Looking for an adventure where you can explore Topeka and then fall asleep in your tent? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Topeka campgrounds for you and your tent. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Topeka, Illinois's most popular destinations.
$8 - $12 / night
A Class D (primitive) camping area is located between Alta and Dunlap in the Kickapoo Creek Recreation Area and accessible only by trail. Facilities include pit toilets, fire pads, picnic tables, a picnic shelter and water. There is a self-pay camping station located off Fox Road at the overnight parking lot.
$6 / night
Legend
This is a beautiful, off-the-beaten path ‘no frills’ campground that comes very close to being called primitive, yet offers water pit privies and a designated sanitary dump station in addition to in-ground fire rings with fold-up BBQ grills along with decent standard-issued picnic tables. You’ll discover that the entire camping area is blessed with really great shade provided by native cottonwood, silver maple and willow trees. The land is relatively flat making for great level locations to pitch your tent or set up your trailer for an overnighter.
Shortly after meandering down the weaving gravel country lane that will lead you to the tree-lined entrance of the park, where before hitting the bend that will take you north to the actual campground, you’ll see a concrete fort-like structure that serves as a spot to gut & clean your fish, which is definitely a bonus. If you continue west past this structure, you’ll likely pass about 100 trucks with empty trailers, which have already deposited their boat cargo into the nearby confluence of fresh water where the Illinois River converges with Meadow Lake and Babb Slough.
As for the campground, there’s approximately 20 scattered sites that are easily marked by the single picnic table and fire ring that each site is issued. There’s a rather large covered community pavilion perfect for an afternoon picnic or a family BBQ. The rather large open expanse of Woodford SFWA features scattered restrooms with at least half of those closed due to needing repair. Surrounding the park and further afield, which makes for a decent hiking experience, are 3 miles of hiking trails marked by levees where you’ll see no shortage of waterfowl like wood ducks and Canadian geese.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) While most of Illinois is low-lying, you will want to make particular note of this as you’re encamped next to a river that can (and often does) flood, so be sure you know what the weather conditions have been for the previous few weeks as well as what is likely to happen during your stay, which you can accomplish by calling the park ahead of time at+1.217.782.6302; (2) This location is quite popular with local fishermen and gets absolutely jam-packed, particularly on the weekends, so don’t be surprised by a long parade of F150s hauling their boats on trailers that begin entering the park as early as 5am; (3) You will want to keep in mind that this entire area is prime hunting ground, whether that’s on foot trekking deer or on the water shooting migrating fowl, so if the sound of gunfire bothers you, bring ear plugs, and if you plan on hiking during hunting season, where some BRIGHT orange; (4) If you haven’t camped out here in central Illinois during the summer, you will want to bring good DEET spray to keep the ticks away as well as hard-core smoke or scent-fused candles that are peppermint, eucalyptus or lavender-scented to keep the gnats at bay; and (5) There is VERY little out in these parts that will offer up dining options, but if you don’t mind a short drive, then head back north on Route 26 to Midway Duck Inn for some delicious buttermilk-brined pan fried chicken, corn fritters and full filets of panko-encrusted catfish.
Happy Camping!
Guide
I have camped at this park several times over the last few years. Especially like winter truck camping here. The pit toilets are always available in the winter, and I usually have the park to myself. There’s a small fishing pond off the road a bit. The trails will be closed for deer season though. I enjoy riding my bike around the park and down to the actual college. There is a really old cemetery at the college if you just want to creep yourself out at night.
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Scout
Met up with family to fit in one last night of tent camping for the year. They didn’t really take reservations and the pricing shifted on us (quoted $75 for 6 adults 4 kids over email, then $10 per person when we actually showed up) so that was a bit weird but I’m not too concerned bc it was still a great deal. This is basic campground—flush toilets/showers and 3 cabins available but no other amenities unless you include water/electric hookups. I couldnt tell where the primitive tent sites were bc the map online doesn’t quite line up with what we saw there. You’d come here to relax around the fire, play some outdoor games, maybe do a little walking, and that’s about it. It was just what we were looking for. Some people looked like they were going to try to fish but the water in the fishing area was low which makes me wonder if it gets really buggy in the summer. We were on 2 huge pull-thru sites with just our 2 tents and we were the only tent campers I saw—maybe 1/3 of other sites had RVs. Some seemed to be permanent so not sure if that is common? Views of the river were great, kindling was plentiful, and it was SO QUIET and peaceful at night! I usually don’t sleep the first night of camping because my brain has to tune in to the new noises but we got some good rest even with temps dipping down to 45. Would love to come back in the summer for longer.
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Traveler
Stopped here overnight in late August. Only a few other campers on a Sunday so nice and quiet. Typical midwest tent camping on dirt, lots of mosquitoes, pit toilets.
Guide
Praire Lake Campground has 3 facilities on the lake. FAMILY camp for Rv, Tentand cabins. 1. 84 sites with Electric or 19 have FHU. 2. Primitive Camp has seven three-sided shelters to camp near or in for a fee of $6 per night 3. Group camp area. A separate location has the equestrian campground, Questing Hills, with 51 electric sites.
GuideExcellent campground for those who want to relax and have quiet time. Nature trails are nicely groomed and mowed. Not a lot of amenities for families with young kids but bring your own corn hole bags and badminton. Nice for adults who want some peace and quiet.
Guide
Love to swim in the pool, play in the bags tournaments, enjoy the fundraiser in July for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, mini golf, basketball and theme weekends. My favorite is the chili cook off and Halloween weekends are a blast!!
Guide
They are spending a lot on this campground. New restrooms, traveled all pads, trimmed trees, new playground equipment. It is a hidden gem. If you are on I 74 great place to stay. We will be back. A lot of events scheduled. Cabins being put in.
GuidePeaceful campground, well maintained, beautiful views of the Upper Peoria Lake/Illinois River. We enjoyed a nice pull-through full hookup site that required minimal leveling. Water has a lot of iron so does smell/taste weird.
Scout
Friendly staff. Kayak and Pontoon to rent. Trails go all over the entire park! Clean showering facilities. Our furnished cabin faced the lake it was an incredible view. We had fun fishing and sitting by the campfire in the evenings. Overall definitely worth the 5 stars!!!! Thanks Ryan and all of the staff out there! We will revisit soon.
Guide
Great place for kids. Decent little parks. Huge slide in the holler. Spots are kind of cramped and close together, one of our favorite places though!
Guide
Pleasant campground with 2 loops. Clean bathrooms with showers. Choice of full hookup or just electric on outer perimeters of each loop. Small fishing lake. 2 campground host sites with wood and ice for sale.
TravelerWe have been here 3 Xs over the pas years as a stop over while traveling. They only have vault toilets, but clean. This time no water due to water break.issue. just a nice place on a beautiful lake. Nice for bird watching.
Guidehttps://camp.exploremoreil.com/ 84 electric RV sites all reservable except 21 First Come sites. 18 sites are full hookup. Several 50 amp sites but majority are 30 amp. Modern Shower house and 7 Vault toilet buildings. Newer Campground so Shade Trees are smaller still. Have camped here 4 times past 3 years. Like the quite agricultural Illinois environment but suggest shopping for your needs prior to leaving larger cities as most of the few small towns are limited to a Bar and Dollar store.
Traveler
On the state fairgrounds just off gate 10 or 11. Very large number of spaces…older bathrooms/ showers but very clean. All spaces seem to have electricity and water.
GuideWe always leave late on the first day of a trip and get stressed. This was an easy 3/4 day trip from our house and a great place to relax. Great thick grass carpet spots if you want.Great level paved pads if you want.Friendly checking , friendly security driving around all night. Lots of showers, mine was good and hot. Some traffic noise All kinds of open spots if it isn’t fair week. Don’t just show up fair week.
Traveler
Small. Quiet. Pretty. Two small lakes with fountains. You can hear the fountains at night, it's nice. Excellent price for tent camping.
ScoutBeautiful views. Great sites. Excellent communication from the manager. We got a pull-through site in the middle. We brought our two dogs and they loved this place. Our kids did too. No there's no playground, but our 7 and 8 year old girls loved this place. No there's no pool. It was very quiet and peaceful. Every day the manager and his crew were working on maintaining the grounds. The only complaint - there's no sign on the bathroom/shower house! Please put up a sign! (It's right next to the office, but you cannot tell it's a bath house because it looks just like the cabins next to it. There's no signs to tell you where the dumpster is either. Ask Don - he's very friendly and accommodating. Oh, the water. Like the other reviewers stated, the water is not for drinking. Bring cases of bottled water. But the water is fine for showering or other things. Even with water filters, it is still brown. I'm guessing that is because of the river. Good luck finding a site with no shade. There's mature trees everywhere! Also, it was very quiet and peaceful. The showers and bathrooms are amazing! Very clean. We'll be back!
GuideAlways a great experience at spring lake. Fishing, boat rentals, convenience store and shower house are all great. Beautiful and we’ll maintained.
Traveler
I came to this campground because of a local event where I knew I was going to be gone a decent amount of time, but also have some down time. This place was perfect for my needs. I got a full hookup site, easy access, extremely quiet. Great views at the opposite side of the campground from where I was. Looks like lots of "permanent" sites mixed with regular turnover. Also looked like a lot of sites were occupied by people working in "traveling" industries, where this place was their temporary home. I would come back again for a similar situation, but the playground is very minimal, so I wouldn't come back with my kid.
Scout
Close to the interstate, good gravel spots with full hookups. Nice bathrooms and showers
TravelerVery open place. Great spots to fish, and everything here is shaded.
ScoutThe showers were clean. Campsites are close together, but not to busy while I was there. Reasonable. Staff friendly. Security regularly drove around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Topeka, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Topeka, IL is Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Topeka, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Topeka, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
