Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Rockford, IL
Looking for the best campgrounds near Rockford, IL? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Rockford. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Illinois camping adventure.
Looking for the best campgrounds near Rockford, IL? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Rockford. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Illinois camping adventure.
$12 - $50 / night
"Rock cut is only about a 50 minute drive from the far burbs of Chicago. It’s situated a few miles outside of Rockford so if you’re into exploring old industrial river towns, this is a nice one."
"It pays to drive through the camp ground and note a couple sites that you are interested in and then book your site at the entrance during walk in days. "
"We had plans for a weekend in Rockford, but Rock Cut State Park was booked, and found this on Google maps.
In business since 1966 and the care for it shows.""Although a 15 minute drive from the main highway, this campground makes it worth it. Beautiful green common areas and a creek with small Sandy area below."
$10 - $20 / night
"I found spot 70 that was away from most of the others. We heard no main road noise but did hear people passing us by. Even though someone camped right across from me, we really didn't see each other."
"I reserved site B38 for me and my small dog, Bob. It’s a tent only site in the main camping area, only $16 per night after fees."
$11 - $31 / night
"The bulk of the primitive campsites are located on the western side of the campground near the river’s edge, while those sites offering up electric and closer access to running water are located mostly"
"Hike trail (path rather) was a great little scenic walk. Was going to upload some photos but the app wouldn't allow me to."
"You have to walk up to the sites. There's a wagon and a dolly to take your things.
There isn't much in terms of hiking trails."
"There is one wheelchair accessible tent site on a blacktop path in the forest canopy. This is a very primative campground with 1 set of Vault toilets."
$15 - $25 / night
"Outside Rockford ILL. I didnt stay, was just scouting. Hardly anyone here. Sites are close together. Has electric. $13 residents, $23 non reaidents. Pit toilets. Water."
"This is a nice campground that winds around through some light woods. Campsites have electric hookups. There are certainly lots of picnic tables. We saw more than one per site."
"There are very tall trees around the entire campground giving you some respite from the sun and the heat. The bath house is easily within walking distance from anywhere in the campground. "
"Last time we camped in site 65, next to the path to the playground & walk-in site parking which was busy."
"It is close to home and we start and finish the camping season here."
"We did not end up signing up as we prefer to visit many more locations than they had listed."
$49 - $99 / night
"Lots of people leaving bad reviews for silly little things. let me say first off this place is HUGE. plenty of room for the kids and the dogs and just a short walk from the kish. good fishing and friendly"
$20 - $35 / night
"Our site had the usual picnic table and a short walk to the restrooms and water. What we enjoyed the most was the variety of hiking trails."
"While the highway riding was occasionally a bit harrowing, it was absolutely worth it for the beautiful views and camping here."
Friendly staff and a nicely stocked store. Has a pool, petting zoo, kayaks, rocky beach, dog park, and a land pillow! The sites are spaced out well and there are more secluded sites so you have the feeling of privacy or big group sites for a big party.
We love private campsites, far enough away from other campers, yet close enough to amenities. We chose a walk in site #16 which was nice but I wish we chose one a bit further in. Bathrooms where very clean. Trails are great. Pet friendly - we brought our small, quiet dogs. Dog friendly restaurant right next to the camp site.
Just became KOA met local campers that love this park! Good sites, trash pickup at side! They even have a snack bar and deliver to your campsite! No enclosed dog park but plenty of area to walk your dog!
My first impression when I first arrived here was the overwhelming scent of a newly minted campground, what with the freshly laid gravel, the mint condition security gates, finely manicured and recently raked greenery (as it was October when we visited, it might be better described as brownery) surrounded by a fairly decent gated enclosure lined with perfectly pruned tall towering oaks. Upon arrival, you’ll find what looks to be a brand-spanking new log cabin office on the right after passing a seemingly freshly-minted activities center / community lodge complete with in-ground heated swimming pool and jacuzzi on the left.
Amenities? As you could guess, this pet-friendly 60-acre RV resort has all the attractions in spades from pickleball, playgrounds, volleyball, log pergola patio, full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water & sewage), picnic tables, fire pits, BBQ grills, wagon rides, river access, picnic areas, bathhouses w/ showers & restrooms, cable TV WiFi (pretty poor connection though), gaga ball, game room, community room, billiards table, playground, wet bar, tabletop shuffleboard, community living room with large screen TV, DVD player w/ DVD library, clubhouse, dog park, horseshoes, hot tub, covered pavilions with picnic tables, catch & release ponds, inflatable water toys, jumping pillow, laundr-O-mat, propane refueling station and dump station.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) This place isn’t EZ to find – for some reason, if you plug the campground into your GPS, you’ll literally be on the wrong side of the tracks, where you will arrive at a dead end with a sign that says you are in the wrong place and that you’ll need to double-back, cross the train tracks heading north and turn right just before arriving to High Road School of Belvidere (so if you see a school, you’ve gone too far); (2) You will want to take note that yes, you actually cross train tracks to get to this campground, so if you’re sharp, you’re going to want to ensure you haven’t booked a site right next to where trains will shoot through every few hours, this specifically means avoiding sites #E1-#E5 and #FS23-#FS36 as well as #FE1-#FE20; (3) If you’re a tent camper, you can certainly stay here, but you will want to note that this is very much an RV outpost; (4) The best sites IMHO are those on the northernmost perimeter, as far away from the train tracks as you can get and that also border the Kishwaukee River with sites #S9-#S20 being excellent, as well as #S25-#S81, which are equally amazing; (5) If you are planning on using that amazing pool that you saw as you came in, make sure you call management a good day or two before you come in to ensure that they turn on the heater – when we were there for 2 days, by the time we left, the pool was still too cold to go for a dip; and (6) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up a meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler and want to venture out to try some local fare, just a short walk into the nearby town is Garden Prairie Café, which has a very simple menu offering no shortage of fried everything (fish, shrimp, chicken, etc.) and then there’s Pleasant Street Tavern, but that’s mostly cheap national beers and frozen pizza fare, so if you want something a bit more substantive, head west of here to Miles Bar N’ Grill that serves up typical Midwestern fare like cheese curds, pork tenderloin, Italian beef and a variety of fried fish like blue gill, cod and catfish.
Happy Camping!
I was here for three months this time as i get to business completed. The park was still kept up very nicely and this time I was here long enough to be able to see how. The grass is mowed every week. There is patroling at all hours for security. The laundry machines are great the dryers ore good. The dog park is clean and secure. The lake is natural and kept free of litter and garbage. The park is much bigger than i thought it was last year. The store has many items you may need. The showers are cleaned and work great. The camp water is high in Iron. The pot roads need service as thay do have a lot of pot holes. Good thing for the 5mph speed limit.
Rock cut is only about a 50 minute drive from the far burbs of Chicago. It’s situated a few miles outside of Rockford so if you’re into exploring old industrial river towns, this is a nice one.
The spots are average size. The bathrooms are pretty busted but for what it lacks in amenities it gains in acres to a cool giant stocked lake, bike paths, and being just far away to make a weekend gateway worth it.
I have camped in the tent section and also used the 30 amp service with our Class B van. Plenty of sites to choose from during the week but tends to get crowded on weekends. There are some sites out in the open and some that are totally private and secluded. It pays to drive through the camp ground and note a couple sites that you are interested in and then book your site at the entrance during walk in days. Once you have a couple favorites you can then book in advance online.
It does get congested and noisy on the weekends and holidays but can be a very peaceful and relaxing campground during the non-busy days. There is obviously the lake, hiking and biking paths throughout the park, 2 camp stores, showers and plenty of restrooms scattered around the park.
Pet friendly.
We always make our first trip of the year to Rock Cut State Park. For us it's close to home, shopping and an RV dealership so it's pefect to "shake out" the camper and we can easily get anything we forgot or get stuff to repair anything that's not working. The park is very good sized with nice camping sites, pet friendly, loads of trails to hike and bike and a lake for quiet water sports, no motor boats allowed.
Just outside of the sprawling metropolitan area of Rockford, Illinois, the recreational oasis of Rock Cut State Park awaits. With miles of walking, hiking, biking, and even some intermediate mountain biking single track around a damned lake, there is plenty for every outdoor enthusiast to enjoy.
The campsites offer a spacious escape from the city, with the usual amenities of fire ring and picnic table, but most had long paved driveways and electrical hook-ups to boot. But our site had plenty of sun, so we were able to run on solar and not worry about the hookups.
The bathrooms appeared to have full-flush facilities with hot showers, however these were not open in November when we arrived. Instead, pit toilets (fairly clean) were available for use. The park and one loop of the campground remains open year-round, however the water and facilities with plumbing shut down at the end of October.
All of the trails double as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing areas as well, so don’t think of this as just a summer time getaway. We experienced one of the best late fall summers ever in November, 70 degrees during the day and cool at night. It was perfect, and while the place was full over the weekend, it never felt too crowded.
Just outside of the park boundary the suburban sprawl encroaches, so gas, ice, and groceries couldn’t be any more convenient. The winding park roads help slow things down and make it feel like you’ve wandered into a little slice of the wild on the edge of the prairie.
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Rockford, Illinois, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Rockford, IL is Rock Cut State Park - Staghorn Campground with a 4-star rating from 78 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 73 dog-friendly camping locations near Rockford, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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