Best Tent Camping near Thomson, IL

We were so happy with the size of the tent camping sites. They were mostly all flat, plenty of space and gave privacy from the neighbors. We were at site 28 which had both sun and shade. Right across from the pit toilets which I wouldn’t pick next time. There was no shower house or running water in the loop we were at. Across the street were the electric rv sites and a few tent sites. Only compliant is even from the middle of the campground we could hear the road noise. Otherwise great!

Two main camp grounds. Main rv/ tent camp ground has clean pit toilets and well maintained sites. Primitive camp ground on the east side of the main entrence is very basic yet spaced far enough apart to have some privicy

We tent camped in the Shady Rest Loop. The B sites (we were B-36) are a strip on one side on the loop. It’s mostly RVs and a shower facility is close by. You get shower access with the B tent sites. They have reserve and walk up. There is a fairly big road that can be noisy. There are tent sites across the road but we did not check them out. Loredo Taft sculpted the large Blackhawk statue on the river (also sculpted the alma mater at U if I). There are some wide hiking trails, very shaded. AT&T got decent cell service in camp. The camp host will sell you firewood. Wed-Sun they have a snack shop with hot dogs and ice cream type stuff. There are volleyball and basketball court, playground and lots of open space if you like to use for games. Fishing is a bit tough from the shore. If you had a boat it might be easier to put in and fish off some of the islands in the river. Water quality from the pumps seemed good. The camp ground is pretty open, so if you are looking for more secluded sites, this might not be for you. That said, aside from the road, it was pretty quiet but we camped mid week. The B sites in this loop were a bit slanted. And our site, B-36 was across the road from the streetlight, our car blocked it pretty well so not a if deal for us. A video of the loo and some pics of the sites are included. Enjoy your camping!

We tent camped at site 37. This site has a nice mix of shade and sun and the back had a water faucet. 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. No showers on site. One loop of the tent sites are able to be reserved and the other loop is first come, first served. There are short trails with some steep climbs, not wide paths so bring bug spray and tick tools! The river that cuts through is small but picturesque. Picnic areas are plentiful near the water. Caught two tiny bass and a trout. No firewood on site, but multiple homes on the drive in had $5 self serve bundles for sale. This site is a dark skies site, so if it’s not overcast or full moon there is some good stargazing. AT&T cell service is mostly nonexistent in camp, but kicks in as you head out, so plan your research ahead of time. Attached are some shots of some sites from the road

We absolutely love the quaintness of Apple River. The sites are secluded and provide privacy. Great spot for quiet tent camping. Not a big commercialized campground. Dog friendly too, at no extra charge. Very affordable camping!

Nice long trail, friendly people, and a cute little ice cream shop that was a lifesaver after a long hike. Beautiful scenery, firewood available for $6 a bundle, water, electricity and fairly clean bathrooms with showers. We tent camped for $20 a night.

Pro: it's only $10 to tent camp.

Facilities are clean.

Con: it's state Park camping. For someone who prefers a more primitive camping style, it's a bit jarring to have no privacy between sites that are packed in tight together. But for $10, it still beats a hotel.

Large RV site with electrical and water hook-up at each spot. Office is open Mon-Sat til 8 pm. They sell firewood. You are right on the Mississippi and that ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Tent camping also allowed. You are near the train tracks but the noise is barely discernible.

Tent camped here in late April. The solo camp ground can be a little hair-raising as it’s perched about 20 feet from the edge of the canyon wall. Beautiful setting, great fishing (stocked trout in April, Smallmouth all year).

Quick Tip: Bring sandals for wet wading in the creek. Head upstream for a 1/4 mile for really awesome views.

Miller River is a good urban campground, as it is tucked away from the city but still within 5 minutes of downtown. Its location on the river is very nice, and the tent sites are set apart from the RV area, which I appreciated. Upon check-in, the workers were friendly and helpful. The bathrooms are clean and fine. And it is inexpensive, at about$15 a night for a tent site. Now to the negatives. Unfortunately, most of what we found negative is out of the control of the campground itself; it's simply the location. Ambient noise includes auto traffic of speeding cars coming over the nearby highway bridge, and loud semi-trucks that are air-braking as they come into town. Also, multiple trains rumbled by the campground across the river, many blowing their horns repeatedly as they passed at all hours of the night. Finally, and somewhat hilariously, there is a greyhound dog racetrack within a few hundred feet of the tent sites. It's mostly unnoticeable until you hear the dogs. When we stayed there the dogs were let out early in the morning, around 7 am, into a big open fenced area. They all barked and whined and yelped together, a giant pack of hounds disturbing our sleep after a night of the aforementioned noise. Overall, this campground could be a good choice if noise does not bother you much, or if you have good earplugs. Avoid it probably if you are sensitive to noise or a light sleeper.