Looking for the best campgrounds near Scales Mound, IL? Scales Mound is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Scales Mound and user-submitted reviews.
$8 / night
"There is a trail that works it’s way through the back of the sites. The sites are a bit close together and separation is sometimes sparse. Restrooms are pits and well maintained stocked with TP."
"Very close to fishing! Lots of fun hiking trails. I love that there is minimal cell signal to keep everyone off their phones"
"This campground is tucked into a little area next to a Walmart, Culvers, and Mini golf course. It sits between east Dubuque and Galena. When we stayed they had a dirt bike rally."
"Campground was right next to Walmart, which was convenient, and a short walk down to the high school to get the shuttle into Galena itself."
$8 / night
"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 were in campsite #34 which had direct access to the Primrose trail, which is on top of one of the bluffs. The bathrooms were clean, but are pit toilets."
$25 - $40 / night
"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."
"It has a large lake with three boat launches, a main one with a motor ramp, a canoe launch near the marshy end, and a fishing pier."
"The hiking trails and the lake were very nice. Showers and bathrooms were extremely clean and well maintained. Our campsite, #92, was a little bit of like/dislike experience."
"Hidden gem near the iowa/illinois border. Secluded and beautiful."
"It has trails for walking and lots of concrete for riding bikes. We did both. The park is close to the River and has plenty of places to put your boat in across the highway."
"There’s a cute store and a cute little area with outside games like corn hole and yard checkers. There’s a huge grassy area for walking the dog and several stations set up with poop bags/garbage."
"We stopped at the Rustic Barn because it was away from the city (Dubuque), priced very reasonably, and seemed like a good spot for a one night stay."
$12 - $28 / night
"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."
$14 - $25 / night
"Hosts are friendly and I saw rangers driving through multiple times. Each site includes picnic table and fire pit. Most have electric. "
$10 - $30 / night
"This was an unexpected good find in Illinois. The campground was nice with the standard set up - picnic tables, restrooms, water available."
"There are some trails that will take you around some of the hills through open fields if you are interested in walking around the campground. This is a nice place to camp."
TravelerCamped here in May 2024. Campsites were good and bathrooms were clean enough. What really makes this campground is the lake. There’s a nice beach for kids and adults to relax at and lots of kayaks on the water.
TravelerWe went Memorial Day weekend and got a tent site at Hickory Hill. I would recommend the Pine Ridge area for a quieter night, but it was all booked up when we went. For RV campers Hickory Hill was great! Paved roads, clean pump out area, and nice shower house. We were in site 148 which was quite nice. Great shade and dense woods separated us from the RV area.
TravelerGreat park for water activities and hiking! Also had nice shower facilities.
ScoutSite 269, genuinely a perfect distance from the road with a reserved parking spot big enough for potentially 2 cars, nice trees for hammock hanging, decently level ground. We stayed for a week and the bathrooms showers and sites were some of the most clean I’ve been too, not to mention the landscape and variety of trails (especially Stephens’ Falls) is very beautiful and well cared for. All employees/volunteers we encountered were always so helpful and nice - yes bundles of wood are $7 (for a larger bundle, $5 for smaller) all funds go back into the park and seeing how well they try to care for it, we gladly pay the cost. PSA (obvi) keep your food and garbage locked up and away from your site. The raccoons here and insanely bold, we had one frequently visit our site and get VERY close to us and in the evening ended up ripping thru the roof of our tent (luckily in the separated front section and not in our sleeping area) and had to rip his way out of the tent because we had the zippers secured. Very frustrating night and hated every second of dealing with that coon. For any new campers, DONOT FEED THE RACCOONS
GuideIt was very pretty with and without snow. Lots of wood to burn. Nice and quite.
TravelerHidden gem near the iowa/illinois border. Secluded and beautiful.
LegendResort has many options: even camp sites,4 villas, resort inn rooms. Sites have hard surfaces, fire rings, water, electric. No shade since trees have not been plant s as well f this date. Boat ramp nearby, resort has restaurant, playground, water park.
TravelerTerrific access to electric site near the bathroom! All to ourselves
LegendGeneral: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad.
Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring.
Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there.
Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station.
We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!
Camping near Scales Mound, Illinois, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Scales Mound, Illinois, has something for everyone, whether you're in a tent or an RV. Just be prepared for the quirks of each campground, and you'll have a great time!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Scales Mound, IL is Apple River Canyon with a 4.1-star rating from 11 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 parks near Scales Mound, IL that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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