Best Cabin Camping near Normal, IL

Whether you consider yourself a tent camper or an RV nomad, if you want to discover Kishauwau Cabins, you’ll have to give up both of these traditional outdoor camping experiences in favor of heading indoors to explore the best of what nature has to offer in this area. Perfectly perched far away from traffic, noise and the routine drudgery of day-to-day life, Kishauwau is situated far back in a thick-forested pristine patch of land that places you very near two of the best state parks that the Land ‘O Lincoln has to offer – Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks – with each positioned kitty-cornered from one another and only 3-4 miles away from where you will be laying your head hear in one of Kishauwau's pristine log cabins.

Apart from getting a really sweet discount of 40% if you are Dyrt Pro, what I love most about Kishauwau is the extremely personal hospitality that you will experience here, where the wife (Terisa) & husband duo that run this rustic, premium log-cabin scattered campus, promote a very strong vibe of 'Ohana,' Hawaiian for 'family,' which I have to admit, sounds a little weird when describing this very distinct Midwestern vibe, but it's true.  If there's anything that you will coming here it's 'family.'  From the moment you enter this serene, wide-open natural playground, you will feel at home. You will feel surrounded by good folks that want you to enjoy the community that they have painstakingly created here.  There’s a special vibe here that makes one immediately feel relaxed and a million miles away from that last worry or deadline that you so eagerly left your 9-to-5 work mindset to escape to and put some distance between. 

Amenities for the cabins vary depending upon what size and level of deluxe accommodations you might be interested in and can include the following: full kitchen w/ pots, pans, cooking utensils, silverware, glassware and dishware, flat-screen TV w/ DVD player, fire ring, picnic table, brand new Weber BBQ charcoal grills (or in a few exceptions, gas grills), bed linens, heating and A/C as well as, my personal favorite, a mighty sized great front porch complete with either swinging bench or patio chairs (or in some cases both). Of course, the greatest amenity you’ll discover here at Kishauwau is the wide-open expanse of the place, as well as the amazing quality nature experience that awaits you just outside your front door. 

And whether you’ve come packing everything you need for your stay or decided to come spur of the moment and didn’t bring a single thing, Kishauwau has you covered with what is, quite possibly, the most and best well-stocked camp store and adjoining gift shop I have ever seen for a place that is such a modest size campground. From a lending library full of reading books, music CDs or an endless array of DVDs to puzzles, board games and many other distractions to borrow throughout your stay, this place is very well accommodated should you need any distraction other than what the amazing nature provides that you are surrounded by.  One of my favorite touches here?  Even if the camp store isn't being attended by Terisa or her husband, there's an honor envelope where you can just take what you'd like and leave your money in the pouch that is provided.  Now, if trust isn't core to being family, I don't know what it is.  

Insider's tips?  Here's a few: (1) First and foremost, the owner and manager of this property, Terisa King, is one of the most passionate, friendly and accommodating owners I have ever met in all of my outdoor camping adventures - so rest assured, should you decide to stay here at Kishauwau Cabins, you will have a top-rate experience, well, because with Terisa looking after your every want and desire, an amazing experience here, trust me, is pretty much guaranteed!; (2) Once you get tired of staring into the fridge or your Cordova roto-molded cooler and don't want to think about what that next meal is going to be and want to try out some local fare, then I highly recommend the following options: Starved Rock Lodge main dining room where you enjoy some fairly traditional continental cuisine, wherein I recommend the fried Walleye, fried pork chops or blackened catfish, and while this legendary lodge offers up just OK fried chicken, if that's what you have your heart set on, then don't compromise and drive another 20 minutes away to Rip's in Ladd, where trust me, you'll have the best fried chicken of your entire life; (3) Should you come either with your own canoe or kayak or simply want to rent one, no worries, there's tons of opportunities for you to get on the water, which is really isolated in these parts to the Illinois River, of which my good friends over at Kayak Starved Rock Campground have you covered - at either one of their properties on either side of the Illinois River; (4) If you come towing your bicycles and want some great trails to hit, then look no further than the I&M Canal trek, which has more than 20 miles of really great scenic bike trails for you to hit; (5) Whether its days spent hiking, biking, running or kayaking, when you get to that point where you'd just like to find a hole in the wall and throw down some ice cold tall boys, then you could head over to nearby Utica where you would have a handful of options from a very nice outdoor biergarten at Lodi Tap Room, August Hill Winery for some very mediocre Illinois produced wine or Canal Port for some great shots and decent cocktails; and (6) Last, but not least, unlike many other properties, Kishauwau Cabins offers up unique packages like Cabins Campfire Cookin', S'mores & More and Stargazing packages that come with unique amenities, discounts and experiences - check out their website for more details.

Happy Camping!

This waterfront campground is perfect for anglers and particularly boaters who want to have their vessels close at hand, tied up at the marina, providing quick and EZ access to a fresh body of water that is formed where Upper Lake Peoria meets the Illinois River. For campers who want to get away from it all, while still being within close driving distance to civilization, Carl Spindler offers the convenience of a nearby major city (Peoria) while still providing a decent escape for some rest & relaxation within a fairly decent vicinity to nature. The best part about this lakefront getaway – apart from the incredibly cheap prices for an overnight stay – was hands down, the very friendly staff who offer up everyone a very strong dose of Midwestern hospitality.

This pet-friendly CG offers a lot of amenities including: FHUs featuring electric, water and sewage as well as playground, community fire pit, restroom and shower facility that are in pretty good (not pristine) condition, laundry, fresh tap water, boat launch, 2 dump stations, WiFi (although very poor connection) and a beachhead. All sites are very level here and come with a picnic table, fire ring and electric, while a good number of the RV slots have a combination of electric amp options in addition to water and sewage hook-ups. At the marina, you can purchase ice, small sundries and camping supplies and / or simply use this spot to launch your boat, kayak or canoe from. There’s also options to rent a slip, store your boat and / or trailer for the winter. There’s even a deluxe cabin to rent in case you don’t have a tent or RV.

While most of Carl Spindler is designed more for the RV-driving or 5th Wheel toting kind – and to be honest, some of these look like longer-term residents and / or traveling professionals – offering up some 55 individual slots (some of which I would definitely describe as ‘very snug’), this outfit does provide 2 different options for decent camp sites with me tent pitchin’ bredren in mind, both of which sit right in front of the Illinois River. In these areas, and actually for the entire campground, there’s not much (if any) shade, tree cover or brush that contributes to an overall lack of privacy – so whatever your activities might be, you and your camping brood will be on full display to the rest of the campground. At least if you chose to set up your tent over in the primitive camping area, this area is still pretty underdeveloped (for now), so over in these parts, you’ll have a greater feeling of solitude, peace & quiet.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’d like to knock some pins down while slurping some delicious local cold brew, head on over to Landmark Bowling Center; (2) Should you be looking for some decent trails to hike check out nearby Powerton Lake State Park; (3) You will want to time your sundowners correctly, because if you do, you’ll be sipping Mai Tais leaning back in your camp chair listening to some Amy Winehouse watching the sun set in the west over the Illinois River as the twinkling stars come out to shine their brightest all with a crackling bonfire keeping you warm and lit on a gorgeous Midwestern night; (4) While I always pack a long 100 foot electrical cord for all of my electricity needs, I’ve never had to use it, except here, where the electrical outlet in the primitive tent camping area is shared by all 4 sites and ours was the furthest away – so we got lucky; and (5) In the event that you grow weary of conjuring up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or onboard mini-fridge and want to check out some local flavor, there’s a handful of options, but all will require a bit of a drive, of which I highly recommend Avanti’s Ristorante for their excellent pizza and Italian subs, the Blue Duck BBQ Tavern for outstanding smoked brisket and Obed & Issacs Microbewery for the finest local taps as well as their signature dish, Kitchen Sink Pie (don’t ask, just order).

Happy Camping!

Perched on Upper Peoria Lake where the Illinois River conjoins, this family-friendly and pet-inviting lush camping outpost is completely surrounded by Spring Bay Fen Nature Reserve, absolutely guaranteeing a sublime encounter with nature on top of offering direct waterfront sites that will frame one of the most beautiful sunsets as you look west to Peoria during Happy Hour. In all, there’s about 80 sites – all of which are incredibly spacious, unlike a lot of other RV parks – to choose from at Millpoint, where a slow meandering gravel lane will have you navigating around the campground where you’ll take good note of the excellent shade that is provided everywhere.

From an amenity standpoint, Millpoint Park packs a punch with a combination of back-in and pull-thru sites offering up standard water, sewage and electric hook-ups, relatively new picnic tables and in-ground fire rings as well as a designated dumpster upon exiting the grounds. There’s a fantastic boat launch that will have you fishing, kayaking and experiencing this body of fresh water shortly after you anchor into your spot for the night.  In fact, you don’t even need to get into a boat, by accessing one of 2 small little lakes where you can simply cast a line in from the dock or around the perimeter. The meticulously clean restroom / bath house facility is located near the front adjacent to the main office, where next to this are 3 cabins that can be rented, just in case you forgot your tent or RV. Additionally, there’s decent hiking paths to explore both north and south of the property, with the latter offering up a small beachhead at Funks Run. The place also sells firewood, but if you need anything else, you’ll need to head south towards town where there’s no shortage of shops and restaurants.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are a tent camper, there’s 3-4 designated areas for primitive camping, but if you’d like something less primitive and with access to water and electricity, then book yourself into one of the 5 designated tent sites: #233-#237, of which I recommend #236 and #237 as they have a small waterfront area flanking the southern perimeter; (2) The water here has a lot of iron in it, so don’t attempt to drink it, but according to the locals, it’s fine to shower in, so I would encourage you to bring a decent amount of bottled water with you; (3) If you haven’t camped out here in central Illinois during the summer, you will want to bring good DEET spray to keep the ticks away as well as hard-core smoke or scent-fused candles that are peppermint, eucalyptus or lavender-scented to keep the gnats at bay; and (4) The owner, Don, is quite possibly one of the most accommodating and friendly campground owners I have ever met– so don’t be shy if you need anything at all during your stay, including a discount to his pizza restaurant.

Happy Camping!

If you want to visit Peoria, this is an ideal place to stay. The campground is part of a marina on the Illinois River and not too far from downtown. We wanted to stay here so we could visit the Caterpillar Visitor Center which is totally worth the visit.

We visited the park in November and since it was the shoulder season the park was not very crowded. The park is open year-round and you will find more seasonal people during the off season. They close most of the park in the winter time which only leaves 22 paved sites available. Otherwise, they offer a mix of paved, full hook-up sites or electric only sites.  Sites that are close to the river have a great view of the skyline at night and if you don’t mind having just electric and being on sand these are great sites. There is a small beach area where you can access the water and a community fire pit which seemed to draw a lot of people in the evening.  

The park has shower/bath house that was clean as were the laundry facilities. Wifi was non-existent but our Verizon 4G phone and hotspot worked well. We were able to get a decent number of antenna television channels. The roads are paved and easy for us to navigate in our 45’ RV. Our site was paved with a picnic table and fire pit and all the hook-ups worked well.

We enjoyed the short nature trail that leaves directly from the area. The trail starts off as a boardwalk over an interesting marsh area and then transitions to a primitive trail eventually leading you to the lake shoreline. This was a great walk for our black lab who loves trails and water. Of the four times we walked the trail we only encountered people once. After a heavy rain, the low lying areas of the trail were pretty muddy so wear appropriate shoes. 

The nice aspects of this park were the location to downtown Peoria, the pretty view of the skyline and the access to water if you want to kayak, fish, or swim. The price of $27/night for full hook-up was a great rate. The downside of this campground is that sites are close and there is a bit of road noise. There are a lot of seasonal people who were up and going to work in the morning which may bother late sleepers but meant for a quiet campground during the day.

General: City camping is generally challenging but this was a good place for us to land for the night as we were passing through. Very easy access as soon as you cross Peoria Lake to East Peoria. The flip side of this is that you will hear constant road noise and an occasional train. Reservations are made by phone and when I called to make mine, was told we would be in Site 33. Typical for us, we arrived after the office was closed and saw Site 33 was occupied. We took Site 36 and when I went to pay the following morning, I discovered this is where we had been moved to as site numbers are not supposed to be guaranteed. It appeared that there were many long-term campers staying here. The rate of $24 for an electric site was reasonable. Full hookup sites and a few tent sites are also available. 

Site Quality: Site sizes are, for the most part, very generous and can accommodate a large RV and extra vehicle/s. Some are very close to each other (beach and overflow) and there is no physical separation between them. Each site has one (or two) picnic tables and a fire ring. Some sites have paved pads while the ones closest to the water are either gravel or sand. There are also several cabins.

Bathhouse: Clean but the only downside is there is only one sink, and it is located in an awkward place (perpendicular to and close to one of the stalls). Showers were small and I did not use so cannot comment on how well they worked. Hot water was appreciated. 

Activities/Amenities: If you are a boater, this is a great place for you as this is a marina! Small and outdated playground and a basketball stand but no basket or net. There is also a laundry room. 

Conclusion: For us, passing through, this was an ideal place to land for the night but since we don’t have a boat, we wouldn’t stay longer than one night.

We were late reserving a campsite for Memorial Day Weekend. But Don had a spot for us. We are glad we stayed.

The campground sits along the Illinois River: many campsites face it. It's secluded and quiet. Campsites are spacious and well-distanced.

There is much to do on site. The campground is situated between a nature preserve with nice walking paths and a beach. There is also an old barge to explore.

A little further away is Old Mill Vineyard. Well worth the 20 minute drive! The wine and ambiance are very nice. Ask for Ellen.

The campground only had two restrooms available during our stay. But they were nice. And don't forget your RV water filter! The water here is very rusty.