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Big Rock Campground offers well-maintained sites for campers with dogs, providing electric and water hookups across its nearly 100 improved spaces. The campground features level sites with ample space for pets to explore wildflowers and grassy areas. Pets must be leashed at all times within the campground boundaries. Many campers appreciate the wide, open spaces that give dogs room to move without disturbing neighboring sites. Several pet-friendly options near Sugar Grove include Jellystone Park Millbrook and Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area, both accommodating pets at tent sites, RV spots, and cabin rentals. Families with dogs will find Big Rock's facilities clean and well-maintained, with accessible walking areas throughout the property.
Nearby hiking trails provide excellent dog walking opportunities, with Big Rock Forest Preserve offering a one-mile loop trail around the lake that proves popular with pet owners. The short hiking path connects to additional pet-friendly trails where dogs can explore natural surroundings. Canine visitors should be prepared with extra water during summer months, as the campground's open layout offers limited shade. Fox Bluff CottageS & RV provides river access for dogs who enjoy swimming, with beautiful creek and lake areas plus walking trails throughout the grounds. Dog owners should note that while flush toilets are available at most campgrounds, shower facilities vary by location, with Big Rock Campground notably lacking showers despite its other amenities. Wildlife sightings including deer and rabbits are common along trails, so keeping dogs leashed is essential for safety.
"Clean, with large sites, about a 5 mile walk around the nearby lake- saw several deer and rabbits - T-Mobile worked just fine- no Wi-Fi"
"Open campground with nearly zero tree. We had a great campfire but didn’t take advantage of the whole park to explore. She wants to again this year but we will spend more time hiking."
from $18 - $35 / night
Check Availability"Just outside of Chicago, we have been staying here for quick weekend trips and absolutely love the proximity to home."
"I always loved going to the parks in Illinois with my grandparents when I was little. They love hiking and nature and definitely got me interested in it also. I love them and miss them everyday."
from $20 - $30 / night
Check Availability"If you find yourself out in these parts near Shabbona in north central Illinois it is because of either one of two reasons - you are incredibly lost and stumbled across this hidden natural preserve gem"
"All within easy walking distance to the lake. Camp store and two boat rental spots allow for flexiblity on busier weekends."
from $25 / night
Check Availability"The staff are super nice and the campground has great social distancing rules in place for the check-in shack and bathrooms."
"Half of them were in the Prairie and the other half was tucked into wonderfully private spots with burn pits and picnic tables. We hiked the trail and saw a mother deer feeding her 2 babies."
from $12 - $35 / night
Check Availability"This location has been taken over by new management and they are absolutely the greatest! We will continue to go there for as long as we live in this area."
"There's a gorgeous Creek, a lovely small lake and I really enjoy the walking trails."
"The location requires a 2 night stay minimum."
from $65 - $95 / night
Check Availability"There’s something so comforting about pulling into Sycamore RV Resort and seeing the sunlight dance across those two spring-fed lakes, giving you that immediate exhale that only a calm Midwestern campground"
"Postage stamp space on gravel but we had things to do outside the resort. Nice walking path around the two ponds. The ponds are very low due to drought this summer."
"Great site, not far from Chicago, but feels well away from city life. Tent sites around rim of a lake. RV sites and cabins as well."
"What’s great about this location is the access to the miles and mile of MTB and hiking trails just out the front step of your campsite."
from $20 - $138 / night
Check Availability"Quiet campground not far off the highway! Didn’t expect this kind of camping in Illinois! Nicely wooded and picturesque area, similar to northern Wisconsin!"
"Beautiful Starved Rock is Illinois's favorite state park. Hiking through forests along the Illinois River to canyons and waterfalls with eagles soaring overhead."
from $25 - $35 / night
Check Availability"Situated about five miles west of Yorkville in Kendall County, Silver Springs State Fish& Wildlife Area spans over 1,350 acres including the beautiful Silver Springs, two manmade lakes and several"
TravelerVery friendly host at the gate! Just what my wife and I were looking for. Quiet campground not far off the highway! Didn’t expect this kind of camping in Illinois! Nicely wooded and picturesque area, similar to northern Wisconsin!
ScoutAlthough we camped in Illinois record rainfall, we still had a blast. Plenty of trees to hammock, clean bathrooms, and a great river view.
ScoutWe’ve been staying at this resort for several months now, and wanted to share some feedback based on our experience.
The pool only opened mid-summer.
Water quality has been very bad. On one occasion, our pet had stomach issues after drinking tap water, which was concerning. The water is so unclean that our shower develops yellow stains within a day, and we’ve had to install a five-stage filtration system just to make it usable.
We’ve also noticed that rules aren’t enforced consistently, and it sometimes feels like certain guests are treated unfairly. For example, while we were told that personal kiddie pools aren’t allowed, we’ve counted at least six others set up around the park.
Package delivery is only permitted under special circumstances, and only if pre-approved by staff.
Had an incident where a staff member criticized my swimsuit at the pool, despite it being modest and similar to what others were wearing. I wore this swimsuit to many pools for many years. Additionally, the beach area is often closed even during posted open hours, and pool hours or updates aren’t clearly communicated—you have to inquire to get any information.
The storm shelter is typically locked, making it inaccessible in emergencies, which is a major concern.
We’ve also had to fix the swing set at the playground ourselves multiple times, as it’s been broken for a while. Many of the park’s facilities and amenities are showing their age and could benefit from updates and maintenance.
That said, there are aspects we’ve truly enjoyed, and they’re the main reasons we’ve continued our stay: the spacious layout of the RV park, a nice lake, beach, pool, gym, and a dog park.
GuideBeautiful spot for our single overnight. Staff were great; friendly and helpful. Park was well kept, with lots of green around RV and tent sites. Nice pool, dog park, store, and even a stream system that wanders through the park (no swimming in the stream). Also close to Starved Rock State Park for some neat scenery and hiking. The only downside side is that some of the RV sites are a little close together - didn’t impact our stay though. Two thumbs up! :)
LegendAs we were driving eastbound on I80 that day, we spotted the Love’s RV Hookup, which is a new concept that this oversized fueling depot / travel store has been working on for the past year or so. Having checked out one of their other locations in Bloomington earlier in the year, which I have to admit, I was fairly impressed by, we decided to stop in here to have a look. Located just due east on the outskirts of little known Morris, Illinois just off I80, this little roadside stand isn’t the largest Love’s I’ve ever seen, but it sure does pack a punch.
If you do find yourself hustling and bustling east or west along the I80 corridor and are in need of a pit stop or an overnight stay, then the good folks at the Love’s RV Hookup have you covered. While the other Love’s I have stopped by seem enormous by comparison, this spot felt more like a corner convenience store that also had a fairly large fueling bay (4 double-sided pumps) in the front, primarily for cars and SUVs.
As you pull in, there’s 4 spots earmarked to the right of the entrance for RV’s. As you pull further along in front of the Love’s fueling bay, on the other side, an additional 6 or so slots exist for other RVs to park. In all, there’s 10 back-in RV slots available and inside you’ll find that there’s 7 individual shower stalls (all of which were in pristine, brand-new shape when we stopped by) along with a laundry facility, which we were happily surprised by, as well as a designated RV dump service, propane refill station and all of the typical hook-ups (water, 30 / 50 amp electric and sewage) along with WiFi. Inside, there’s of course the Love’s retail market, which was just decent, an ATM, Hardee’s and Naf-Naf (think Subway, but instead, Middle Eastern food). There’s even a small dog park here. As I hinted at, quite a lot here for such a small location.
If you would like something more substantial to eat, just head back west on I80 to the next exit, where if you head north there’s an IHOP, Chili’s, Bellacino’s Pizza or you can head on back to the TA Travel Center where they actually have a proper sit-down 24 hour restaurant called R-Place. If instead of heading north, you drive south on the main drag (Road 47), there’s a Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Hut, Starbuck’s, Wendy’s, Culver’s, Dunkin' and Burger King. But if you want something a bit more memorable, I would recommend either Morris Diner & Pancake House or La Casa Michoacana. And if you don’t mind a slightly longer drive back towards Ottawa, there’s 2 amazing places I would recommend that you won’t soon forget: Hank’s and Lone Buffalo.
Should you want to actually enjoy a bit of the nature around these parts, you can continue to head south on N. Division Street / Road 47 where you’ll come to 2 parks: Goold and Chapin, where either would make for a great place to stretch your legs, walk the dog or grab a picnic. If you’d like something a bit more splendid, then head on over to William G. Stratton SP or Gebhard Woods SP where you will be able to hike the I&M Canal State Trail.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 5
Safety & Security: 4
Quality: 5
Peace & Quiet: 4
Amenities: 3
Overall, I scored this location a 4.
Happy Overnighting!
RangerI 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.
LegendMy 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!
TravelerStayed here in early June during a trip to Starved Rock, which is a quick 10-15 minute drive. Camp hosts are very nice and the the grounds well maintained. I stayed on site 5 which is a full hookup but best for a small camper. I have a 14 foot travel trailer and it just fit with my SUV in front. The spots are very tight and you have very little room between you and your neighbor. With all the rain this year, many sites flooded during a storm while we camped and they had to be moved to other areas that were not actual sites so it was a bit crazy...hosts did a great job taking care of everyone effected. Campground has a cute dog park and a beautiful stream that runs through it. I would stay here again!!
TravelerFriendly staff who were quick to respond to any issues. Partial hookups (sewer just outside of park behind hotel). $46/night (+fees) for a pull-through spot. Pet-friendly. Pleasant park with good pad. Near busy road and shipping plant. No wi-fi found except at hotel. Good phone connection. Garbage cans throughout park. Minutes from I & M Canal entrance on Houbolt and from JJC and I-80.
Camping options near Sugar Grove, Illinois feature diverse terrain across several forest preserves and recreation areas within an hour's drive. The region experiences hot, humid summers with temperatures regularly reaching 85-95°F and mild spring and fall seasons ideal for outdoor activities. Most campgrounds in the area sit on relatively flat terrain with elevations between 700-850 feet above sea level, offering accessible camping for various experience levels.
Fishing opportunities: Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area offers a stocked lake known for trophy catches. "The lake has produced a lot of trophy fish, if that's your thing. Otherwise it's quiet and peaceful. We like to go just to chill and read out out in the woods," notes Scott C. Campers can rent boats or bring their own fishing equipment.
Hiking and biking trails: Many trails connect throughout forest preserves in the area. At Paul Wolff Campground, "There are miles of trails. On one hike we were on paved, sifted gravel, grass and single trek trails. There are a lot of loops giving you options. When we left we still hadn't hiked all of them," says Art S. Hiking trails range from easy loops to more challenging terrain.
Water recreation: Swimming and paddling opportunities exist at several area campgrounds. "The lake is beautiful. We did some fishing from the shore," reports Mike P. about Shabbona Lake. For families seeking water activities, Hi-Tide Recreation offers multiple options within 30 minutes of Sugar Grove.
Spacious campsites: Big Rock Campground features unusually large camping areas. "Nice campground with big, level sites. Even though they don't take reservations, there is plenty of space and availability," says Melissa C. Sites accommodate various camping setups from tents to large RVs.
Proximity to Chicago: Several campgrounds provide natural settings within an hour of the city. At Camp Bullfrog Lake, "We live 15 minutes away so like to take midweek camping trips to break up the work week," says Josh M. This accessibility makes weekend trips practical for city dwellers.
Clean facilities: Well-maintained restrooms and common areas rank highly in camper feedback. "Bathrooms are clean but smell like vault toilets at 95 degrees. There is one very clean flush toilet building but no showers," notes David W. about Paul Wolff Campground. Most campgrounds feature flush toilets while shower availability varies significantly.
Reservation requirements: Many campgrounds fill quickly, especially during summer months. "Book early- reservations open online 6 months in advance and book up quickly. Most summer weekends are completely full," warns Kim L. about Starved Rock Campground.
Limited shade: Several newer campgrounds lack mature trees. "This is a pretty new camp site, so the trees need some time to get big enough to provide some shade," explains David W. about Big Rock Campground. Consider bringing shade structures during summer months.
Hookup variations: Water hookup distances can be challenging at some sites. "Water hookup is far behind camping pad - bring extensions!" advises Amanda K. Research your specific site before arrival to ensure you have appropriate equipment.
Alcohol restrictions: Some forest preserves prohibit alcohol consumption. At Paul Wolff Campground, "We loved the staff patrolling the grounds. The trail system is great for walking the dogs. And I even grew to like the no alcohol in the preserve rule," shares David W.
Kid-friendly activities: Jellystone Park Millbrook offers structured programming for children. "I've been to this site a handful of times growing up and it's a good campsite for the kids. Lots of activities to do everyday like crafts to keep the kids preoccupied during the day," shares Tori P. These organized events provide entertainment beyond natural exploration.
Swimming options: Multiple campgrounds offer swimming areas suitable for children. "Love going to this campground. Always nice and clean. Bath/showers are very clean with hot water. Nicely kept grounds with a beautiful lake for dock and boat fishing," says Meg K. about Shabbona Lake.
Playground access: Consider campgrounds with play equipment for younger children. "There is a large seasonal section that I presume pays the bills. Some of the permanent sure are pretty neat," notes Jeff G. about Jellystone Park Millbrook, which maintains several play areas.
Wildlife viewing: Many local campgrounds offer opportunities to observe wildlife safely. "We hiked the trail and saw a mother deer feeding her 2 babies. Hard to belive that there is hiking trails like those in such a densely populated are just outside elgin, il," reports Tricia E. about Paul Wolff Campground.
Site selection strategy: Choose locations based on specific needs. At Blackwell Family Campground, "Most of the sites have a chip pad for tents and concrete for the vehicle. Site 20 is turf and nicely secluded. Most of the sites are partial shade," advises John W.
Electrical options: Check amperage compatibility before booking. "All sites are electric, so if you are tent camping and want your fan or slow-cooker, then it's as good as it gets in the burbs," notes Marisa A. about Blackwell Family Campground.
Leveling conditions: Most campsites in the area provide relatively level surfaces. "Sites are level and clean and they have modern bathrooms," reports Marc W. about Blackwell Family Campground, making setup easier for RVs of various sizes.
Dump station logistics: Plan for potential waiting times when exiting. "Took about 45 min for us to dump being 5th in line at 10:30am," warns Kim L. Schedule departures accordingly, especially during busy weekend checkouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Sugar Grove, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Sugar Grove, IL is Big Rock Campground with a 3.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Sugar Grove, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 93 dog-friendly camping locations near Sugar Grove, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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