Best Campgrounds near Thomson, IL

Recent Reviews near Thomson, IL

607 Reviews of 115 Thomson Campgrounds

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Jan. 2, 2026

  Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground

  Hidden Cave Country

  Following up on my review from over a year ago, I’m adding a bunch of additional reflections and tips as well as an abbreviated post pointing out the HIGHS and LOWS of this camp loop near the remarkable cave system of Maquoketa Caves State Park, Iowa.

  HIGHLIGHTS: (1) The campground is nestled under a dense canopy of tall trees, offering shade, peace and a deep-woods feel rarely found so close to a major trail and cave network; (2) It’s just a short walk from the trailhead of the park’s famed 13-cave system, making it ideal for early morning spelunkers or families wanting adventure without long drives; (3) Campsites are reasonably spacious and include essential hookups with 24 of the roughly 28 sites featuring 20 / 30 / 50-amp electric and many are well separated from neighbors; (4) The modern bathhouse and showers are clean and appreciated, especially after muddy hikes through the caves; (5) Wildlife and geology lovers will be delighted, where you can expect to see deer, turkey, and perhaps even a bat fluttering near dusk, with cave formations and hiking trails that are genuinely outstanding; and (6) The campground here really is one of the best I’ve ever come across, where it is nicely tucked away AFTER you pass by the tourist trappings that these bat caves produce, but what you will enjoy most is the serenity of the place, watching as the thick mist lifts from the campground area as the sun rises higher during the day giving off a very cool vibe to this place.

  LOWLIGHTS: (1) Some of the access roads and pads are packed sand and gravel rather than smooth pavement, which can challenge level setup for larger rigs after rain; (2) Trail signage can be minimal and navigating the caves may get confusing without a good flashlight or headlamp; (3) Although the hookups exist, this campground is still basic compared to full-service resorts (which, TBH is why I love it here so much), so no big clubhouse or elaborate amenities; (4) Sites closer to the entrance (like #1-#3 or #27-#28) can register more traffic and less tranquility than those deeper in the loop; and (5) Bee and mosquito activity near the creek and cave edges can pick up at dusk in the summer, so a bit of bug protection goes a long way.

  Happy Camping!

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• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Jan. 1, 2026

  6B's Campground

  Two Levels of Relaxation and Riverfront Charm

  Following up on my review from over a year ago, here’s a refreshed look at this warm, unpretentious, and delightfully layered campground just east of Maquoketa Caves State Park.

  HIGHLIGHTS: (1) The campground’s two-tiered design offers a unique blend of rustic seclusion and riverside serenity where the upper plateau caters to tent campers with grassy lawns, mature shade trees and well-maintained fire rings, while the lower level hugs the slow-moving Maquoketa River and is more suited to the RV camping tribe; (2) Karen Townsend, who manages the place, and her welcoming crew embody true Midwestern hospitality – you know, the kind that makes strangers feel like locals; (3) The lower section features spacious riverfront sites with water and 30-amp hookups, plus a small boat ramp, diving platform and calm waters for kayaking or just floating; (4) The peace and quiet are unbeatable, with the only background noise being a chorus of crickets and the soft babble of the river; and (5) Location-wise, it’s hard to top, being just minutes from Maquoketa Caves State Park, and surrounded by scenic farmland with zero city intrusion.

  LOWLIGHTS: (1) The campground operates strictly on cash, money order, or check, so if you’re the ‘tap-to-pay’ type, plan ahead or you’ll be driving back into town for funds; (2) The gravel descent to the river level can be tricky for longer trailers or heavy rigs, particularly after a good Iowa rain; (3) Amenities are minimal here with no frills, no WiFi, no clubhouse… but that’s exactly what keeps this place authentic and peaceful.

  Happy Camping!

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• 

  James M.

  Legend

  Dec. 9, 2025

  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.

• 

  Ken and Sheryl C.

  Ranger

  Dec. 6, 2025

  Geneseo Campground

  Small and quiet

  Good for an overnight. Long term residents. Stayed in 42’ 5th wheel

• 

  James M.

  Legend

  Nov. 19, 2025

  Interstate RV Park

  Overnight/short stay by I-80

  This campground needs updating, including gravel lanes and roads, pads. Sites have tables, electric, water, and an Office/general store. They appear to be numerous permanent residence as well. The location is a bonus, being near the interstate with fuel, Supplies, and a Blaines Farm And Fleet store across the entrance.

• 

  James M.

  Legend

  Nov. 14, 2025

  Eden Valley Refuge

  Neat County park

  This county park offers wonderful hiking trails, and the campground has sites that include gravel pads, fire rings, electricity, tables, and a dump station. Shower house is seasonal at the campground, but the nature center has codes for showers. Nature center is seasonal as well. Seasonal hosts and a Ranger live on site.

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Nov. 8, 2025

  Pine Grove Campground, Scott Co Park

  Where Tent Campers Co-mingle w/ the RVing Crowd

  While there’s 7 campgrounds to choose from here in Scott County Park, if you are looking for the most centrally located campground to the entire park, as well as the CG that feels the most secluded from any other neighboring overnight accommodation in the park, then Pine Grove CG is a great choice. Another upside to Pine Grove is that it has a single hiking trail heading west that will connect you with a wider network of hiking & biking trails. And if you have water on your mind, in just about 200 yards, you can access Glynns Creek and just south of this Cody Lake for all of your oar paddling pleasure.

  The layout of the CG here is a simple oblong circle pathway with a single lane dissecting the loop that lines up campsites one after the other with sites on both the interior and exterior of all paths. Unlike some of the other CGs here at Scott County Park, Pine Grove is a spot where both RVs and tent campers live in harmony and where there’s even a deluxe cabin to rent, if that’s more to your liking. There’s very little brush on the interior of the CG save a somewhat thick treeline surrounding the entire camping area. Apart from those that back-up to the surrounding treeline, most campers will experience zero privacy as there is no natural bush or canopy that separates one camper from another, so if that matters to you, then I would suggest aiming for a spot on the exterior and to bring some makeshift buffers that would add some solitude to your stay.

  Arriving here at Pine Grove isn’t the easiest, so as likely you would have entered from the southern entrance – where you would have been greeted by some of the friendliest rangers I have ever come across, who along with providing you a map of the place, will gladly sell you some firewood, which you should take them up on – you will just want to take your first right taking you past Hickory Hills and Whispering Pines Shelter (both of which provide excellent access to Pride Lake), followed by the next available left turn, just past the swimming pool on your left) and you’ll eventually arrive to Pine Grove Campground. And if whatever reason, you don’t like the site you’ve been given, just backtrack to the ranger station and ask if they can move you.

  As far as the amenities are concerned, Pine Grove offers up a proper dump station along with impeccably clean restroom and shower facilities that do indeed produce some nice hot water. High five to the rangers here at Scott County Park who do an amazing job of keeping the facilities organized, well-maintained and incredibly clean. There’s also a playground here along with lots of open space around the perimeter for the kiddos to run around and play tag or hide-n-go-seek. There’s standard FHU’s with electric and water at each site along with standard-issued picnic tables and fire rings, both of which come in pretty good condition. The parking pads are gravel and quite level and there is considerable space at each of the campsites here, so no worries on being too close to your neighbors.

  No matter which CG you choose here at Scott County Park, it’s not so much about where you are camping for the night (although that can be important), but rather, what camping here provides you access to, which IMHO is a quite lot: 18 hole golf course, in-ground swimming pool complete with waterslides, 20 miles of hiking / biking trails, pioneer village, 14 park shelters perfect for picnics complete with tables, grills and / or fireplaces, baseball field, volleyball court, basketball court, clubhouse, dedicated exercise areas, concession areas, equestrian trails, 4 different lakes for fishing and swimming that also feature boat docks, paddle boat rentals and even a few creeks where you can attempt to kayak and canoe if the water levels are high enough. What I love most about this park is just how family-friendly and educational this experience can be for the little ones.

  Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Not that I have personally visited every single one of the picnic shelters that exist here, but my favorite one that I did visit was Crooked Knife as it offered peace & quiet along with some very good picnic tables underneath a canopy of adolescent Oaks turning colors in the Autumn; (2) While there’s not much in the way of dining options in these parts, there is Park View Café, which has an excellent breakfast and decent coffee in the morning and is located outside of Scott County Park on its SW corner; (3) The most challenging hiking trails are those located on the park’s NE perimeter, just below the golf course; (4) For mi tent pitchin’ bredren, while Pine Grove is a fine option for you to consider, if you really wanted to get away from the RV and 5th Wheel crowd, I would recommend checking out Wilderness CG, which has been organized more for those who prefer to erect their overnight accommodations; and (5) If you are simply looking for a convenient overnight place to park without all of the fringe benefits of paying to actually camp here at any one of the CG’s at Scott County Park, there is solid parking options at the NW corner of the park to the east of the Village Office across the street from St. Anne’s Church and Walnut Grove Pioneer Village.

  Happy Camping!

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• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Nov. 8, 2025

  Scott County Park- South East Corner Campground

  Scott County Park’s Secret Saddle Spot

  Tucked away in the southeast corner of Scott County Park – yes, the same park that already has more campgrounds than a camping catalog – lurks a little-known equestrian primitive campground. It’s the sort of place that feels like you stumbled onto a secret level in a video game: no hookups, no frills, just you, your horse and the occasional squirrel judging your life choices. If SOC-Fox is the Brady Bunch middle child (see my review for this CG), this one is the mysterious cousin who shows up at family reunions in cowboy boots and doesn’t say much.

  The sites? Bare-bones, as expected. You’re not here for 'glamping.' You’re here for space to tie up your horse, throw up a tent and feel like you’ve traveled back to 1883 (minus the dysentery). Fire rings are your only luxury item here, and if you’re expecting bathhouses with spa vibes, forget it. You’ll find pit toilets that are … serviceable. Let’s call them ‘character-building.’ Roads in here are gravelly but manageable if you take it slow, but you don’t really want to be coming here if you’re toting a 5th wheel or driving an RV as this area is really more geared for mi tent pitchin’ bredren who want the opportunity to ‘rough it’ ... ideally with their noble steeds.

  What makes it shine, though, are the equestrian trails. Miles of riding paths crisscross through woods, open meadows and rolling hills. Even if you’re not on horseback, you can hike them and pretend you’re in a Western where the budget ran out before they gave you an actual horse. And because this campground is the least famous of the seven, you’re more likely to get actual peace & quiet. No cannonballing kids, no RV generators humming in the night, just plenty of crickets, the odd, stray coyote and your horse deciding 2 a.m. is the perfect time to shuffle around loudly.

  Insider Tips? Giddy-up, here’s a few: (1) Bring your own water as there’s no magic spigot here; (2) If you want solitude, this is the place. It’s basically the anti-aquatic center; (3) Hungry after a day on the trail? Eldridge’s Grille on the Green dishes out hearty comfort food, and you won’t even have to tie your horse out front; and (4) If you need supplies, hit the Tractor Supply in nearby Eldridge. They won’t blink when you walk in smelling like hay and campfire.

  Happy Camping!

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• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Nov. 8, 2025

  Incahias Campground - Scott County Park

  Open Pasture Tent Pitchen Camping Bliss

  Of the 7 campgrounds that exist here in Scott County Park, Incahias is located on the westernmost perimeter of the park sitting just opposite Woodside Campground. Unlike the other campgrounds here, which are basically organized with a simple oval loop that likely has an intersecting lane, Incahias has several lanes (to be exact, 6 of them) that are more narrow all in an open field with very little brush, save a somewhat thick treeline on the western flank. This basically means next to zero privacy, so if that matters to you, then I would suggest aiming for one of the slots furthest west and to bring some makeshift buffers that would add to some solitude.

  Having arrived here at Incahias, you would have had to enter likely from the southern entrance, where you would have been greeted by some of the friendliest rangers I have ever come across, who along with providing you with a map of the place, will gladly sell you some firewood, which you should take them up on. After passing the ranger station, you’ll want to stick to your left at every fork in the road, passing by Bald Eagle Campground on your right, Oak Tree and Crooked Knife picnic areas on your left, before arriving to Incahias, where you’ll just want to follow the signs and then park in your designated campsite. And for whatever reason, if you don’t like the site you’ve been given, go back to the ranger station and see if they can move you – when we were there, they were very agreeable to move us to another spot without too much of an issue.

  At Incahias, you’ll find there’s a proper dump station along with impeccably clean restroom and shower facilities that do indeed produce some nice hot water. Again, hats off to the rangers here at Scott County Park who do an amazing job of keeping the facilities organized, well-maintained and incredibly clean – this is always the chief complaint amongst my family of ladies, so for them to be impressed is saying something! There’s also a playground here along with lots of open space for the kids to run around or get a game of football in. There’s standard FHU’s with electric and water at each site along with standard-issued picnic table and fire rings, both of which come in pretty good condition. The parking pads are gravel and quite level, but hey, you’re in Iowa, so that shouldn't be too difficult to find.

  No matter which CG you choose here at Scott County Park, it’s not so much about where you are camping for the night (although that can be important), but rather, what camping here provides you, which is a lot: 18 hole golf course, in-ground swimming pool complete with waterslides, 20 miles of hiking / biking trails, pioneer village, 14 park shelters perfect for picnics complete with tables, grills and / or fireplaces, baseball field, volleyball court, basketball court, clubhouse, dedicated exercise areas, concession areas, equestrian trails, 4 different lakes for fishing and swimming that also feature boat docks, paddle boat rentals and even a few creeks where you can attempt to kayak and canoe if the water levels are high enough. What I love most about this park is just how family-friendly and educational this experience can be for the little ones.

  Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) The most challenging hiking trails are those located on the park’s NE perimeter, just below the golf course; (2) For mi tent pitchin’ bredren, I would recommend of all the CG’s here that you try your luck out over at Wilderness CG, which has been organized more for you, otherwise, you can try the primitive area over in the SE corner of the park earmarked for Equestrian trails; (3) If you are simply looking for a convenient overnight place to park without all of the fringe benefits of paying to actually camp here at any one of the CG’s at Scott County Park, there is solid parking options at the NW corner of the park to the east of the Village Office across the street from St. Anne’s Church and Walnut Grove Pioneer Village; and (4) While there’s not much in the way of dining options in these parts, there is Park View Café, which has an excellent breakfast and decent coffee in the morning and is located outside of Scott County Park on its SW corner.

  Happy Camping!

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