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Pleasant Creek Campground is nestled in a wooded setting along a tributary of the Vermillion River, surrounded by rolling hills and mature trees. We are located 5 miles from the entrance of Starved Rock State Park in the gateway town of Oglesby, Illinois. Pleasant Creek Campground is quietly tucked away in the heart of the Illinois Valley and just minutes from unique shops, historical sites, recreational activities, and amazing dining! Campground Amenities: Spring-fed, stocked fishing pond Well supplied general store Creekside campsites On-site Trailers for rent New bathhouse and showers Basketball, Volleyball, and Tetherball Variety of sites available for RVs and tents Water & Electric available at most sites Game Room with ping pong, arcade games & more Dump Station on site and pump outs available Playground and an array of outdoor games Minutes from Starved Rock State Park and Matthiessen State Park
Within two hours of Chicago, we’re a great getaway. Enjoy the serenity of our surroundings. With easy access from I-39 and I-80, yet away from interstate noise, our park is a great country retreat for weary travelers looking for a good night’s sleep. Simple pleasures, like relaxing around a campfire and enjoying the sounds of nature, will help you prepare for the next leg of your journey. Or extend your stay and explore the state parks in the area. Just 5 miles south, the deep canyons and towering bluffs at Starved Rock State Park will make you feel as though you’ve left the Prairie State altogether. Hike up to 13 miles of trails along canyons with waterfalls. At nearby Matthiessen State Park, you’ll find vigorous trails and beautiful rock formations. Check out restaurants, shopping and golf in the area. Pool: Memorial Weekend – Labor Day Weekend. Max pull thru: 60 feet.
$30 - $125 / night
$6 / night
Camp just steps from the water in the heart of the vast, hilly Palos Preserves. Camp Bullfrog Lake offers year-round camping, group activities and water-based recreation such as canoe rentals and fishing. Just around the corner from Maple Lake’s boathouse and the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, it’s also a perfect launching pad for hiking, mountain biking and birdwatching adventures on Palos’ 50-plus miles of trails.
$20 - $138 / night
This is a membership park, but does offer spots to Good Sam members if there is availability.
Family owned and operated, we pride ourselves on being an affordable FUN destination for families of all sizes. You will never be charged additional daily fees for your own dependent children, nor will you incur any "resort fees" typical of our industry. Your nightly site rental fee or annual Seasonal fee is all you pay to enjoy most of the amenities and services that we have to offer! Our planned activities and themed weekends will keep your group entertained for the entirety of your stay! You are welcome to participate in all of our activities or just sit back and RELAX, while taking in the beautiful scenery and serenity of our remote setting on 130 acres. We offer annual Seasonal sites and overnight, weekly and monthly site rentals for tents and campers. For those that desire the comforts of home, we offer rental options including park models, cabins and travel trailer rentals. Leave behind the hustle and bustle of your every day life, and escape to Green River Oaks Resort for a few days, a weekend, a month or join us for the whole season! We welcome reunions and camping groups of all sizes. Come see what you've been missing!
$50 / night
Legend
OK, let’s put the most important thing here in perspective – you’re in north central Illinois and there should be absolutely no reason to find a beach anywhere in this state apart from a few select places bordering Lake Michigan – other than this, finding a proper beachhead is impossible. Yet, here at Hi-Tide Campground, the sandy beach is exactly what you’ll find and what a great time it is for the whole family, complete with all of the many on-water distractions and entertainment options this place offers from sand castle building, waterslide, ‘moonwalk,’ ice berg, which is a 15’ climbing wall in the center of the lake, water trampoline, log roll, rocket balls, floaties, innertubes as well as floating ‘lilly pads’ and shallow waters for the young kids. Let’s just say, in the heat and humidity of a Midwest summer, Hi-Tide offers a really great respite with this toy-packed lake refuge.
As for the campground, upon entry, you will have no other choice but to head straight to the main lodge where you will check-in. Here you’ll meet the crew that run this place as well as see the market that’s here offering up just about anything you could think of while you are camping (ice, propane, s’mores ice cream, chips, soda, water toys, firewood, fishing supplies, RV maintenance items and campground gear), along with an arcade complete with video games as well as air hockey, foosball and billiards. Behind the market, you’ll discover both pedal carts for rent as well as a pretty decent 9-hole mini-golf course that has recently been upgraded. There’s also a picnic area back here, lakeside deck, fishing dock, further afield as well as an in-ground community heated pool and playground just in front of the main office. The on-site restroom and shower facilities are first-rate offering sparkling clean and well-maintained showers, toilets and even baby changing stations. There’s even an on-site laundr-O-mat located right near the shower / restroom facilities with 4 sets of coin-operated washers and dryers. On-site, you’ll find a proper dump station as well as designated dumpsters throughout the entire property. A handful of reservable small (no electric, 60 people max) and large (electric, 80 people+) are offered for rent at $50/day and $100/day respectively as well as very small ½ mile hiking loop that follows the Little Indian Creek, which is kind of a joke, but hey, it’s a nice stroll. Like most entertainment-themed campgrounds like Hi-Tide, every week has a theme, there’s planned activities like bingo and hayrides and disco parties to keep both young and old alike busy and entertained.
In short, what’s the upside to being here at Hi-Tide? Well, if you have a young family and are looking for a lot of distractions and planned activities that allows you to enjoy a fairly mindless planning experience that you can either participate in with the kids or just let them run wild and do their thing, well then, Hi-Tide has you covered in spades. Nobody is going to get bored in this place! Downside? While it is true that you are out in the middle of nowhere, which has a semblance of feeling as though you are engaging in nature, with all of the entertainment and distractions that you will discover here, along with arguably the biggest downside – the place is completely overrun with management packing in RVs and 5th Wheelers as close to each other as possible – it will be actually pretty difficult to truly commune with nature. This is a campground campus that packs RVs in pretty snug, while feigning at offering tent campers some nice flat land to pitch a tent, and for those that don’t have either, you can still rent a cabin. But make no mistake about this place, you are in a little ‘camping city’ and everywhere you go, you’ll have endless options to distract you and keep you entertained, as well as being overwhelmed by the sheer sense of over-crowdedness. So, if you want peace and quiet and some really pristine moments with nature and wildlife, this really isn’t going to be the place you want to call home for a night or two under the stars.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) When you get tired of rustling up beans & franks for dinner and want to try out some local fare, you’ll have to drive a decent distance from here to get to anything, let alone of quality. The closest place you could consider is Somonauk, located on 34 just continuing due east where there’s just a few joints: Hot Diggity Dogs, Rambo’s Bar & Grill where Uncle Milty’s Pizza Palace is located right next door to, but the standout favorite in town is Country Kitchen for down-home Midwestern comfort food; (2) If you have any form of watercraft, you won’t really be able(or want) to use it here on the small lake that Hi-Tide has, especially with all the kids swimming, but nearby and just east is Lake Holiday which makes for a very great place to dip your kayak, canoe or outboard in; (3) For kicking back and enjoying some drinks, I highly recommend Tin Roof Tavern right on 34, where Teeks serves ‘em up strong, there’s a juke playing good tunes and even a mechanical bull riding, but was unfortunately not working when we were there; and (4) If you are looking for a real outdoors encounter with nature that may (or may not) include camping, give Shabbona Lake State Park a visit – it’s only 20– 25 minutes from Hi-Tide and has everything, whether that’s fishing, hunting, hiking, biking or kayaking – you’ll be amazed at what you have so nearby.
Happy Camping!
Legend
We were looking for a quick place to spend the night, like a Walmart or gas station when we found this gem. It is only a few miles off the highway, making it super convenient for a quick overnight stop. The campground is very big with lots of sites and since we were there at the end of October, there were not many other people around. We got a beautiful spot right on the lake.
The campground has nice bathrooms and hookups.
Ranger
I somehow booked a different campground- website was confusing apparently. However the worker was so helpful and found me a spot anyway. Sites are kind of small so not a lot of space for big big campers. Cute lake and relatively quiet. Odd though that when I asked questions like where can we fill water and if they had a park map I got looked at like I had 3 heads.
Guide
Just 5 minutes to Starved Rock state park and one mile from interstate 80. Great country setting with full hook ups, pool, laundry, camp store and showers.
LegendLocated just northwest of Bloomington, which is located absolutely smack-dab in the middle of the state of Illinois, you’ll discover a nature wonderland over here nearly hidden from plain site. One moment you’ll be driving down the well-paved country road with golden tassles of corn popping up on either side of you and the very next, you’ll turn into a wooded sanctuary that is punctuated by the marvelous Evergreen Lake, which was built in 1970 and is some 925 acres in size with an average depth of nearly 20 feet and 50 feet at its deepest.
It is this fresh body of water that really makes Comlara County Park stand-out from just about anything else in the surrounding area. It has not one but two outstanding boat launches as well as a separate launch for canoes and kayaks. There are simply tons of little nooks and crannies all around the lake to get some decent fishing in – which you will predominantly find largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, saugeye, muskellunge and crappie – as well as a small individual isle called Deer Island, although when we explored the small land mass, no deer were to be found. There’s boat rentals and a bait shop that is available on the weekends only as well as a proper beach head with swimming available 7 days a week during the summertime (Memorial Day – Labor Day).
As far as the campground(s) are concerned – if you look closely, there's actually not 1, not 2, not even 3, but actually 4 to choose from – but if you add up all of the 144 campsites (apart from the primitive camping options) collectively, they are spaced a little too close to comfort for my taste, which when you add on top of that there isn’t much brush or anything separating you from your neighbors camping alongside of you. This is likely my biggest complaint: privacy. If that doesn’t matter to you and you enjoying being in a large wide open space chock full with other tents, RVs and 5th wheelers, then Comlara County Park is a great choice for you.
I would first begin by pointing out that the entire Comlara Park is very well organized, kept impeccably clean and very easy to navigate with relatively good roads and decent signage. It feels as though whether you are looking for a trail to hike, a spot to launch your kayak, biking trails to navigate or finding a fishing hole to cast a line, everything seems as though it is in very close reach and just a short walk away. All of the 144 campsites are made available on a first-come, first served basis, with 94 including 30 / 50 amp electric while 23 are non-electric sites, with the 11 remaining devoid of any hook-ups.
For my tent-pitching primitive bredren, there’s 16 walk-in sites in the main recreation area (I guess that is situated amongst or in-between the other 3 campgrounds that exist here), but there is a completely separate whole other area (oh, and located completely in a different county altogether), which is technically a completely different campground in a completely separate physical location with these 16 primitive campsites.
With amenities in mind, aside from the greatest asset being Evergreen Lake itself and beyond the associated amenities that have already been highlighted (e.g. boat launch, beach, canoe / boat rental, bait shop) there’s 3 kid’s playground, at least 5 large shelters by my count, at least 3 his / her bathroom and shower facilities as well as scattered in-ground fire rings, water spigots (basically planted every 3rd or 4th site) stand-up BBQ grills as well as the prerequisite picnic tables, all of which were in very condition during our stay. There’s only one dump station, which seemed odd considering that there’s at least 3 campgrounds if not 4 here and 144 sites collecting garbage at a single time. There is firewood, ice and fishing worms available at the visitors center and campground station in the main area.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If like me you are a primitive tent camper and on the look out for some pretty amazing, not-so-EZ places on earth to really feel like you are out enjoying pristine, undisturbed nature, then you’ll want to have a very close look at the primitive camping areas west of Evergreen Lake over near White Oak. There’s 16 or so simply excellent lakefront sites over here along with your own boat dock; (2) Should you be ‘herd camping’ with a much larger group, there’s actually a simply fantastic hidden group camping oasis over here in White Oaks as well that you can get away from it all; (3) In the event that you grow weary of cooking up franks & beans again for dinner, you’ll have a decent drive to either El Paso, where there’s a Monical’s Pizza, Dairy Queen, Casey’s, El Paso Mexican or, upgrade yourself to The Local Tap, which is a craft kitchen and alehouse serving up some excellent fare. Of course, you could head into Bloomington, of which you will find everything, but that’s a bit of a hike unless, like me, you would make that drive to either have some of the best deep dish pizza Chicago has to offer, Giordano’s, or one of the greatest sausage and Italian beef joints in the world, Portillo’s.
Happy Camping!
Scout
"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!"
Legend
Located here in the north central part of Land O’ Lincoln just due south of the Illinois River Valley, Cozy Corners gets its descriptor because it sits right on an intersection where N. 25th Road meets Route 178 that is literally across the street from the entrance of Matthiessen State Park, likely the main reason you are here in the first place. And while its very close proximity to this pretty amazing nature destination makes it quite an attractive spot for those looking to access the best of what the Illinois River and surroundings have in store for them, the place itself feels more like a farmer’s front yard that got repurposed as an RV grass parking lot.
So, if you ask me, the first thing I would tell you about Cozy Corners Campground is that this likely is not going to be at the top of your list in terms of campgrounds to choose from in the area, especially if you’re a tent camper who doesn’t want to pretend they are out in nature surrounded by a bunch of RVs on what is glaringly obvious is simply someone’s farm. There’s tons of options to pitch your tent, most notably, is Matthiessen SP itself, which has some pretty amazing land to drop anchor for the night. That said, this is one of the few ‘off-the-radar’ choices you might want to consider when visiting the Illinois River Valley area, particularly during the major summer holidays (Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day), where if you haven’t booked up something WELL IN ADVANCE of arriving here, especially at nearby Starved Rock State Park, then Cozy Corners likely will have some vacancy.
With this campground in mind, there’s about 10–12 slots available with what looks to be sewer, water and electric hook-ups along with aging fire rings. If there were other amenities like BBQ grills, picnic tables or pavilions, they certainly weren’t available when we paid a visit. And at this time, to provide a visual, it’s early Spring, so what that means in Illinois out in the farmland is that all of the area surrounding this place is barren, so while I am sure the fall provides for a much better sense of privacy, at this time of year, one feels quite exposed without any degree of privacy, save the few barren trees that are on this Midwestern ranch.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) While Cozy Corners can most certainly not be classified as a destination, if you are looking for a place to drop anchor for the night because you are just passing through, then this place is flat, simple and pretty cheap, but I would still recommend a number of other places for those toting RVs, like nearby Pleasant Creek Campground, which has a ton more to offer albeit at slightly higher prices. But what do they say about ‘you get what you pay for?’; (2) No doubt being this close to both Matthiessen and Starved Rock SPs, you’ll have no shortage of great trails to go hiking on with 5 miles of trails at Matthiessen and the 13+ miles of hiking trails that form snake-like patterns throughout, across and over the nearly 20 or so canyons that make up Starved Rock: (3) If you come hauling watercraft, you’ll definitely want to hit up the Illinois River, which is just down the street from here at Cozy Corners wherein my recommendation is to swing by the lower dells area of Starved Rock, where you can park and launch your kayak, canoe or boat from; (4) The three nearest towns that have any form of civilization around these parts are Oglesby, Utica or Tonica, wherein I would recommend a visit to either long-time favorite Garzanelli’s Supper Club, which has a pretty amazing Midwestern take on Italian food or Starved Rock Lodge, just due south of Utica; (5) Looking for a place to ‘whet your whistle’? Then head on over to Aces & Eights in Tonica for glorified bar food and cheap tall boys OR head into Utica and check out Obscurity Brewing Bier Garten for some unusual draft brews or August Hill Winery for some fairly mediocre wine from Illinois; and (6) Finish off your entire camping experience by visiting Two Girls and a Cupcake for some sweet, albeit overpriced, desserts and treats.
Happy Camping!
LegendBeautiful lake view site. Steep drop to water so not good for those w/little kids. Great trees for hammock-overlooking lake! Pad level. Water very close. Outhouse close walk. Kayak launch close walk. Boat dock close. Shower house short walk
Legend
Within LaSalle County or for that matter, the whole of north central Illinois, I don’t know of any other privately run, multi-campground locations like Pleasant Creek that offers a total of 6 separate, yet interconnected set of campgrounds, each with their own name, distinct culture, elevation (yes, I just said elevation in a state that is relatively flat, more on this later), price range, # and type of accommodations, amenities as well as access to them. This review highlights the Highlands Campground, but if you want to learn about Pleasant Creek more broadly, just keep reading further down.
While not in Scotland, this campground does sit highest of all the potential spots you could pick here at any one of the campgrounds you'll find here at Pleasant Creek. Unlike many of the other options, the Highlands are really just for RVs and 5th Wheelers, so if you are a tent camper, you will want to look at some of the other campgrounds like Outback, Creekside or Glades. If you do have an oversized or rather large RV / 5th Wheeler to contend with and are concerned about making the incline up to the Highlands, you might want to look at some of the other easier to access options. That said, after entering Pleasant Creek, you’ll pass the Office, Camp Store and Arcade on the left, where you’ll also notice a small (single hoop) basketball court on the right, passing by the primary community bathhouses, you’ll veer to the left where you’ll cross the lone bridge where you’ll proceed straight and upwards to arrive at the Highlands Campground.
Up here on this plateau overlooking the expanse of the entirety of Pleasant Creek multi-campground campus, there are 55 premium and deluxe RV slots available numbered #201– 228 and #253– 258 on the exterior of the single loop, and #229–#244 on the interior upper loop with #246– 252 on the interior lower loop, all with the traditional hookups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage). You’ll discover the lone playground that exists here at Pleasant Creek is in the center of the loop sitting atop this elevated ledge, while there is a temporary makeshift his / her bathroom but no shower facilities (you'll have to head down from whence you came to the valley where you'll find this amenity). Both the altitude up here along with the thick treeline creates a completely separate feel from the rest of Pleasant Creek, preserving a unique community vibe.
The biggest tip I could give you about staying at any of the campgrounds here at Pleasant Creek is that no matter which campground you select, you will be located just 5 miles from two of the best state parks that Illinois has to offer: Starved Rock SP and Matthiessen SP. Whether you are seeking a primitive tent camping experience in a deeply wooded forest or the perfect highly elevated RV outpost, like you will discover up here in the Highlands Campground, with all of the amenities (and more) that you are usually afforded or you are simply looking for deluxe cabin, porch chair swinging accommodations with all the creature comforts of home, Pleasant Creek has an option for you that will have you loving the best of the outdoors here in north central Illinois.
On the outskirts of the Illinois River Valley amongst thick, verdant forests of old Oaks, tall Pines and even weeping Willows, you’ll discover a tributary of the Vermillion River that carves through the Pleasant Creek campus, which is beset by rolling hills one moment and open grass prairie meadows the next, completely surrounded by some of the richest farmland in the country with endless rows of glistening golden sweet corn. And within just a short drive from Pleasant Creek, you’ll be able to access the best of 5+ miles of easy-to-moderate trail hiking at Matthiessen SP or the 13+ miles of easy-to-difficult trails and 18 canyons of Starved Rock SP. Want to kayak or canoe? Then you’ll have easy access to the mighty Illinois River. Horseback riding? Sure, in just about any direction, you’ll be able to rent a noble steed to take you through pristine grassy pastures. Archery? Tick! Really, there’s just about everything here for you to enjoy out here in nature in the middle of the Midwest. During the winter months, there’s even ice fishing, tobogganing and snow mobile trails to enjoy.
No matter what unique campground setting you find yourself in here at Pleasant Creek, there’s a bounty of amenities and options to enjoy: from newly renovated his / hers community bathroom and shower facilities, catch & release pond, camp store with a wide selection of dry goods, camping supplies and sundries, kid’s playground, elevated gazebo, water spigots, recreation room with community deck featuring chairs, tables & umbrellas, basketball court, volleyball court, wading pond, designated dump site, BBQ grills, covered pavilions and scattered picnic tables. One of the most noticeable improvements to Pleasant Creek is that they have recently upgraded the winding main entrance gravel road as well as widened a number of the road pathways reaching each of the individual campgrounds.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Should you find yourself in need of anything, the amazing father and son duo of Dan & Dan, are at your 'beck & call' and will work tirelessly to ensure that your experience here at any one of the campgrounds you are staying at is nothing short of amazing, so if you need anything, just ask either of them; (2) While there isn’t much to access along the Vermillion River in these parts, heading due west, you’ll find a couple of decent natural launches where you can access the wider river OR you can access a great kayak launch site either at the lower dells in Starved Rock SP or by contacting Starved Rock Kayak Company (who have their own, very amazing riverfront primitive campsite, BTW), who will let you launch from either one of their sites on either side of the Illinois River; (3) While there’s not a whole lot of restaurants in this area (which would be a great idea for Pleasant Creek to install its own eatery), if you do want to get out to try some of the local fare, you’re either going to have to hightail it to nearby Tonica, where I would recommend Ace & Eights or Garzanelli’s Super Club in Oglesby and if you don’t mind a slightly further afield drive, head on over to Captain’s Cove for some great seafood with a brilliant view of the Illinois River; (4) For the cyclists out there, you’ll be stoked to find miles and miles to bike along the I&M Canal that parallels the Illinois River; and (5) Rappelers will enjoy bouncing off the cliffs and sharp jutting limestone crevices that are present in both Matthiessen and Starved Rock SPs.
Happy Camping!
LegendVery large non electric site near water. Quieter area of campground. Site level. Water close by. Pit toilets close.
ScoutIf you want to meet new folks, stay here. Our fire ring was 10 feet from the table in the site next to us. We stayed in site 305, which was not all that level for a tent, but one of the most level in the Glades area. Our first assigned site 109, was full of dog poop. Bathrooms are old, not much space to help kids in toilet or shower area. We spent $60 on firewood for two nights burning from 5-9 pm. Only positive was that it is close to state parks.
TravelerGreat little spot. 5min from Starved Rock and Matheson park. Quite and cozi with all the amenities you could ask for.well, keep coming back for our kidless weekends. Highly recommend camping during the week.
Scout$45 for primitive camping is BONKERS. Plus you can only have one tent per site or else they charge you ANOTHER $45 - even if it’s two small tents - combined smaller than a large family tent. They will not tell you this they will just charge your card. Firewood does not burn, just smokes, bring your own.
TravelerGreat little camp grond.
Wife and I had a wonderful time to ourselves.
We be back many more times.
ScoutDishonest management, no one ever in office to talk to before checkout (office hours start after checkout); when we found an employee to talk to she told us slightly late checkout was fine! A week later she charged our credit card for an additional night for TWO sites. I will not even tell you what they said when I called after receiving no response to emails except one excerpt from their policy. Suffice it to say they are dishonest and if they tell you something is fine, don't believe them! Suspend the card you paid on.
LegendSite 31 is for those who want more privacy. It has woods on 2 sides with a trail thru woods to outhouse. Nice shade, site is level and on cul-de-sac so way less traffic. Water spigot very close. Very short walk to lake/dock and shower house. Park kept clean and very friendly staff.
LegendSite 28 unlevel. Requires several lifts. Site is very large however. Does have nice shade.
LegendCampground with nice no wake lake. Sites are fairly large although many of them with wide open area and thus little privacy. Site 31 nice site backed by woods. Could use a second dump station-only has one. Camp staff very friendly.
LegendNeeded a couple nights stay near Bloomington and chose site #29 sight unseen. Ended up having to grab a different site since #29 was too unlevel. The campground office was very accommodating. Park is very well maintained with small lake access and lots of open space. Enjoyed peace and quiet with only one other camper in our loop. Filled the fresh water tank on the way end and used the easy access dump on the way out. Verizon signal was minimal, but worked. Recommend the McLean County History Museum in downtown Bloomington. Located in the old courthouse building and extremely well done.
ScoutWater spigots are supposed to be communal. No one site has water, but trailers hook their hoses up to the spigots for the duration of their stays and nothing is said to them. Meaning that primitive-tents, and bikepackers have to seak further away from your particular campsite for refill. This campground is full most weekends all summer, so tenters and cyclists plan ahead. Other than that, the campground looks well cared for. Trees are trimmed, grass mowed. Sites are roomy. Pit toilets were clean and had paper, shower house is 15 seconds per push button. The water is warm. The lake is beautiful for paddling.
LegendCounty campground with good rates. Nice no wake lake for fishing, kayaking. 4 RV sites with lake view, 2-3 tent sites with view. A lot of sites in wide open areas with few trees and privacy. Fire pits need work-many sinking. Shower house adequate but nothing to rave about. In general area nice picnic pavilions and play area. Firewood and ice for sale. Could use more than a single dump station-I waited in line for 1.5 hours during the week. Site 16 during heavy rain becomes a river of mud. They give discounts for longer stays, veterans and county residents. Site 30 level and with shade tree. On cul-de-sac so less traffic. Backs up to pond.
LegendCamped here during week while listing house. Campground not busy and very quiet. Evergreen lake beautiful. Site 28 nicely shaded but not level.
ScoutWe spent the weekend here. Nice park with lots of playgrounds and good bike riding! The only bad thing was our site was kind of on a bit of a hill. Otherwise had a nice weekend here!
GuideWe go every year with another family. We have had sites 105-103 and 123-125 and 29/36. We love it. Tons of activities for kids and pretty chill for adults. Sometimes other people suck and you have to deal with that but that’s at every camping place I’ve ever been to. Love this place and we will be going back every year.
ScoutThe campsite overall is beautiful and the land is well kept. The reason for the review is due to the bathrooms being horrible. Hot water for showers did not work and floors were nasty, need to be remodeled. There is no water near any of the sites. 2 of the 3 hosts I dealt with were very rude. The one on the late night shift was very nice and knowledgeable. The other guys who helped me on arrival act as if they didn't want to be there. The site overall is amazing. Just wouldn't ever camp here again due to the high price and the bathrooms being Terrible.
LegendIf you find yourself either stuck in the middle of nowhere here in north central Illinois or actually looking to escape the hustle & bustle to find peace, serenity and a tranquil encounter with nature, then look no further than Nature’s Way RV Park, which is set amongst the golden rows of sweet corn that you’ll find out in these parts. From the winding blacktop that you’ll have to maneuver to get here, just a few minutes north of I80 and east of I39, while you will feel as though you are completely isolated, and for the most part you are, what I like most about Nature’s Way is that if you know where you are at and the surroundings, there’s actually an awful lot to explore and enjoy, but if you don’t want to go anywhere, you can simply set up camp here and allow nature to envelope you in a way that only she can.
As for the campground, what makes Nature’s Way pretty amazing is that there’s a tremendous amount of infrastructure and a ton of amenities that most private campgrounds don’t offer. Upon entry, you’ll veer left and arrive at the main office where you’ll check-in. Here also is a quaint community room chalk full of books, DVDs and VHS tapes (for anyone still using these) and board games as well as a small alcove kitchen area complete with microwave, sink, dining table & chairs along with 2 driers and 3 washers, both coin-operated. Beyond this, there’s also a seating room with two oversized dollies with freshly cut wood bundles available for purchase as well as yet another room that is the campground market store and has everything from souvenirs to camping supplies, ice, beverages and snacks to charcoal and lighter fluid, BBQ tool sets and roasting forks and just about anything else you could think that you’ll need during your stay here. Just outside and behind this main building, you’ll discover a rather large, covered pavilion which is great for larger groups or for anyone wanting to picnic under some shade.
Another reason why I love Nature’s Way RV Park so much is how they have organized the living arrangements. For mi tent pitching bredren, this campground IMHO has set aside the best spots for us – clear in the back, completely surrounded by God’s green nature, you’ll be able to pitch a tent just about anywhere under this shaded forest and will feel a world away from the caravan camping types that, rest assured, are on the other side of the careening creek that cuts this campground nearly in half. Over in these parts, just past the bridge that you would need to cross to reach this primitive camping area, there’s a K9 dog park as well as plenty of scattered picnic tables, in-ground raised BBQ pits as well as water spigots. For the RV driving / 5th Wheel toting crowd, Nature’s Way has spots reserved on its front porch lawn that you will encounter upon first arriving to the entrance. There’s about 20 or so designated RV spots here that offer full hook-ups including 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage. Apart from being located right in front of the main office / market, you’ll be straddled next to the main road, which really should be a problem as this is just a quiet, small country road with not much traffic on it. Just due east of these RV slots are 4 cabins available for rent along with small porches complete with benches, brand new grills, fire pits and picnic tables, which is great for anyone not packing a tent or hauling a makeshift campground with them. Due south of these cabins as well as west of the main building are additional RV slots, but these only offer electric and water, so if you need sewage, you’ll have to book slots #1– 19.
From an amenities standpoint, apart from what has already been covered, the ‘crown jewel’ asset here is the in-ground heated swimming pool, completely fenced in preventing the young kiddos from straying too far. Above and beyond this, there’s a designated propane refilling station, very well-maintained restroom and shower facilities, basketball court, scattered picnic tables and stand-up BBQ grills, WiFi and cable access, kid’s playground, community fire rings as well as designated dumpsters and dump stations.
Insider’s tips? Here’s but a few: (1) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or onboard mini-fridge, then check out some of the local establishments, of which I highly recommend nearby Cajun Connection, which has some pretty amazing deep fried alligator tail as well as somewhat mediocre Jambalaya (but ask yourself the question: who else is serving up this dish so far away from Louisiana?!); (2) If you are a hiker and looking for some trails to blaze, then check out either Starved Rock SP, which as more than 13 miles of hiking trails awaiting you, or better, the lesser known Matthiessen SP, which has 5-6 of fairly decent challenging, but completely isolated, non-touristy-laden trails to plant your steps on; (3) Should you be wanting to get that beak of your watercraft wet on your outdoors expedition, then look no further than the Illinois River, which is literally less than 5 miles away from Nature’s Way, where you’ll be able to oar your way to some pretty epic wildlife encounters as well as some fairly decent currents as well as amazing fishing holes; and (4) Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you – within just a 20 minute drive of where you have camped out, you’ll discover Rip’s Chicken, which is hand’s down, unequivocally, and judged by experts in more than 40 nations (mmm, OK, that last one may be a stretch) as the best fried chicken in the known universe. Oh, and they have Schlitz on tap. But this place only takes cash, so come prepared.
Happy Camping!
Legend
Wow! This place is massive! That was my first impression when visiting this family-owned and operated campground located just outside of Amboy, here in northern Illinois, where the sheer veracity of this place (some 130 acres in total) is simply enormous. While when I think of anything too oversized (big trucks, big houses, big buffet lines), I tend to cringe, because, you know, oversized anything comes with pretty big drawbacks, right? But somehow, the concept of oversized here isn’t terribly bad – there’s space, and very good distance between you and the folks that would be your neighbors. These grounds are pretty well taken care of and very well organized.
As for the campground, there’s a number of snaking gravel roadways that will have you navigate the entire property, which by my count, takes up about 4-5 football fields – sometimes hilly, sometimes flat – of cleared north central Illinois farmland. Surrounding the campground is a fairly good wall of brush, ancient Oak and Walnut trees, and of course, the ever-present, and now in late Autumn, completely barren corn fields.
Amenities? Yeah, this place has more amenities than Disneyland! The basic hook-ups for RVs can be found here (30 / 50 amp electrical, water and sewage) along with 2 heated swimming pools (although they shut off the heat towards the end of the season in late October), 2 playgrounds, ball pits, carpet ball tables (don’t ask), great fishing on nearby Lake St. George where you’ll catch blue gill, bass and even some catfish as well as Green River – which is truly the gem of this place – where you can fish, canoe, kayak, inner-tube and otherwise float down this small stream), free arts & crafts for the kiddos, kayak rentals, free WiFi in select spots (trust me, the signal is not terribly great), a cost-free bike exchange program, community library, courts of all kinds (volleyball, tennis and basketball), shuffleboard, horseshoe pits, mini-golf course (I know, I can’t believe it either!), rec room with foosball, billiards (or pool as it’s called around here), air hockey, video games, card tables, etc. There’s even a baseball diamond here! You’ll discover a laundry room, folding area, general store with snack bar, proper dump station as well as even a propane filling station. Geez, this is one long list of amenities!
This place is family owned and operated by Dennis and Nanette Gillan – who are two of the nicest people I’ve ever met – and offers pricing by the night, week, month or by the season. Truth be told, you can drop anchor here for the whole year if you’d like, although it’s fairly desolate and deserted during the winter months. Best part? Even if you don’t have a tent or RV of your own, this place has you covered by offering affordable leasing options for both RV’s and some pretty sweet cabins.
Here’s something noteworthy – while I didn’t get to enjoy with my family when we were visiting during the Fall, apparently, during the summer, each week has a theme attached to it (e.g. Barnyard Palooza), and subsequent activities organized around it, so if you’ve got kids that you are thinking about putting in a camp during the summer, this might be a really good option for you. Did I fail to mention that there’s even a free arts & crafts class for the kiddos every weekend? This place is truly VERY family-friendly.
Insider’s tip? Here’s a few: (1) If you get tired of eating beans and dogs fireside, fret not, just a short drive from Green River Oaks to nearby Amboy, where I recommend the fried chicken over at Long Branch Saloon (although their family-style pasta offering is pretty good too); (2) If it’s your thirst that needs quenching, then just head on over for a tall boy at Depot Tap or Last Alarm for daily drink specials and some seriously bad Karaoke; (3) If you come bearing any sort of watercraft, while the Green River is nice, for more challenging waters to navigate, head due north to Dixon for some pretty gnarly currents on the Rock River; and (4) For a truly amazing outdoor immersion, head a bit further north to Lorado Taft, where you’ll have plenty of trails to explore, all from a scenic overlook where there’s a towering statue of the great Indian chief, Black Hawk.
Happy Camping!
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