Best Tent Camping near Rockdale, IL

Tent campsites near Rockdale, Illinois include several established tent-friendly options along waterways and natural areas. McKinley Woods: Frederick's Grove offers designated walk-in tent sites with picnic tables and access to the Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail. Channahon State Park Campground, approximately 5 miles from Rockdale, provides tent-only camping with toilets and drinking water available, and remains open year-round.

Most tent camping areas feature basic amenities with sites situated on mixed terrain of grass and dirt pads. Walk-in tent sites predominate in the region, requiring campers to carry gear short distances from parking areas. At McKinley Woods, sites include concrete pads for ADA accessibility, fire rings, and picnic tables, though firewood must be sourced elsewhere. A camper noted, "McKinley Woods offers three sites further west along the I&M Tow Path that are more secluded than ones in the park proper." The Channahon campground provides vault toilets and drinking water, while other primitive tent campgrounds may have limited facilities, requiring campers to pack in their own water.

Tent campers appreciate the riverside locations that characterize the Rockdale area's camping options. The Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail passes directly by several tent camping areas, making them ideal for cyclists and hikers seeking overnight accommodations. A visitor commented, "The campground is surrounded by trees, providing welcome shade during summer months." Several tent-only camping areas in the region offer waterfront access, with McKinley Woods providing views of the Des Plaines River. Seasonal considerations include potential flooding at some sites after heavy rainfall, particularly at McKinley Woods where one camper reported three inches of standing water after storms. Most backcountry tent camping options remain open from April through October, though Channahon's tent sites are accessible year-round.

Best Tent Sites Near Rockdale, Illinois (13)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Rockdale, IL

509 Reviews of 13 Rockdale Campgrounds


  • H. K.
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Camp Bullfrog Lake

    Nice but very little shade

    We 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.

  • Kim L.
    Sep. 2, 2019

    Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

    Convenient campground for nearby hiking

    The campground is pretty basic. For $25-35 per night, you can get a site with electrical hookup. The east loop has better tree coverage and more privacy. The west loop has more site in a large open space, maybe better for groups. I give 3 stars because there is not much to do at the campground itself. You have to get in your car and drive to any hiking at Starved Rock State park, just 10 min away, and battle the crowds for parking. The campground has just 2 real bathrooms, one for each loop. Each has 2 flush toilets and 2 showers. Showers were pretty rough, no temp control and spraying everywhere but your body. Some portapotties are scattered around, but pretty ripe by the end of August. Use the woods. There are 2 small playgrounds, but one is just a swing set. So if you have kiddos, there is not much for them to entertain themselves with at the campground- no hiking trails, no pond or fishing or swimming, no DNR programs, etc. Park has posted signed that there is ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL allowed, so keep it private and quiet. that being said, the hiking in the general area is awesome!!! Lots of canyons, bluffs, and overlooks. Just be prepared to drive. A very basic “store” open after 3pm, just had fire starters, marshmallows, bug spray, ice cream, and pop. Some little souvenirs. No milk or eggs. For a 30 ft travel trailer, our campsite has just enough room for our slide out and awning. The fire pit was well placed and had a grate for cooking. Electrical was confusing- our site was listed at 50A only. It really was 50/30/20A(see pictures). Easy to back in to, mostly level site for quick set up. Our campsite, 85, had nice shade and lots of trees. You can see and hear your neighbors but there is decent separation. We had space to hang a hammock and have a fire, with a full picnic table as well. There are a few sites for fresh water fill, and a dump station. Took about 45 min for us to dump being 5th in line at 10:30am. Book early- reservations open online 6 months in advance and book up quickly. Most summer weekends are completely full. Spring and fall camping is great here- waterfalls are rain fed and often dry in summer. Sites 96 and 97 would be my picks if I could choose: both are private and have large camping pad areas. Avoid the sites by water spouts and roads, there is no privacy when everyone is cutting through your site! Overall, a basic campground with what you need for camping, no frills, no activities or recreation, but close to the hiking at Starved Rock State Park about 10 min away by car. Biking nearby would be an extreme sport, the roads are very narrow with extreme drop offs and no shoulder. Not for kids.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 28, 2019

    Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

    Great Privacy in Great Park

    I set up in site 110 for the night at this nicely wooded campground. My site was very private, set back in the trees and very clean. I had large and small trees and underbrush making it impossible to see the site next to me in one direction, and no one occupying the site on the other side. With the car in the drive blocking the road, I had complete privacy. There was a short walk to porta potties and a nice walk to the modern, clean bath house. The site had the usual picnic table and fire pit and plenty of space to put my tent. There were some sites that sat in a meadow that completely lacked privacy, but with tons of space for kids to play. There is a camp store near the entrance to the campground, but I didn’t go in so I’m not sure what it’s stocked with (besides the ice in the cooler outside). Campers who like to imbibe beware: NO alcohol is permitted at this campground. There are some GREAT trails for hiking in the park, but be prepared for lots of stairs on the boardwalks that take you in and out of the canyons/ravines. I didn’t hike up to the actual “Starved Rock”, but you can observe it from the river bank.

  • D
    Aug. 3, 2025

    Paul Wolff Campground

    No showers

    We 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.

  • Marisa A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2020

    Paul Wolff Campground

    Great value Chicago suburb campsite

    I'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.

  • H
    May. 22, 2025

    Whitetail Campground — Illini State Park

    Place felt abandoned, needed weed-whacker

    I 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.

  • J
    Sep. 18, 2019

    Great Falls Campground — Illini State Park

    Woods near the river

    Went 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.

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 27, 2021

    Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

    Beautiful Popular Park

    This park is popular, has plenty of space, though can use updates and better Leave No Trace practices (litter). During our time, park and cg was busy, full at times. Hiking was great with geological aspects. Has Lodge, CG store, lots of history.

  • Hatie P.
    Jan. 8, 2018

    Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

    Beautiful but busy!

    I've been to this lovely campsite three times - once in the fall and twice during different summers. The campground and park are packed during the late fall as everyone around comes to see the colors. Find a campsite that's a little ways away from others if you want a more private experience - they're very close together but you can find ones with better tree cover.

    Starved Rock is great because you can walk a mile or two in a loop or do the full "mega hike" which is 13.4 miles through 18 canyons. The park features lots of elevation with many sets of stairs so make sure you bring water, sunscreen and snacks.


Guide to Rockdale

Tent camping near Rockdale, Illinois offers sites on varied terrain ranging from riverfront locations to wooded retreats. The area sits at approximately 600 feet above sea level along the Des Plaines River valley and experiences humid continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Most Rockdale area campgrounds remain accessible from April through October with several sites requiring short walks from designated parking areas.

What to do

Fishing along river confluences: At Kayak Morris, anglers report exceptional catches where waterways meet. "Between me and my buddies we caught over 50 striper. I don't know if its the river convergence or the lake but they bite here hard!" notes camper Sam Murphy M.

Kayaking on calm waters: The Illinois River provides beginner-friendly paddling opportunities with rental options available at several campgrounds. "I have my own kayak and the river here is so calm its awesome. My friends rented the dual kayaks ant they loved them," reports Art P. from Kayak Morris.

Hiking the I&M Canal Trail: The historic Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail connects multiple camping areas, making it ideal for day hikes or multi-day trips. "The main draw to this place is the tow path. I high recommend bringing a bike to enjoy the trail. The trail is also part of the Grand Illinois Trail network," writes Scott N. about McKinley Woods.

What campers like

Waterfront camping: Many campers appreciate direct river access for activities. "Camp sites are dotted next to the shore of the river, there's kayak rentals, and there's enough space for multiple tents on one site," explains Eric R. about Kayak Morris.

Accessibility for cyclists: The strategic location along established bike routes makes tent camping near Rockdale appealing to cyclists. "This campground is right in town. 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," reports Art S. about Channahon State Park Campground.

Shaded sites: Tree cover provides relief during summer months when temperatures regularly exceed 85°F. "This campground is surrounded by trees. When we showed up, a classic car gathering was going on. They even set a campfire to use throughout the morning," notes Art S. about Channahon State Park.

What you should know

Flooding concerns: Low-lying campsites can become waterlogged after heavy rainfall. "Our night went from on and off light rain to three hours of down pour rain. With that said our site was flooded once we woke up. We had three inches up the the fire pit. By the time we packed up it reached the side walk," warns Rita S. about McKinley Woods.

Limited drinking water: Not all campgrounds offer potable water sources. At Camp Shabbona Woods, drinking water is available, but many smaller sites require campers to bring their own supply.

Early park closures: Some parks have restricted evening access. "Secondly, the park closes early, 8PM in summer, and earlier still off season. Check the fine print on your reservation!" advises Brian O. about camping at McKinley Woods.

Tips for camping with families

Beach access options: Unofficial swimming areas provide cooling opportunities during summer months. "Also there is no parking for it but there's a nice sandy beach along the road before the dam we pulled over to swim in!" shares Caitlin C. about Kayak Starved Rock Campground.

Spacious sites for multiple tents: Some campgrounds accommodate larger family groups with ample tent space. "The sites are far apart, #1 is the shadiest and most secluded but uneven. #2 is wide open and in the sun, #3 &4 are shady and paved," notes Brian O. about Frederick's Grove.

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Early morning hours offer the best chances to spot local wildlife. "At night, you can hear owls and distant trains, but motorboats and jet-skis begin around 6:AM," reports Brian O. about camping near Rockdale.

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: Most tent camping areas near Rockdale cannot accommodate large RVs. At Mac Finn's Landing, small trailers may access certain areas, but space is limited with only 4 total sites available.

Walk-in requirements: Even for small trailers or teardrops, be prepared to disconnect and walk gear to your site. "First off, we didn't realize this was a walk-in campground, the details on the Will county site were vague, and the satellite photo showed a paved road. The road is a path, so the sites are ADA accessible. We have a small, motorcycle trailer so we ended up rolling down hill 100 yds. then back again after our 2 night stay," explains Brian O.

Simple amenities: Don't expect full hookups at most camping areas. "There's only one pit toilet. Water is available by an old fashioned pump, and is drinkable, but cloudy," notes Brian O. about the facilities at McKinley Woods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Rockdale, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Rockdale, IL is Kayak Morris with a 4.9-star rating from 11 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Rockdale, IL?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Rockdale, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.