Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Orland Park, IL is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$30 - $80 / night
"camp suite is set up very well for first time campers or new people interested in trying out camping. The campgrounds do not have a lot of shade as new saplings are still growing."
$29 / night
"We stayed when there were not many people there so we had plenty of space but could see it getting crowded when it’s full."
"It was quiet, relaxing, and very well maintained. 1 trash area, 4 porta Potties for use for the campground. You can rent kayaks for the day, fish, wade in the river (no swimming)."
"It is a bit away from businesses. However if you arrive by car you drive through the quaint town.
Arriving by bicycle is even better. The Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail passes right by camp."
$6 / night
"the map that shows the Peoria area is wrong. this campground is near Bradley-Bourbonnais Illinois."
"This campground is open, there are a lot of amenities, it's very well kept, and there is good access to water."
$35 - $50 / night
"Lots of access to great fishing holes up the Kankakee and Iroqouis Rivers.
Kayak launch friendly!"
$25 / night
"It’s far enough off the trail that it provides plenty of privacy. The walk to the beach was not too long. Site one is the only site on the front end of the trail."
TravelerWe stayed in the primitive tent area near the back of the park. It is walk in.
There was a pole for a lantern, a picnic table, a fire ring and tent pad. There is one clean flush toilet and shower per each gender (the shower stall was spacious with plenty of hooks and benches). There were also vault toilets not too far away. The water spigot was pretty far away though. There were plenty of garbage cans.
There were a few small trees but very little shade. On hot days I think a pop up shade shelter would be necessary to make it bearable.
Overall it was pretty quiet.
The last night we were there a large group of people with their tents showed up. There were not enough tent pads or picnic tables for all of them. I don't know if it was the park that booked so many people or if it was the group that overbooked.
TravelerWe stayed two nights in mid-May, at site number 72. Area was gorgeous, well maintained, shady and quiet. Tons of hiking trails in very close proximity to the campground! There is electricity on site, but no water or sewage at each site. However there is a water fill station and a dump station. So just come prepared. Also, they have a very strict no alcohol policy. Not that that stopped people, but don't go walking around with a beer bottle! We would definitely return.
TravelerWe would gladly stay here again!
Great campsite with the best staff ever! The sites are clean and very well maintained. We loved the staff patrolling the grounds. The trail system is great for walking the dogs. And I even grew to like the no alcohol in the preserve rule.
The vault toilets are clean but smell like vault toilets at 95 degrees. There is one very clean flush toilet building but no showers. They don't advertise showers, but this is the newest and nicest campsite I have seen without showers. There is some shade, but you have to search for it.
RangerI've camped here four different occasions this 2020 covid-19 year. The staff are super nice and the campground has great social distancing rules in place for the check-in shack and bathrooms. It is a super clean campground with multiple hosts and forest preserve staff. There are a large number of RV pads overlooking the prairie and a few along a grove of trees. I was lucky once to see the equestrian area full of campers with their horses. There are 9 walk-in tent sites about 10-20 yards from parking (the two at the end p7 and p9 are connected for groups that know each other). There are multiple ada sites and two "walk-in/ie roll-in" site in the tent-only area. It's a good mix of young people, retired people, and families. I've seen weekends with mainly RVs and one weekend with a quarter of the drive-in sites being tents. The most shaded sites are p1,3,5,7 and 9. Many of the sites in the middle are wide open with little shade but nice summer breezes. Prices are a great deal if you live in Kane county but still worth the trip if you live in another county. Firewood is $7 for about .75 cu ft (what you can fit in a milk crate.) There are a few trails and I've seen lots of butterflies, gold finches, hawks, deer, flocks of giant sandhill cranes, rabbits, ground squirrels, and of course actual squirrels. Lots of people (including me) bring their leashed dogs. The other campers have been polite and friendly. I wish there was more distance between sites in the water/electrical loops for more privacy, but I'd go every weekend if I lived in Kane county because it would be worth the resident price even tho there are so many RVs. Because there is electrical it is a peaceful campground with no generator noise.
ScoutI camped there the week before Memorial day weekend--not exactly peak season, but not exactly off-season either. I arrived at about a quarter to five on a Sunday, and surprisingly the office was closed. So was the camp store, where I'd hoped to buy local firewood.
I was left to find my campsite on my own, which was easier said than done. One sign pointed the way to Whitetail Campground--but below it said "Closed for the Season." This made no sense as I'd made the reservation via the Illinois DNR website. The signage in other parts of the park was so minimal that I spent about 20 minutes wandering the grounds until I finally found my site. A couple of signs were missing letters, and some of the site number signs were angled in such a way that they couldn't be read from the road..
At one point I tried calling the number listed for Illini State Park on the DNR website. I didn't even hear ringing--I just heard a strange tone, even though the name "Illini State Park" appeared on my phone confirming I had the right number.
I'd reserved a site with electrical hookups, but the hookups were actually on the site net door, which, luckily, wasn't occupied. But my 25 foot power cord was insufficient to reach the hookups. I had to drive an hour round-trip to the Menard's in Morris to pick up a 50 foot cord.
The site was so overgrown with weeds that I couldn't find a place to put up my tent that was also a safe distance from the firepit. The neighboring firepit was just about 10-15 feet from our picnic bench--had the next site been occupied, our privacy would have been a joke even in this wooded area. So perhaps it was just as well that I couldn't find firewood.
The potable water pump about 150 feet from the site didn't seem to work--I tried pumping it, opening and closing the handle, but no water. So I had to rely on the ginger ale packed in my cooler for liquid refreshment--it was either that, or go back to town again.
I was hearing reports that there might be as much as three inches of rain in the area falling in the next 24 hours so I went to the office at about 11 am the next morning. This time the office was actually open. I told them about the water pump and they were a bit confused because they heard reports that the other water pump at Whitetail was broken too. I asked them what the likelihood was that my site could turn into a lake of mud with such rain and they said it was possible so I decided to depart early. As I drove back to my site, I noticed that the staff person managed to get the water pump going--he explained to me that after pulling the handle back, it needed to be pulled back an extra notch further. It would have been nice for there to have been a sign telling people that, as I had not intended to finish a six-pack of ginger ale in one night.
There's a difference between a "primitive" site (which, as I paid extra for electrical hookups, this was not) and one that just simply isn't maintained. I wonder if there's even any security at the park at night. The campground has rules, such as no alcohol, which is valid given the way people act when they have a few drinks within them. But I wondered who would be there to enforce the rules.
LegendStayed in site 43 of the Douglas loop. Douglas loop is all non electric.
Our site was big enough for our tents, a picnic table and fire ring. The bathrooms/showers are really close by which is nice but you do get the lights from the bathroom facing site 43. Not a big deal but if you’re looking for more darkness then definitely choose one of the other sites around 43.
All parking sites are paved for camper vans/trailers but no water or power hookups. All sites have nice huge tent pads that are nice and level. Only noise we heard was the train every now and then.
The showers are individual rooms separate from the bathrooms. And there’s a gas station and liquor store near the entrance of the campground for fire wood and beer.
I didn’t get to stay in the walk in campsites but they are very nice and close-ish to the showers.
GuideWent tent camping here and reserved our spot in advance. We bought fire wood from a locals front lawn at the entrance to the state park. Put 5$ in the bin and take a bundle. Its 30 mins away from Starved Rock and Matthiesson State Park. Good hiking. The river spots are all booked by large RVs and the tent spots have grills over the fire pits and picnic tables. lots of tree cover which came in handy when it rained in the morning. Otherwise great weather and not buggy. Dogs allowed.
TravelerWe pulled in around 4:30 in the evening. The sight was spacious with plenty of room in between sites. Since the weather was cooler , it was pretty sparse with other campers. We stayed 2 nights over the weekend. You are within walking distance to the beach within the park. The buildings have great architecture. The sight had 50 amp electric hook ups but no water or sewer connections, and we knew that going in. We had a back in sight #69. There was plenty of space on all sides. We have a 37’ motorhome and pulled a Jeep behind it. There was plenty of room to maneuver around. The sight also had a wood picnic table and fire ring for a wood fire pit. We will definitely be back! I wish I had taken more photos from the beach and beach pavilion.
GuideWe reserved a spot in the outer circle. We like having woods on one side. Nice campground camping….parking pad, fire ring, picnic table. Good amount of space between spots. Nice bathrooms & showers. We have a rooftop tent and we’re very happy. Loved the hike over “Mt. Tom” to the gorgeous beach and warmish lake for a swim. We choose the State Park vs. National Park so we could hike to the beach.
Discover the charm of tent camping near Orland Park, Illinois, where nature meets convenience. With a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a range of activities and amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Orland Park, IL is Camp Shabbona Woods with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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