Camping near Morrison, Illinois centers around the Hennepin Canal and Mississippi River with sites open primarily April through October. Winter camping options are limited to Rock Creek County Marina and Bald Eagle Campground. The region experiences humid summers with temperatures typically ranging from 75-85°F and occasional thunderstorms that can affect low-lying campsites.
What to do
**Fishing access: **Fishermans Corner offers multiple spots along the Mississippi River for anglers. "Sites are shaded, with services, fire pits, wood available, site volunteer. Access along river for fishing. Railroad runs nearby can be loud," notes James M.
**Water recreation: **Rock Creek County Marina and Campground provides canoe and kayak rentals for exploring Mississippi backwaters. "Nice educational center with canoe and kayak rentals, with lots of Mississippi backwater to explore. Showers are open until October 14 this year," says Jeff and Linda L.
**Cycling trails: **The Hennepin Canal offers extensive biking opportunities near Geneseo Campground. "Great place to camp! Right on the Hennepin Canal. RV, tent, Cabins, and Yurt camping. The couple that run this campsite are so sweet! Pedal bikes for kids (and grown ups), a spray ground, and more!" reports Elizabeth R.
**Nature viewing: **Rock Creek County Marina features educational exhibits about local wildlife. "CG is spread out along bottomland river forest and includes camping cabins, tent and RV sites, RR/showers, playground, dump and water stations, Eco Tourism store/grill, paddling rentals, Blue Heron Cruises, nature center," explains James M.
What campers like
**Riverside sites: **Campers appreciate sites with Mississippi River views at Fishermans Corner - Mississippi River. "This is a really nice campground right on the Mississippi! The campground is quiet with level gravel pads with a picnic table and firepit... There was a playground, showers, pit toilets, and even a small amphitheater next to the river. And the views are incredible!!!" writes Elisha L.
**Spacious layouts: **Crystal Lake RV Park offers generous site spacing. "Slots are all a minimum of 50' wide and 65'-90' long, which is incredibly spacious by anyone's standards."
**Educational facilities: **Families value the nature centers. "The campgrounds are very nice. They have clean bathrooms, a nicely stocked store, and a couple playgrounds. They also have an Eco Center with turtles, snakes, and an aquarium that our family really enjoyed," explains Chris F. about Rock Creek County Marina.
**Affordable rates: **Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds provide good value. "We have really come to appreciate US Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) campgrounds. They are affordable (especially for seniors) and generally have decent facilities. Fishermans Corner was just an overnight stop for us... but for $10, it was a great value," shares Lee D.
What you should know
**Train noise: **Several campgrounds along the Mississippi have nearby train tracks. "As with all the campgrounds along the Northern Illinois Great River Trail, it is along side Rt. 84, and railroad tracks. That is a part of the Mississippi commerce," explains Sebastian G. at Fishermans Corner.
**Seasonal flooding: **Bottomland locations may experience high water. "Watch river levels for flooding, bugs can be bad since location is bottomland riverine forest," warns James M. about Rock Creek County Marina and Campground.
**Limited shade: **Some newer rv sites near Morrison, Illinois lack tree cover. "No shade since trees have not been planted as of this date," notes James M. about Off Shore RV Park.
**Site surface quality: **Campground surfaces vary significantly. "Sites by the river don't have much shade. Sites by the tracks are the most 'wooded' but also right near the trains," reports Mary S. about Blanding Landing.
Tips for camping with families
**Playground access: **Blanding Landing offers kid-friendly facilities. "Overall nice campground. Hosts are friendly and I saw rangers driving through multiple times. Each site includes picnic table and fire pit. Most have electric. There's a playground for kids," says Mary S.
**Educational opportunities: **Plan time for nature centers. "The grounds are on backwaters of the Mississippi so there are boat ramps, docks, and areas to fish. The camp store also offers canoe, kayak, and other boat rentals," notes Chris F.
**Safe swimming: **Crystal Lake RV Park provides supervised water activities. "There's shallow and deep-water toys such as 4 water slides, water mat, rolling log and aqua duel with another slide on it."
**Rental options: **Consider cabins for easier family camping. "This campground has an assortment of primitive and electrical sites. They also have cabins and canoe/kayak rental, a visitor shop with food/drink and a mini museum of the local wildlife. Great place for the family," suggests Ryan about Rock Creek County Marina.
Tips from RVers
**Site selection: **Choose sites based on your noise tolerance at Off Shore RV Park. "Resort has many options: even camp sites, 4 villas, resort inn rooms. Sites have hard surfaces, fire rings, water, electric. No shade since trees have not been planted as of this date," reports James M.
**Leveling considerations: **Some campgrounds require additional equipment. "Not the worst but not one of the best COE campgrounds. No nice gravel or concrete pads anywhere. Many sites are not real level," cautions Tony D.
**Amenities for long stays: **Look for campgrounds with additional facilities. "Paved everywhere, level concrete pads. Corps of Engineers takes really good care of their recreation areas. Plenty of eateries nearby. Well-shaded and manicured sites," says Al K. about Fishermans Corner.
**Arrival timing: **Check office hours and check-in procedures. "The after-hours check-in procedure was a little confusing. We thought we needed to check in the following morning when the booth was open, however, we were chastised later in the evening by the grumpy 'campground fee attendant' for not calling to register," warns Lee D.
