, such as larger-than-life celebrations around the traditional holidays like 4th of July, Memorial and Labor Days, Halloween, etc. From potluck dinners and line dancing to hog roasts as well as line dancing and live music on the weekends, there’s a lot to enjoy here at Rolling Oaks. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you time it right – and I certainly would do a bit of work to do so with the family en towe – I would time your visit during the Sandwich Fair, which is one of the largest and most enjoyed statewide celebrations offering up traditional carnival rides, sweets & treats as well as other diversions like tractor pulls and pie eating contests; (2) Here you are located to some of the best state parks in the entirety of Illinois, whether that’s Shabbona Lake SP to the north, which offers up some pretty amazing fishing as well as proper hunting grounds or Starved Rock SP to the south, providing you with countless trails to hike and dells to scale; (3) For those wanting to dip their canoe or kayak in the water, I highly recommend that you first engage the Fox River that this property straddles or, if you are looking for something a bit different and slightly more challenging, check out nearby Illinois River, where the expanse is greater and the currents much more challenging and you should be easily able to spot one of the many bald eagles that call this river home; (4) When you grow weary of foraging for that next meal in the remnants of your onboard RV mini-fridge and want to try out some local fare, check out Old Mill Tavern, which is an old-school saloon, but features great fried chicken on the weekend, or Newark’s Country Kitchen for some great down home Midwestern comfort food, whether you are looking for biscuits & gravy for breakfast or fried catfish for lunch or dinner; and (5) If you are a die-hard foodie like me and don’t mind a slightly longer drive to discover two of the most amazing restaurants in the area, then head on over to Ottawa for Lone Buffalo, which operates both as a high-end micro brewery and secretly serves up some of the best gastro-pub food you’ll ever enjoy of which, I HIGHLY recommend the fish-n-chips OR make your way west down I80 to Ladd, where you’ll discover the best fried chicken of your life at Rip’s Chicken (and don’t forget to order the slaw, crispies and fried pickles, which completes the otherwise cholesterol-fueled meal!). 

Happy Camping!

December 2020, we toured this KOA Holiday in Kankakee, Illinois for a long-term stay.

We noticed a few trailers with a lot of junk piled all around their units. When we inquired about them, were were told that those people were being evicted and would be soon gone. Great, since our site was directly across the street from those.

Well, no one left, the junk remained.

There were other sites that had wooden cages, tables and other structures built on them. Clearly a violation of KOA written violations.

Anyway, we weren't buying the place, but an awful eyesore.

We couldn't find another site for a long way around. Without another good option, we checked in for an extended stay.

We became friends with a few of our neighbors. We began comparing our utility charges and found that we were all being charged different rates for electric and internet. When we asked for actual "electric bills" we were told there wasn't individual bills, charges were taken by the owners reading your meter, strange. "Some" of us were paying for internet. Our neighbors had the ability to move to another job site,, so they packed up and left.

Things aren't adding up.

We had nice site on the interior of a cul-de-sac, with a nice large open grassy space right behind us. It is one of the quietest and largest sites in an area, where most of us were staying long-term. After a few months, it became apparent that the owners had their favorite renters. The ones who had wooden structures, piles of junk and that were allowed to park their vehicles in areas that were designated "keep off the grass". Yep, that nice grassy area right behind our RV was where they parked their 2 vehicles, not utilizing their own parking spaces in front of their trailer. When we complained, we were told that we were welcome to park our second vehicle there also. However, when we parked our second vehicle in the same area, we were asked to leave.

As far as regular short-term camping, it's ok. It's older place with huge rotting trees, mostly dirt or gravel sites. The washers and dryers were nice in spring of 2021. The owners do a good job of "acting" nice and welcoming.

I would not recommend an extended monthly stay at this KOA HOLIDAY in Kankakee, Illinois.

Spent a couple nights here (site 3) for Vintage Illinois at a nearby park. Quiet, fairly level, gravel sites. Electric worn but fully functional. Lots of trees and shade. From map it looked like site 3 was isolated at end of loop - weeellll, it IS at the end of a loop - right across from camp host and adjacent to maintenance area for lock & dam - not very picturesque. Didn’t use bathhouse so can’t comment on that. Drink vending machines by bathhouse. Local guy across from entrance to park sells firewood. Site had fire ring and picnic table. One thing to note - trees drop some kinda “nuts” and when you drive over them they pop and it sounds just like you are dragging low hanging branches. I started to backing and swore I was hitting branches (even though I’d looked and knew it was clear) and DW said we were clear....

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!

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!

Like most campgrounds in Illinois, Mallard Bend Resort, which is located just outside of Sheridan, completely in the boondocks, by the way, is a seasonal campground (open April 15 until October 15) that is generally closed during the winter, but open the other 3 seasons. And while some would complain that this 37 acres of rolling woodlands is ‘clear out in the middle of nowhere,’ if you ask me, that’s it’s allure. Trust me, if you don’t know where you are going and don’t have this destination in your GPS, you will never find it or even just roll by it on accident and spot it. This hidden gem is definitely family-oriented and has been around since 1983. 

While Mallard Bend Resort does in fact sit pretty far back from the main road you’ll need to access to find it, this hidden camping outpost, located somewhere south of Sandwich, whose main highway artery is 34, east of Sheridan (which is a tiny town I had never heard of before ... and I am from this area!), is also positioned due west of a village called Millington, which is purely residential, save a bar and restaurant (more on that later), you’ll follow E 2750th Road south from Route 34 until you hit N 4351st Road, hanging a right as the road bends on a 45 degree curve, where you’ll head east until you come to your first possible right, about 200 yards (give or take) where you’ll turn in, on gravel nonetheless, so drive slow, where after 100 yards you’ll reach the gated entrance to Mallard Bend Campground. 

But be careful, if you don’t go straight at this point, and instead, hang a left to follow the gravel road, you will drive another 100 yards or so before reaching yet another gated entrance, but this is Deer Creek Campground (which I have supplied another review here on The Dyrt, in case you are interested) and these two properties, as I discovered, should not be confused with one another. Immediately after passing the gate, the main office, which honestly looks more like a main house, will be on your right and it’s here that you’ll check in. 

Kitty-cornered from the main office is one gem of an amenity, where you’ll find an absolutely wonderful community pool, complete with concrete deck patio, lounge chairs, tables and sun umbrellas. This definitely created a lot of excitement for the kiddos who weren’t expecting a pool at this place. Speaking of amenities, Mallard Bend Resort packs quite a punch by including more than just the heated, in-ground pool, but also features: community clubhouse with a snack bar, ping pong, air hockey, foosball tables as well as a shuffleboard court and lounge. There are a handful of kid's playgrounds scattered throughout the property. WiFi is available only at the Clubhouse and pool. A brilliant kayak / canoe launch is located at the river basin, south of the property. Firewood and ice are both sold onsite. There’s a decent-sized pond perfect for swimming or fishing and is stocked with a ton of water toys for the tots. And if you’ve got bikes, bring ‘em, because there’s some decent trails around here for biking and hiking. Scattered nearly everywhere you look are well-maintained Adirondack chairs, picnic tables and in-the-ground fire rings with foldable grills. 

There’s slightly more than a hundred pull-through and back-in sites here, all available with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) with nearly every site I saw completely shrouded in thick wooded forest cover. While the clubhouse, pool and children’s playground are located at the front of the property, once you get passed the RV slots, towards the rear of the property, you’ll be able to access the restroom / shower facilities, community pavilion, designated dump station and a coin-operated laundr-O-mat. Just beyond this is where you’ll discover the pond where you can fish or swim, where on either side, there’s two spots perfect for catching some shade – Ali’s Cove or Megan’s Nook – both of which are great for throwing down a picnic blanket or setting up some lawn chairs and enjoying a picnic or 'siesta' in a properly hung hammock. Further beyond this is where the kayak launch is at on the Fox River.  

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Should you have a canoe or kayak, you’re in a lot of luck as just due south of this property, you’ll have easy access to the Fox River, and further beyond this, if you don’t mind a slight drive to get there, the Illinois River is much larger with greater currents, but the amazing wildlife you’ll discover like Bald Eagles up and down the banks will be your reward; (2) Thinking about fishing and don’t know where to go? Head back northward to Lake Holiday, where there’s no shortage of great places to cast a line from and engage in some decent catch & release fishing for the likes of blue gill or croppie; (3) When you get tired of opening up your onboard fridge trying to figure out that next meal, then head west to Sheridan to Old Mill Tavern, which on the weekends has an amazing fried chicken dinner or try out Calico Café, which has a pretty decent breakfast spread; (4) Looking for somewhere to kick back and throw some shine down? Then head on over to nearby Millington, where you have two options: Jimbo’s Place and The Last Chance Saloon – and if it were me, I would visit them in that particular order!; (5) IMHO if you are an RVer, the best spots are on the lateral sides of the property, specifically on the east side at sites #59 – 65 (which will put you closest to the clubhouse and pool, so be careful if the noise and traffic bother you here); #65, #67 – 69; #87 – 89; or on the westside with spots #2, #5, #7, #8 and #10;( 6) To my tent camping bredren, you’ll want to target the river sites, which are the absolute best spots in this entire place anyway, so ask for R1–R10 (with R10 being the best); and (7) If you’re looking for a place to take the kids to where a change of scenery might be in order, check out Pirate’s Cay Indoor Waterpark over near Norway, just south of Highway #52. 

Happy Camping!