Best RV Parks & Resorts near Waukegan, IL

Great for the times that we have to work weekends and still want to go camping. 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. The only big minus is the full hook ups fill up fast no spur of the moment camping unless it is early or late in the season. The other thing is ALL Illinois State Parks are now enforcing a no alcohol policy even if you are on your own site.

The state park is larger than expected with decent amenities (boat rentals, concessions, relatively clean pit toilets) and areas designated for trailer camping and tent camping.

We stayed in the Turner South Loop, one of the older tent camping loops, and the age definitely showed. Most of the sites on this loop are pretty worn, with not much privacy. We stayed in T10, but would consider T9 if we returned to this loop for a different reserved site. The prairie loop looked a bit newer with bigger, less worn sites. Both loops had grill pits that were well-maintained for fires and campfire cooking.

Trails were geared more towards horses and bikes, but there are plenty of walking paths, and we were able to find some hidden trails along the lake (read: unofficial). Overall, a place for relaxing and leisurely strolls and not hiking.

My 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!

We stayed at State Fair RV Park in Milwaukee for two months while waiting to retire and work out bugs in our new RV. The park was all cement, it was clean and quiet. Laundry and shower facilities were kept very clean as well. There were plenty of grassy areas to take our dog out to potty. The Park is close to many restaurants and shopping. It is also the only RV park in Milwaukee.

It was a small RV park had a concert pad but not big enough for a 43 ft motor home. The site was 60 ft, but the whole site was not concrete. We were there for one night, it rained and the whole site had puddles around it. I do understand that it is a RV site but we stayed at others that were not concrete pad and did not flood this much. It was extremely muddy. Water was very. None of the sites had sewage, the dump station was about a mile down the road. They have a few 50 amp lots. We did not have one. The site had I would call it an out house. I did not see a bath house with showers. The out house only had a toilet, no sink for hand washing. The location was right on the water so that was nice. Other than that I was not impressed.

love this park, decent bathrooms, quick walk to the beach and affordable for a quick weekend. electric only and they have reservable sites along with walk in only. lots of things for the kids to do in the area as well. There is a free Dinosour museam in Kenosha, and the Jelly Belly Factory has a tour nearby. We will often stop at Great America on our way home as they have RV parking which makes good use of our sunday

love this park, decent bathrooms, quick walk to the beach and affordable for a quick weekend. electric only and they have reservable sites along with walk in only. lots of things for the kids to do in the area as well. We will often stop at Great America on our way home as they have RV parking which makes good use of our sunday. Also lots to do in Kenosha. They have a free dinosaur museum which was fun for the kids as well

Perfect campground for what it is! Big paved parking lot with full hookups. Very close to downtown, right off of interstate. Clean facilities. We were visiting family downtown and it was very convenient.

Great for RV camping but not quiet a bit ! Like being in a noisy city! 👎🏼

really a parking lot for Rv camping off an interstate. very loud and not family place but good for over night.

This campground is very well maintained with all the amenities you could need: a small camping store, communal kitchen, firepits, and clean bathrooms. Check out the office for fun seasonal events like group hikes and geocaching contests. 

Located in the Norwest suburb of Palatine, this campground is super accessible from Chicago and a fun getaway for suburban camping. Grocery stores and modern conveniences are minutes away. From the campground you have access to the entire Deer Park preserve and it's paved cycling and walking trails.

Cook County residents get a nice discount, as do veterans. Rates go up on the weekends. A one week limit for all stays unless you get approval from higher-ups. 

RV spots are concrete, flat, and easy to get into. 

Overall, a very clean and well-loved sem-urban camping experience.

The Pinewoods Campground is an odd mix. The comfort station (ie flush toilets with sinks and baby changing station) and shower facility is well maintained and centrally located to the camp ground with nearby playground, field area, and a little free library. The bathrooms located closest to the campsites are pit toilets that are lit at night, toilet paper provided, and hand sanitizer. The individual campsites are good sized (some with electric hookup for RVs) with dirt/pine needle ground instead of gravel areas which are more comfortable for tents. The tall trees keep the area shaded and cool even on hot summer days. The shade limits ground growth which pro - limits mosquitoes, but con - leaves clear eye-lines from one site to the neighbors. Kettle Moraine Forest - South as a park area has miles of trails for hiking, biking, skiing, and horse back riding. But individual trail areas are spread miles apart and driving or biking between sites is often required.

Overall its a great area for families or inexperienced/unsure campers but if you're looking to get out into nature and away from civilization this isn't the place for you. Also if you are a family with young children then loop 1 (campsites 1-36) which is a 24hour quiet zone should not be your first choice.

Sites are medium sized. We had full hookup which was nice. Plenty of things to keep kids busy. Store has lots of stuff and necessities. Was alittle more expensive than some other places but they had a large variety within. Staff all seemed to be new and weren't all on the same page half the time. They charged $8-12 for visitors which was ridicules. 70 year old people had to pay $13 because they might use their facilities.