Best Campgrounds near Princeton, IL

Located just due north of Sheffield, right off I80 (2 miles to be exact), and due west of Princeton by about 20 minutes, Hickory Grove Campground, on the one hand, is so far off the grid that you will really feel as though you are truly ‘getting away from it all,’ yet on other hand, this place is just a couple stone’s throw from one of the busiest highways that runs through the great state of Illinois, making it incredibly accessible. What I love most about Hickory Grove Campground is that it is run by good folks (husband and wife duo, Dave & Joan) that have been in this particular area of north central Illinois for a very long time. On your way to Hickory Grove, you won’t help but notice that there is a supreme amount of gorgeous farmland that you will bear witness to, complete with golden rows of sweet corn or fields of drilled beans. Any way you look at it, enroute to Hickory Grove, you will feel right at home here in the heartland of the Midwest, where we take great pride in our hospitality.

As for this pet-friendly campground itself, upon entry, you will discover that there is a main house, immediately followed by the main office, which is where you will check in. Once doing so, you’ll be able to access your slot, depending upon which one you have selected (and there is nearly 100 to choose from), whether that be an RV or 5th Wheeler slab, deluxe cabin rental or primitive camping site. There are 15 pull-through sites (all with 50 amp electric) with all RV and Trailer sites offering full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) most with shaded lots. Other amenities include a doggie park, ice for sale, scattered picnic tables, designated trash dumpsters, BBQ grills, boat launch, pedal cart rental, restroom and shower facilities, ramp and dock on the Hennepin Canal horseshoe pit and 3 miles of hiking trails.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re a biker like me, you better come bringing the cycles as from this vantage point, you’ll be able to access the 80 mile long bike trail that you’ll find is easy to access from Hickory Grove Campground; (2) As a fellow kayak enthusiast, you’ll appreciate the nearby access at Hennepin Canal; (3) After a good day of hiking, biking and kayaking, likely you’ll want to ‘whet that whistle’ and if so, nearby Psycho Silo Saloon has you covered in spades (April until October that is) with a full stocked bar of spirits, live music and some nice iced tall boys, but be sure to bring cash because this watering hole doesn’t know how to make credit cards work yet; (4) For those looking for a nice, easy and economical seasonal rental, Hickory Grove is quite affordable offering up sites for as little as $1,400 / season; (5) Specific sites that I recommend include: (a) those on the river’s edge of the Hennepin Canal: #30A, #30B, #34 – 39, #80R; (b) those on the western edge of the property: #12A – B, #13, #16 –19, #30A – B, #34 – 39; as well as (c) those sites that fall against the eastern treeline: #80, #82, #86A – C, #97 – 99; (6) When I head out camping, I like to bring 2-3 choice cuts of rare, sometimes exotic meats and whatever you might be into, should you want some fresh cut meats, check out nearby Wyanet Meat Locker, which will have the standards (NY Strip, Ribeye, hamburger patties) as well as some nice cuts from the top-shelf, including: buffalo, lamb chops and duck; and (7) For a slice of pure Midwestern joy, check out Myrtle’s Pie, which have some amazing selections including banana cream, salted caramel, lemon meringue, carrot cake cheesecake and my favorite, the coconut cream – but everyday Myrtle runs out of pies by early-to-mid-afternoon, so call ahead to order your pie or just get in there as soon as she opens for some freshly baked cinnamon roles and brewed coffee.

Happy Camping!

This is an incredibly quaint, somewhat out-of-the-way (in a very good way) location that will treat you to a heavy dose of isolation and privacy wherein you’ll feel completely blessed by the nature you will be surrounded by. This incredibly friendly (pet-friendly as well BTW) operation does an excellent job in how it is set up, offering up a few distinct loops that are ear-marked pretty much exclusively for the wheel-toting camping variety (think RVs, rigs, trailers and 5th wheels) providing 59 pull-thru and 12 back-in slots, while also offering up a discreet space flanked towards the front of the property that is simply perfect for mi tent pitchin’ bredren, which is surrounded by mature Oaks. And, just in case you either forgot your tent or RV, Geneseo Campground has 4 super comfy cabins (each sleeps 4 and come with A/C) or an amazing yurt that sleeps 8 that they’ll gladly rent you.

From an amenities standpoint, there’s an amazing kid’s playground, well-stocked camp store, propane refueling station, kayak & canoe rental, gas grill rental, e-bike, pedal carts & fat tire bike rental, full and partial hook-ups offering 30 / 50 electric amp, water & sewage hook-ups. There’s also a meeting room, WiFi everywhere, enclosed dog park, firewood & ice for sale, arcade games, RV dump station, coin-operated washers & dryers / laundr-O-mat, excellent showers & bathrooms, direct access to the Hennepin Canal and don’t forget the 60 or so miles worth of hiking trails!

This place is spacious, very well organized, incredibly clean all the while within a short 10 minute drive into nearby Geneseo, which quite frankly, is one of the most idyllic small towns you’ll come across anywhere in Illinois that is both convivial and provincial, but also quite emblematic of a typical Norman Rockwell painting. What I loved most about this place is that while it doesn’t offer up EVERYTHING that you might be looking for while camping, you only need to head due south to Izaak Walton Park (further south of this spot) or to Geneseo Prairie Park, both of which offer up amazing hiking trails as well as good launch spots to access the Hennepin Canal via kayak and canoe.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re reeling, you should expect to catch blue gill, catfish, bass and crappie, and while you can throw your line from the Geneseo Campground property, I would highly recommend you cross the canal to Izaak Walton Park on its east side where there’s a large open canal / lake to cast in; (2) While there’s tons of hiking trails, you don’t want to forget your bikes – there’s 72 miles of biking trails as well as miles and miles of nicely paved empty country roads to pedal on; (3) Maybe you have a kayak or canoe, but in the case you don’t, do yourself a favor and rent one from the good people at Geneseo Campground in which to explore the Hennepin Canal - trust me, you won't be disappointed; and (4) Should you grow weary of eating franks & beans again from your campsite and want to try out some local cuisine, then get yourself over to nearby Geneseo where you can dine out at The Cellar, Sweet Peas Grill & Bar or Geneseo Brewing Company.

Happy Camping!

OMG where do I even start? It’s Illinois. It’s all corn and soy until the actual park which is just a few trees along a very industrialized and ugly river. This was just a stopover and we weren’t expecting much for nature, but it somehow had less than I expected.

Stopped at the office which was closed (4pm on summer Saturday). A sign said to just go set up. There is an initial sign pointing you in the general direction of Whitetail, but then more intersections with no indication of which way to go so you get to drive around aimlessly until you find the right place. Hint: go in the direction of the Lock.

Once we finally found Whitetail, I was getting quite discouraged. In the non-electrical side there is a giant ugly unnecessary lawn in the middle of a loop with sites on the outside of the loop. There is one vault toilet at the very beginning of the loop that would mean probably a 5 minute walk at least to get to the toilet if you’re on the farther end of the loop. The sites are ugly. It’s just weedy vegetation that looks more like a disturbed junk yard or ditch than a nature area.

Our site could have been fully enclosed with shrubs or brush but had a large opening to the next site, so no privacy. But there was almost no place to put our small tent, especially since, at the end of a very long trip, our pads no longer stay inflated and we need somewhat flat ground under our them.

The “fire pits” are weird like fireplace insert things and so previous campers have built fires on the ground all over. The vegetated area surrounding the site was covered in litter. The “fire pit” was completely full of someone’s garbage. I wish I had taken a picture before leaving. There were shingles, a charred baking pan, other garbage, and even a 10 foot long metal furniture thing? Idk what it was but the campground is clearly not managed at all or they would have cleaned that stuff up. There was a bunch of fishing line strung from the trees as if people were using it to hang things and then just left it there?

The good thing is that there was cell service so we used it to book a hotel room and left immediately. Wasn’t able to successfully cancel my reservation. You have to call the park directly to do that and I don’t know if they are ever actually open for that.