James M.
Legend
LegendHorseshoe Pond
Nice smaller CG in City of Maquoketa, Iowa
CG offers gravel pads, tables, fire rings, electric, sump station, water, small pond with fishing, paddling, dog park. Close to stores for supplies, dining, fuel.
Dog-Friendly Camping near Savanna, IL
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Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground permits pets at all 241 camping sites with electric hookups available at 110 locations. Seven Eagles RV Resort & Campground, Timber Lake Resort, and Spring Lake Campground also welcome pets with various accommodation options including tent sites, RV hookups, and cabins. Most campgrounds require dogs to be leashed at all times with a standard 6-foot maximum length. Mississippi Palisades features hiking trails accessible with pets, though hikers should watch for ticks and wildlife encounters. Campers note the sites are spacious with good spacing between neighbors. Overnight fees range from $10 for basic tent sites to $20 for those with electrical hookups, making the area affordable for pet owners.
The Great River Bike Trail runs directly through Spring Lake Campground, providing excellent opportunities for dogs and owners to exercise together. The bike trail connects multiple recreation areas along the Mississippi River, offering scenic riverside walks with leashed pets. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound with birds and small animals frequently spotted throughout the campgrounds. Visitors should be prepared for occasional train noise at Mississippi Palisades, which might disturb noise-sensitive dogs at night. Savanna's Sullivan's grocery store, located less than 10 minutes from Mississippi Palisades, provides convenient access to pet supplies and food. During summer months, campers should monitor ground temperatures as the sites at several campgrounds have limited shade coverage in certain loops, potentially causing discomfort for dogs' paws.
Best Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Savanna (98)
1. Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground
"Hidden gem near the iowa/illinois border. Secluded and beautiful."
"Located near the town of Savanna, IL, and the Mississippi River, this state park is a nice place to visit. Large sites with the usual amenities can be found among the tall trees."
2. Thomson Causeway
"This is a beautiful spot on the outskirts of a small town. The train museum is open for a few hours on weekends. Other towns are nearby with more things to do."
"This is a really pretty area fairly close to home so it is a good option."
from $14 - $26 / night
Check Availability3. Spring Lake Campground
"It's like a step back in time in the best way possible."
"The bike trail is within steps of your site. Hookups for electric and water available. Well maintained portapotties at various points throughout the grounds."
from $25 - $35 / night
Check Availability4. Bellevue State Park Campground — Dyas Unit
"CG site atop river bluff with pads, fire rings, tables, RR, recycling, trails, shelters nearby. Sites are close to each other but plenty to do."
"The site our friends had next to us was uninhabitable due to mud and sloping but the rangers let them switch sites no problem."
from $16 - $36 / night
Check Availability5. South Sabula Lakes County Park
6. Seven Eagles RV Resort & Campground
"We took several walks and bike rides around it. There is also a pool and a club house on property, however we did not visit them. There is ATT service, but not strong."
8. Morrison-Rockwood State Park
"We saw an article about "Dutch Days" in nearby Fulton on www.OnlyInYourState.com, (first weekend in May) and thought it looked like fun."
"We enjoyed the beautiful lake and cute restaurant/gift shop. We liked the different loops of campsites with pit toilets every where and a nice modern bathroom/shower house also."
from $20 / night
Check Availability9. Blanding Landing
"I was a solo female traveler with my two service dogs. When I arrived, the site was clean, and we had a site with an open site on one side making it feel twice as big."
"Hosts are friendly and I saw rangers driving through multiple times. Each site includes picnic table and fire pit. Most have electric. "
from $14 - $25 / night
Check Availability10. Vel Terra
"Galena Illinois is a major tourist spot for Chicago folks to get away too. This camp site is 20 min from Galena 5 min from Elizabeth and 15 min from Apple Canyon. Has both RV and Tent sites."
"All the land is private so there's not great hiking (a little in the state park about 20 min drive away), IL law allows waterways to be privately owned so you can't kayak the river, etc."
from $25 - $40 / night
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Drive Time
- 59 min from Dubuque, IA
- 1 hr 3 min from Davenport, IA
- 1 hr 10 min from Rockford, IL
- 1 hr 40 min from Janesville, WI
Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Savanna, IL
77 Photos of 98 Savanna Campgrounds
Kelly D.
Spring Lake Campground
Hilary B.
Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground
Jeff G.
Thomson Causeway
Jeri T.
Honey Bee & Bee Homestead
Stephanie S.
Morrison-Rockwood State Park
Briana B.
Rockwood State Park Campground
Art S.
Canyon Ridge Campground — Apple River Canyon State Park
Art S.
Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area
Stuart K.
6B's Campground
Amanda P.
Prophetstown State Park Campground
Shelly S.
Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground
Doug S.
Leisure Lake Campground
Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Savanna, IL
605 Reviews of 98 Savanna Campgrounds
- James M.Legend
Iowa 80 Truckstop
Good overnight parking and I 80 access
This overnight access is a small town in itself. This site offers not only the basic communities and needs of fuel, including EV, charging stations, but auto parts, showers, dentist, Chiropractic, care, gifts, dog park, and is right next to the I 80 trucking museum. Good lighting in the overnight spots which has room for long RVs.
- James M.Legend
Horseshoe Pond
Small City CG in Maquoketa Iowa
CG lies within Maquoketa and is seasonal. Has pond for fishing, shelter, dog park, playset, disc golf course. Sites are pulling, have electric and fire pits. Camp supplies including wood in nearby stores. Prairie Creek runs along south of CG.
- James M.Legend
Lakeside RV Park and Campground
Travelling overnight stay suggested
I suggest this site only if you need to get off the road for an overnight stay. Very few amenities, all but a few spots appear to be full-time RV living onsite, has nice playground, gazebo, dog park (small), lake is small but appears well kept, electric/water/septic onsite.
Skylar M.
ScoutGeneseo Campground
Stayed for a night passing through
Great campground. Has full hook ups, and pull through sites. Hosts are very responsive to texts if you need anything. They warned me ahead of time that GPS would navigate me under a 10 ft bridge and gave me directions around it!! They have a dog park, bathroom, propane, and trash. Very nice place
Stuart K.LegendGeneseo Campground
Hidden Gem Along Slow-Moving Canal
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!
- Agapes D.
GuideYellowstone Lake State Park Campground
Wonderful hiking!-May 2018
This is a popular place in the area, the human beaches are full and the small pet beach area was well used by my husband, myself and our two dogs; Odinn & Frigga over Memorial Day. The hiking is amazing , particularly the Oakgrove trail, plenty to see with beautiful views. There is boating, canoeing, etc. Bring the strongest mosquito repellent you can get, Wisconsin in summer can be rough. We tried our Black Diamond poles and Thule day bags and we got to try cooling vests for the dogs from Ruffwear. It was so much fun. Note that there are sites to camp, cabins nearby and plenty of Hipcamp sites near. Strongly recommend Riverview Bottoms, which sits in a 500 acre property and is 10 min away.
Lee D.LegendRustic Barn Campground RV Park
Very clean and well-maintained
General: 58 sites with various amenities. Some are long pull-throughs, some are back-in, some have 30 amp with or without a patio, and some have 50-amp electric with or without a patio. Tents are NOT allowed. We were greeted immediately upon arrival and asked to sign a waiver and given a welcome packet. The rules are extensive, but most are common sense/courtesy and not at all unreasonable.
Site Quality: All had gravel driveways and looked level. Decent separation between sites although they are close together, as would be expected in an RV park. Our site had a patio and decent-sized picnic table but it was chilly when we were there so we ate inside.
Bathhouse: Very clean as were the showers.
Activities/Amenities: There are many activities offered, including a dog park, basketball, horseshoes, games (cornhole, large checkerboard, and others), a barn with a television, a book library, puzzles, and a pool table. Coffee is available after 9 am. There is also a small chapel available 24/7 and a laundry room. WiFi is also available. There is a camp store with ice, ice cream, some camping supplies, clothing, crafts, and more. We were told several restaurants will deliver to the campground.
We don’t typically prefer to stay in RV-style campgrounds, but it was conveniently located with easy access off Route 151 just over the Wisconsin border from Iowa, we were warmly welcomed, and enjoyed our short stay passing through. Pride of ownership was evident throughout.
- Jamie M.Scout
Canyon Ridge Campground — Apple River Canyon State Park
Big, clean sites, nice trails, water access
There aren't signs within the park directing you to the campsite. I found it eventually but I'm glad I wasn't towing a camper because there was a lot of turning around. Some of the sites are able to be reserved. We went Memorial Day weekend so there were quite a few people but it wasn't full so even without a reservation you'd likely find a space. The sites a nice and big. We chose 2 sites that were connected and even then they were a good distance from one another. The sites were also removed from the road so when people walk or drive by it doesnt feel like they're walking through your campsite. There is some nice water access to wade with shallows so kids or pets can play. Nice trails.
Guide to Savanna
Mississippi Palisades State Park serves as a central hub for pet friendly camping near Savanna, Illinois. The 2,500-acre park sits along limestone bluffs rising 150-200 feet above the Mississippi River, with the campground situated atop wooded ridges. Off-season camping provides quieter experiences with temperatures ranging from 30-50°F in spring and fall, while summer highs regularly reach 85-90°F with moderate humidity.
What to do
Hiking with elevation changes: Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground offers challenging trails with varying terrains. "The South trail system is challenging, especially because of the varied terrain it traverses, however they (N&S) systems are prone to serious erosion that needs to be addressed," notes reviewer Mi G.
Rock climbing opportunities: The limestone bluffs provide natural climbing surfaces for experienced climbers. "My wife and I tent camped here last weekend... We try and come here whenever we rock climb in the area as it allows us to get to the climbing sites earlier," shares Ben W.
Riverfront biking access: Spring Lake Campground offers direct access to the Great River Bike Trail. "The bike trail is within steps of your site," explains Kate, who also appreciated that "the campground is very peaceful with spacious sites and a pretty view right on the water."
What campers like
Off-season availability: Several campgrounds remain open during shoulder seasons with reduced crowds. "Awesome off season spot! Terrific access to electric site near the bathroom! All to ourselves," reports Big R. about their experience at Mississippi Palisades.
Water recreation options: Thomson Causeway provides direct river access for fishing and boating. Reviewer Matt P. notes, "The sites are all level concrete and just about every one have a great view of the Mississippi."
Private, wooded sites: Morrison-Rockwood State Park offers secluded camping spaces. "Most of the camp sites are fairly secluded from one another by distance and from surrounding foliage," explains Stacie H., who also appreciated "the CLEANEST campground bathrooms I've ever seen!"
What you should know
Seasonal insect concerns: Many riverfront campgrounds experience significant insect activity during warm months. At Thomson Causeway, Mashael A. warns, "I should've taken the other reviews more seriously about the number of insects in this campsites. There were hundreds of thousands - we couldn't enjoy our stay."
Train noise proximity: Several campgrounds near Savanna sit close to active rail lines. Sam B. reports about Mississippi Palisades: "Loud people singing, playing music and snapping limbs till almost 4am, trains run all night. Not really my kinda place."
Weather-dependent conditions: Bellevue State Park Campground can have challenging tent sites during wet periods. Chet D. explains, "The site we had was fairly steep as far as tent sites go. The site our friends had next to us was uninhabitable due to mud and sloping but the rangers let them switch sites no problem."
Tips for camping with families
Playground-adjacent sites: Some campgrounds offer specific loops with playgrounds as central features. "We had site 57 which is in a loop which goes around a playground. It was great for the kids who could go play and the sites in this loop provide plenty of space and privacy," says Ben W. about Morrison-Rockwood State Park.
Water rentals for kids: Spring Lake Campground provides rental equipment for family water activities. Sarah J. shares, "You can rent boats/kayaks/paddleboard, fishing, so much to do. They have a camp shop, with ice pop water popsicles, freeze treats and a nice hang out spot inside."
Nature viewing opportunities: Vel Terra campground maintains well-kept grounds with family amenities. Ryan M. notes it has "mature trees, good trails, nice restrooms, and a nice wooden play structure," making it suitable for families seeking dog-friendly camping near Savanna.
Tips from RVers
Electric site selection: Mississippi Palisades offers various electric hookup options with different levels of privacy. Scott M. advises, "When booking it was hard to pick to be honest as there are so many choices. Some sites are massive...as in .25 an acre that you drive over the grass to get to your site bc it is situated away from the road."
Level pad availability: Thomson Causeway provides concrete pads for easier setup. "Very nice new dump station with a lot of spaces. The sites are spacious but a little tight to back in," cautions Jeff G., noting the campground offers "electric only" hookups.
Seasonal site considerations: South Sabula Lakes County Park presents unique challenges for larger rigs. Jeff G. warns, "The spaces on the river are backwards, seems to me the curbside should be facing the water," and notes, "The dump station is useless for black tank clean out connections."
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Savanna, IL is Mississippi Palisades State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 28 reviews.
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