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.
"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."
$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. "
"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."
$10 - $30 / night
"They clean out fire pits after every weekend. Some sites were not the most level. All Roads are newly paved. New/Updated Dump station."
"This was an unexpected good find in Illinois. The campground was nice with the standard set up - picnic tables, restrooms, water available."
$14 - $26 / night
"Nice view at the Mississippi River $20 per night with electrical hook up. "
"We stayed right by the bathrooms. Showers have a push button so water pressure and temperature was not very great. The river was a great view and campground was big to walk around."
"Campground is well maintained, restrooms, showers, recycling station, fire wood available, campground host onsite, resident park ranger, standard RV sites, some electric tent sites otherwise primitive"
"This was a great stay other campers around us were very nice and super friendly as well. I think the only thing I would have a complaint about would be the bath house."
"It is about 40 minutes away, but is nice to be away from the traffic. The KOA store is well stocked and has some pretty cool souvenirs!"
"This is the second KOA I’ve stayed at and is by far the better one of the two, the staff was super friendly and there was a lot of activities for the kids to do."
"Pit toilets/shelter/playground near the entrance.
Two boat launches.
Variable availability for firewood; the Cenex on the west end of Argyle reliably sells it if there isn't any at the park."
"The sites on the "inside" of the loop are rather close to one another.
21 has a nice view of the lake, and you can walk back to the fence to look over the bluff 24 is quite private and very large 26,"
"I randomly picked this campground, after trying to book Devil's Lake with no luck. WE LOVED IT! Sites are very private, some in the woods, and some have sun/shade."
$33 / night
"The site itself was sloped away from the road making it feel tucked into the trees. The downside was that the only flat space for the tent was very close to the fire pit."
"Had a hike on site on the bluff. Stunning views and very secluded. Carts available for hauling in your gear. Hiking trails, fire wood for sale on site. Bathrooms very nice, showers like new!"
$60 / night
"The site was easy to get into with help from the friendly staff."
GuideThis campground is a lovely gem! Most of the camp sites are fairly secluded from one another by distance and from surrounding foliage (see pic). The exceptions would be sites 55-64 that loop around the playground. We, unfortunately, didn't know this and so had site 61. It was nice little spot with plenty of shade but I was a bit jealous of those with more secluded spots, especially since we are tent campers and all of the others on the loop were big RVs.
The pros:
- The campground hosts were lovely. Friendly but not overbearing, as some can be.
- The on site restaurant/bait shop/ boat rental was very convenient! Husband forgot to pack something and the little bait shop had what we needed. Plus, we were able to buy firewood there, too.
- Lovely scenery! The hiking trails were well maintained and there were lots of beautiful flowers, bird, and butterflies. We even saw a raccoon!
- The (and I cannot emphasize this enough) CLEANEST campground bathrooms I've ever seen! I'm not squeamish and have been camping for years so my expectations for campground bathroom cleanliness is well calibrated but these bathrooms (even the vault toilets!) were amazingly clean! There weren't even spiderwebs on the ceiling of the shower house. Just *chef's kiss*
- The water from the pump was very clean.
The cons:
- Lack of privacy/seclusion for the 55-64 sites along the loop.
- For that same loop, since it circles the playground, if kids playing noises bother you, might want to choose a different site.
- The food at the restaurant was meh. It was fine- it was sustenance. Nothing to write home about.
- LOTS of big RVs. It wasn't an issue for us on this trip, but on other camping trips sometimes being surrounded by big RVs just isn't a great vibe.
GuideWe came here to enjoy some river tubing! Free shuttle takes you up river for a 3 hour float trip. We reserved one campsite for 2 couples. There was a picnic table, fire pit and electric hookup onsite. Port o potties and spigot nearby and a dumpster for trash. They have non electric camp sites along with RV sites and cabins with everything you could need including kitchen and tv. Seems like a lot of people stay there for the long haul as there are some trailer homes with heavy decoration.
The general store has everything you would need available for purchase and there's a large bar/restaurant attached. We were there the same day of a wedding reception. Free mini golf and swimming pool for campers. Bugs were a bit of an issue but thats expected. The river is clean with a shallow sandy bottom which attracts many parties and fun times. Not exactly the place for a quiet getaway.
ScoutThis was my first and probably last time camping at Cox Hollow. Let’s start with positive: easy access to the campsite I was able to park my car right by the tent. Bathrooms and showers seemed clean enough, but I would recommend wearing some sort of footwear while you shower. Now the negatives: loud and obnoxious families with screaming bratty kids, people leave food scraps so raccoons are not scared and come right up to you sniffing for food, people have zero courtesy and slam bathroom door non stop, not to mention slamming down dumpster lids literally all day and late into the evening. Oh and did I mention screaming kids? Apparently “quiet hours” are from 11pm-8am, well the noise continued almost into midnight hours and as early as 6:30am. Thumping stereos with loud music, also can’t blame dogs for barking, but we had a howler and it kept going all the time. Forget about sleeping in or enjoying the sounds of nature. I’d like try different campsite at this park, but won’t be returning to Cox Hollow.
ScoutI camped in 18 in early August. The site itself was sloped away from the road making it feel tucked into the trees. The downside was that the only flat space for the tent was very close to the fire pit. As a hammock camper, this was not a good site. The trees were far from the cleared area making a hammock hard to set up. Facilities were great and the mosquitoes we're almost non-existent. Great location for a larger group or multiple tents.
The only thing you need to be aware of: there is a train track very close. The train runs very regularly and can be loud. For me, it was the city noise I needed to fall asleep.
GuideFriendly 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.
RangerOverall my family LOVED this campground. There is a decent sized pool that is clean and well-maintained with a smaller kiddie pool with a slide. There is also a man-made lake with a beach for swimming and bigger kids to enjoy the large inflatable slides and swim platforms. The campground is right on the river, and provides rentals for canoes, kayaks, and tubes. They will shuttle you as far up the river as you'd like to go, and you float or paddle back while enjoying all the sand bars along the way.
As an RV campground, the sites were level and grassy with at least one tree per lot. In the sites closer to the pool and lagoon (swim lake), they offer little privacy but are great for multi-family groups. We got a site with some woods in the back, so it was more quiet and private. The electrical and water hook ups were conveniently located, and the site was easy to get into. There were a lot of big Class A motorhomes, so the sites are plenty big. The tent sites are further away from the action, but have easy access to another bathroom and shower. They're also close to the river, and back up to a large corn field. There's a row of pine trees for easy hammock set up, and open grassy areas to let your group sprawl. The bathrooms were clean and nice, but they do have a $1 min for a shower. There is a change machine in the laundry facility.
The Resort also has an extensive camp shop and a huge restaurant with outdoor riverside seating. With live music and a full bar, this made for a really relaxing atmosphere if you're not up to campfire cooking.
We enjoyed this campground and it's friendly staff and campers. Even through there are a lot of people there so you're not isolated in the woods, it wasn't loud or obnoxious with partiers. It's Wisconsin, so everybody was drinking beers and having fun but it wasn't loud and rowdy. The best part is the location on the Wisconsin River- you can get your fill of quiet solitude on the water, or float in a tube with a case of beer if you like. We enjoyed ourselves and can't wait to go back! It’s a great spot to use as home base for river trips, and don’t forget the Spring Green Desert conservancy nearby. Who knew there were cactuses in Wisconsin? Total hike is about 3.2 miles round trip, with a gorgeous view of the valley.
RangerHad a hike on site on the bluff. Stunning views and very secluded. Carts available for hauling in your gear. Hiking trails, fire wood for sale on site. Bathrooms very nice, showers like new! Lots of picnic sites along the bluff.
TravelerOverall nice campground. Hosts are friendly and I saw rangers driving through multiple times. Each site includes picnic table and fire pit. Most have electric.
The toilets in the back part by the electric campsites are pit toilets. Flush toilets, sink, and showers up by the check in area. There’s a playground for kids.
Sites by the river don’t have much shade. Sites by the tracks are the most “wooded” but also right near the trains. Trains are noisy—we slept through them but are also used to living by a train station. Your mileage may vary on that one.
We (tent campers) had site 24. It’s the last site in that part of the driveway and I recommend it because you have a lot of open space to one side plus not far from water or bathrooms. The most wooded sites are at the end farthest away from the entrance but tent campers should know there are a lot of RVs down there usually.
We used this as a stop over on a longer road trip. If you like boating or fishing this is probably a good fit. Galena and Dubuque are not far. Overall not a lot of hiking or activities in the immediate area though. Good option for an overnight.
As a note, we have ATT and had decent cell service here.
LegendI stayed at this campground when I was a kid and only recently revisited it. The state park has two very large lakes with nice pan fishing and modest but well-groomed (daily?) swimming beaches. The lakes are a definite drive from the campgrounds, however, which makes it hard for "the kids" to simply amble down for a swim. This is important, in Sept. 2020 (COVID-19 times) 1/3 of the parking lot was closed off. Not sure why, but I speculate this is to regulate the number of beach dwellers and swimmers. Regardless, it's a very large and lovely park. Here's my review of the campsites.
I am a car camper with no interest in (E) electric sites, so I did not pay attention nor note good ones. I prefer the silence and relative darkness that non-E sites provide.
Campsite - Cox Hollow
45/47 would be a nice couple of sites for a family/friends (wouldn't want this if you only needed one of them!)
The sites on the "inside" of the loop are rather close to one another.
21 has a nice view of the lake, and you can walk back to the fence to look over the bluff 24 is quite private and very large 26, 27 and 29 are all large, near the bluff
34 is interesting, it's divided into three "terraces" Kind of fun, like a campsite divided into rooms
44 right next to the water, BIG site, right near the bathroom and playground. This would be great if you have kids.
The second campground is Twin Valley - though it is NO WHERE NEAR the Twin Valley lake. Lots of driving to get to the lake from here.
221 is large with nice surrounding trees
285 is really big
This campground has walk in sites - these are sites with car parking on the road and you have to walk a minute or two to get to the site. Downside? Carrying all your gear and firewood. Upside? You can genuinely pretend that you've got the place to yourself, can't see a tent or an RV from any of these sites.
262 is 40 steps in, right on the edge of the valley with it's own personal bluff.
263 is a longer walk of 75 steps, a little less shaded than others, but PRIVATE
264 is about 45 steps off the parking lot, right against the bluff edge.
269 is 50 steps in, but it's just off the path, not as nice as others
270 is a long 120 steps walking past 269, this is the site for you if you're looking for seclusion
271 is 110 steps in, flat, really secluded
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