Hononegah Forest Preserve
All sites are separated not on top of each other. We’ve been here quite a few times during cooler months and have been very happy with our experience.
5 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Chain O' Lakes State Park campgrounds welcome pets throughout their five camping areas, including Honeysuckle Hollow, Turner Lake South, Fox Den, Prairie View, and Mud Lake East. Each pet-friendly loop offers different amenities with Turner Lake South providing more wooded sites suitable for tent camping while Honeysuckle Hollow features spacious electric sites that can accommodate RVs and campers. All sites include fire pits with adjustable cooking grills and picnic tables. Dogs must be leashed at all times when outside of vehicles or tents, and owners are expected to clean up after their pets. The park contains several miles of pet-friendly hiking trails where visitors can explore with their dogs. Sites at primitive loops start at $12 per night while electric sites are available for $25 per night.
The nearby lakes and channels provide excellent opportunities for water-loving dogs, though pets must remain leashed even near shorelines. Raccoons are abundant throughout the campgrounds, requiring pet owners to secure all food items in vehicles at night to prevent wildlife encounters. Ticks are prevalent, especially during warmer months, making regular pet checks essential when camping at Chain O' Lakes. Bathroom facilities and shower houses are available near all camping loops, though cleanliness can vary during busy summer weekends. The campground is located approximately 2 miles from the main entrance gate, with a store at the Maple Grove area offering supplies, firewood, and basic necessities. For those camping with pets who enjoy water activities, several boat launches allow access to the Fox River and connected lakes, with Turner Lake providing a more secluded experience compared to the busier main waterways.
"There are amazing trails through park for people to hike, bike, or ride horse on. Spring Grove is a tiny town nearby with a little corner bar called “The Grove”."
"The greatest asset here is undoubtedly the direct access to Turner Lake (although you could also have direct access over at Turner Lake South), giving families an EZ place to fish, paddle or simply explore"
"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."
"Nice large sites. gravel spot for arc/trailer. fire pit and picnic table. trails for hiking are nice, but the overall camping area isn’t very big. 100 sites only. 30 with electric. this was the first time"
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $19 - $37 / night
"I would recommend this for anyone for starting to step out of the comfort zone for the outdoors. very simple, many paths to walk, jog, or ride a bike. a small lake is near the further parking lot. dogs"
"Pros: great hiking trails, nice lake to kayak on, family friendly beach and picnic areas Cons: Not great fishing, no dog friendly swim area, the beach/fishing pier/boat launch are all pretty far from"
from $21 - $39 / night
"They are busy but spots are large and neighbors are not close by. Lots of kids. Great for families and pet friendly."
"Driving into rural northern IL felt like leaving the craziness behind. I brought my dog to an animal-friendly area of the beach, which was small and secluded."
from $25 / night
"In the Turner loop, the pit toilets are next to the path to the fishing pier, while the showers and full restrooms are between Turner and Fox den, there is a short path between sites 60& 61."
"You can hear whatever highway is nearby pretty clearly and constantly. But if you’re not looking for something super remote then it’s fine!"
"We can both drive to work and then come back to relax. Close to some great places for antiquing if you don't want to hike the trails or fish."
"It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, but it is close to everything. "
"Plenty of space & foliage between sites and a nice network of trails surrounding the campground. Close to some small towns and the interstate as well, but not close enough to hear traffic."
"the property is HUGE and most things are about a 10 to 15 min walk from the campsites. lots of hiking, boating, swimming fishing and more! a great place for anyone!"
from $21 - $110 / night
"Prairie View campground is in the Chain O Lakes State Park series. This is the no services campground. We could walk to fill up with water but no electric on site. Checking in was interesting."
"It was me, my wife, our 8 month old daughter, and our dog."
"This State Park isn't too far off the beaten path which is nice. Fairly close to gas stations, convenience stores, etc. The park is clean, and has the bathrooms and utilities that would be needed."
"There are numerous sites that are on a small lake with great sunset views. Sites are decent size but not much privacy in between sites. Lots of wooded trails within the campground."
from $12 / night
"Very Friendly Staff I received warm welcome from nice staff at the entrance gate. Tent Campground is nicely tucked inside by the lake. Quit place night time I can hear fish jumping from the water."
"We biked around the campground during the days and took advantage of the adult only hot tub hours at night. It was a nice getaway from Chicago."
from $43 - $73 / night












All sites are separated not on top of each other. We’ve been here quite a few times during cooler months and have been very happy with our experience.
Prairie View CG is the very first camping oasis you will come across after entering Rock Cut SP from its northernmost entrance, with Highway 173 to the west and Harlem Road to the east. Once you enter the park, you will follow the long winding nicely paved two-lane circuit until you begin seeing the signs highlighting where to go for the various campgrounds. Once you access this road, you’ll come across a small building with a ranger where you will check in, after which, you will pass by a designated dump station before coming around a small bend where you will take your first left.
The sites begin with #500 and as you circumnavigate the simple circular loop, you will pass by about 2 dozen or so slots that are nice flat paved slots perfect sized for just about any RV or 5th Wheel. There is a single his / her restroom along with trash area at the beginning of the loop just past sites #503 and #504. To access the shower, you will need to go back to the main road and hike it down the road with your towel and toiletries, which I have to admit, is the biggest bummer about this particular campground. If having close access to shower facilities is important to you, then you may want to contemplate staying at other campgrounds here at Rock Cut SP like Staghorn and White Oak, which offer closer proximity.
One of the greatest assets here at Rock Cut SP is the very massive Pierce Lake, which is great for fishing, boating, kayaking and swimming. To launch your watercraft, you’ll head south to Hickory Hills campground where on the eastern side of this area you’ll be able to find the boat launch. In the Prairie View campground, in addition to restroom and waste disposal, you’ll also have access to running water spigots at each site along with running electric. The small community amphitheather is located centrally just past the campstore and before reaching the Hickory Hills campground. There is an excellent camp store in the middle of Rock Cut SP that offers up ice, firewood, ice cream, snacks, games, limited groceries and a number of other sundries you might need while camping. Additionally, there are 5 shelters that have electricity, with water and restrooms nearby and each shelter available through a reservation system. Two of the shelters (Red Oak and Puri Crest) also have children’s playgrounds nearby.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) IMHO the best sites here at Prairie View CG are those that are located furthest from the main road, for attaining the maximum camping bliss trifecta of less traffic, little noise and more privacy. As such, look at sites #512, #514, #516 and #518, which are all located on the exterior of the circle, thus providing the greatest amount of intimate nature experience; (2) Once you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your cooler, fret not, and just head out of the park where you will find a handful of dining options: Tom& Jerry’s, Fresh Start Café, Waffle Shop, Golden Chopsticks Buffet, Sunrise Family Restaurant, Beef-A-Roo (in fact, there’s like 4 of these that the park is surrounded by), but one of my absolute favorites is Green Fire, which is a really nice farm-to-table joint; (3) Got bird watching on your mind? Well, you’re in luck, because here at Rock Cut SP you can spot an amazing array of winged adventurers including bald eagles, American robins, northern cardinals, barn owls, mourning doves, indigo buntings, eastern bluebirds, Canadian geese, red-bellied woodpeckers, brown thrashers and many others; (4) Tired of nature and just want to get some really cool culture in you? Then head just due south of Rock Cut SP to explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House, which is simply amazing; and (5) If you come bearing watercraft like canoe or kayak, while Lake Pierce is wonderful and great for fishing, if you want something a bit more challenging, then head due west to the Rock River, where you can drop in from a number of launch sites, however I strongly recommend Atwood Homestead Forest Preserve.
Happy Camping!
We got a campsite with a concrete pad. Electricity 30 amp site. There is a dump station close to the registration office. Boat ramp available for campers. One cabin for rental overlooking the Pierce Lake $50/night for Illinois resident. Beautiful setting. Wild turkeys roaming through our campground.
Blackwell has clean bathrooms, offers hiking trails, boating (kayak rentals) or bring your own, fishing, archery, cycling. The gate locks at 7pm but you just call the night guard and he will let you in. They’re only open on Friday, Saturday and holidays. Would definitely stay again. Be aware Winfield Road has a lot of traffic so sites further away from that road are best. Heard coyotes about 3 am both mornings. Rangers were exceptional.
The park is beautiful. The water is beautiful. They say it's a gated community, but it's open to the public 9 to 5 daily. At twenty five dollars per person. And then on friday and saturday night, the locals that park here for the summer start their party central including karaoke at the camper next door, and several others. I've never had a camcround with that loud of parties. And it's a weekend event. I like hearing and seeing people having fun but when the manager extends the curfew for the parties she's at (they kind of party hop), it starts to affect the enjoyment of the park. If we had to stay, we'd stay in the S## sites in the back, where you don't hear so much of the partying. And then during the day, the rules began. Kind of like the soup nazi.
There’s a lot of things to do out here. We did some hiking with our boy. The site we were at was maintained. It’s a nice place to go camping.
There’s something wonderfully EZ about camping where the kids can wander down toward the water and suddenly the whole weekend seems to slow down ... and that’s the entire charm of Honeysuckle Hollow. Here at Chain O’Lakes State Park, Honeysuckle Hollow is the largest and most wide open of the park’s camping areas, with electric sites geared particularly well toward RV families, although the tradeoff is noticeably less shade and almost zero privacy between nearly every campsite, compared with neighboring Fox Den, which offers up much more seclusion and shade. The greatest asset here is undoubtedly the direct access to Turner Lake (although you could also have direct access over at Turner Lake South), giving families an EZ place to fish, paddle or simply explore the shoreline, while electric hookups, picnic tables, grills and a nearby restroom/shower building keep the actual camping comfortably simple. We especially loved those unhurried moments when the boys could wander toward the lake while dinner was getting started and everyone seemed perfectly happy just being outside together. The shower facility here is convenient, although we found it just slightly more dilapidated conditions than the bathhouse located closer to Fox Den. From what we saw, I’d choose one of the better-spaced sites toward the Turner Lake side of the campground, where EZ water access helps compensate for Honeysuckle’s limited privacy. I’d recommend Honeysuckle for families who value electricity, lake access and a lively campground atmosphere, particularly if having Turner Lake practically in your backyard matters more than having your neighbors hidden behind the trees. One point to note is that the pier was in an advanced state of disrepair and so we were not able to fully maximize this particular amenity - so if accessing Turner Lake is important to you and your family, we would recommend calling ahead to verify the condition of the pier.
We are traveling mid week in September so did not make advanced reservations. The registration booth attendant assigned us site 506. (We were not permitted to drive through to pick our own location before registering). Our site was grassy and a bit muddy after some significant rains, but it was cozy with trees and tall brush on all sides. Pit toilets at each loop with a shower building just 5 minute walk away. You can hear the din of the highway about .5 miles away, but an easy place to stay if you are traveling through. Electricity on site, water spigots nearby and dump station near the entrance.
Last minute online reservation...They only have. 4 or 5 RV sites...full hook ups...about $60+-...right near gas pumps but any noise did not bother us weary travelers...Only downside was showers were not included....For the price certainly an included shower should be part of the deal...easy check in and check out.,..We used the Love's site due to its location to visit family and the fact that electric was available...We have medical equipment that requires a recharge at night plus it's just nice to have the AC if needed.
Chain O' Lakes State Park contains five distinct camping loops set 2 miles from the main entrance within a 6,500-acre landscape of wetlands, forests, and interconnected waterways. The region experiences hot, humid summers with temperatures often reaching 85°F, while spring and fall offer more moderate conditions for camping. Primitive sites without electric service provide the most secluded options, particularly in the Turner Lake South and Mud Lake East loops.
Kayaking on connecting waterways: Visitors with kayaks can explore the extensive lake system that gives the park its name. At Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park, campers appreciate how the lake provides quieter water recreation compared to the main channels. "I love to kayak through here because I don't need to paddle through the river unless I'm feeling competitive. I enjoy this route for the wildlife and nature scenery. I've seen beavers, minks, ferrets, and sand cranes on my two trips so far," notes Cora M.
Hiking the diverse trails: Chain O' Lakes offers several trail systems catering to different experience levels. The Goldfinch trail is particularly recommended as "the shortest loop and the most diverse in term of flora," according to Brian O. at Turner Lake South. The crushed gravel and paved paths make most trails accessible even for beginner hikers.
Fishing opportunities: Fox Den Campground provides good access to fishing spots. "There are hiking trails and you can walk to Turner Lake from the Honeysuckle Hollow campground," notes Debra M. For families, there are several fishing ponds specifically designed for younger anglers throughout the park.
Affordability for budget campers: The primitive campsites are notably economical. Addison G. at Turner Lake South points out, "These campsites are as low as $12/night!! One of my favorite spots to test new gear. Family friendly. There's some small trails around as well that are beginner."
Secluded camping options: For those seeking privacy, certain loops offer more isolation. "The campsites are a nice size and have electric hookups. Water was at central locations and a dump is on the way out. We prefer more brush/trees between sites so this campground was just ok with us," explains Art S. about Fox Den.
Well-maintained facilities: The campgrounds feature recently updated facilities. "The fire area was great, it had a grill you could put over it to cook on. It was also very well upkept. We saw someone going around and cleaning out all of the fire pits before check-in even to make sure they were ready for the next group," reports Dakota at Prairie View Camping Area.
Wildlife awareness: Ticks and mosquitoes are common, particularly during warmer months. Beyond the raccoons mentioned in the existing description, campers report diverse wildlife sightings. "We've seen beavers, minks, ferrets, and sand cranes," notes Cora M., highlighting the rich ecosystem.
Gate closure policy: The park enforces strict gate hours. "The gates close at 10:PM and there are tire shredders, you can leave but you can't get back in… unless you want to walk 2+ miles in the dark," warns Brian O. Plan day trips accordingly to ensure you return before closure.
Reservation requirements: The reservation system can sometimes present challenges. At Mud Lake East, campers note that "no online reservations were allowed and their phone systems were down but we only found a few sites that were available." During peak season, booking well in advance is essential.
Beach and swimming options: For families with water-loving dogs and children, the park offers several swimming areas. "There is a bait shop and place to rent both a paddle boat and one with a small motor," mentions Tyler at Mud Lake East, providing alternatives for families who don't bring their own watercraft.
Choosing the right loop: Each camping area offers different advantages for families. "Fox Den is superior to Honeysuckle Hollows because each site has an individual electric post. Sites in Honeysuckle have electric posts too far from parking pad. Fox Den also has more space between sites, more level pads and each site is tucked away with trees," advises Debra M.
Seasonal activities: Sunset Campground at Richard Bong State Recreation Area offers additional family-friendly options nearby. "If you enjoy bird watching or rabbit spotting, this is a great place to go...I have seldom seen as many rabbits as we saw. There were relatively few campers during the week and just about every other campsite had at least a bunny or two," shares Tim H.
Site selection for larger rigs: When camping with RVs, site selection becomes crucial. "These sites share an electric box. Some spaces the box is further than 30 feet from the pad. A lot of the spaces are also crowded together. Recommend sites 23 to 46 for spacing and electric distance," advises Debra M. about Honeysuckle Hollow.
Nearby amenities: For RVers needing supplies, several options exist close to the park. "Spring Grove is a tiny town nearby with a little corner bar called 'The Grove'. They serve amazing food with great service. Very clean! I recommend checking it out if you're looking for some good food," suggests GoWhereYouAreDraw N.
Hook-up limitations: Not all loops provide full hookups for RVs. "We had 50 amp, but no water/sewer, although there was a water spigot next to our site that we could use to fill up jugs of water. The dump station was near the entrance to the camping loop and had potable water. It was also very busy and we had to wait when filling up and again when dumping," notes Tina about her experience at Honeysuckle Hollow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Spring Grove, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Spring Grove, IL is Honeysuckle Hollow — Chain O' Lakes State Park with a 3.9-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Spring Grove, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 69 dog-friendly camping locations near Spring Grove, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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