Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Wonder Lake, IL

Absolutely beautiful, reasonable prices, electric available. Tons of restrooms, showers, laundry, and wonderful camp hosts. Huge beach area, dog park, fishing as well. Shop to buy items you may need and absolutely wonderful place. Open all year round

We love private campsites, far enough away from other campers, yet close enough to amenities. We chose a walk in site #16 which was nice but I wish we chose one a bit further in. Bathrooms where very clean. Trails are great. Pet friendly - we brought our small, quiet dogs. Dog friendly restaurant right next to the camp site.

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!

Campsites are kept up and quite clean. Some have a beautiful view of lake. Some water fountains did not work, however sinks were always working. So many little trails all throughout the campsite. Family friendly (parks, beach, pet friendly)

For years, this was our go-to campground for weekend nearby adventures. Over the years, the price has increased and at $30 per site for non-residents, it's a bit steep for tent camping for me (so I left off a star rating). 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. It's located in a beautiful wooded Dupage County Forest preserve. While the sites are pretty close together, there are a few good ones that feel more secluded. Designated chip bark tent sites are level. The grounds are very well maintained. While I didn't camp here this year, I took these photos the last weekend in October to give everyone a sense of how nice this campground could be for them. My favorite sites over the years were the ones closest to Silver Lake along the South Loop road because those sites have the best views. For privacy, my favorite site is #27 on the north loop road which makes you feel like you are alone in the woods. Other than plenty of hiking options including a big hill, the fishing is outstanding. There are lots of places along the lake and ponds to get an easy catch and release. There is also archery, a dog park, picnic areas, boat rental/ramp, and a compass course. It is a great place for families. I've brought cub scouts here and my kids' friends. Heads-up that sites 21 & 22 may not be able to see traffic on the busy Winfield Rd in the summer, but you will still hear it at those sites.

Nice large sites. gravel spot for arc/trailer. fire pit and picnic table. trails for hiking are nice, but the overall camping area isn’t very big. 100 sites only. 30 with electric. this was the first time all season that the bugs Annoyed us. the beach is about 10 feet of sand off a busy road and is not pet friendly. nice spot to stay if you want to avoid paying lake Geneva prices for a room.

We always make our first trip of the year to Rock Cut State Park. For us it's close to home, shopping and an RV dealership so it's pefect to "shake out" the camper and we can easily get anything we forgot or get stuff to repair anything that's not working. The park is very good sized with nice camping sites, pet friendly, loads of trails to hike and bike and a lake for quiet water sports, no motor boats allowed.

I've stayed here twice, both times in August (of different years), both times in Loop 1 which is the quiet loop (no pets, no radios or other noise, 24 hours a day). There are a few walk-in sites (site 16 isn't a very far walk), but most are drive-in. Most sites have hammock-able trees and are quite shady. Pit toilets are available in loop 1, otherwise you can walk to the other loop to have running water. 

Note that check-in is at Ottawa Lake - I arrived too late for check-in to be open this year (not sure if it ever was due to the pandemic), but had no issues just going to the site I'd reserved online.

This place is basically a trailer park. If you are looking for a nice family campground and you have young children - this isn’t it. Seasonal campers around us were very nice but a lot of partying going on. They have hidden charges when using a debit or credit which they don’t disclose to you. But ONLY when the older man Ed rings you up at their store. There are signs all over the campground stating dogs have to be on a leash but none were. On one occasion two big unleashed dogs ran up on me while I was walking my dog (who was responsibly leashed) and the owners had a hard time getting them to stop chasing us and barking at us. Luckily we were not hurt. Water didn’t work for the first day and when it finally worked, the pressure was horrible.  They charge for the pool or like we were told you could always swim in their little “lake” for free but it was more like a swamp. Lots of runned down campers sitting on the lots, lots of skinny stray cats & kittens trying to find food through the park. Overall, management needs to do better. Giving one star because the teenage kids that work there were very nice and professional.

I have camped in the tent section and also used the 30 amp service with our Class B van.  Plenty of sites to choose from during the week but tends to get crowded on weekends.  There are some sites out in the open and some that are totally private and secluded.  It pays to drive through the camp ground and note a couple sites that you are interested in and then book your site at the entrance during walk in days.  Once you have a couple favorites you can then book in advance online.

It does get congested and noisy on the weekends and holidays but can be a very peaceful and relaxing campground during the non-busy days.  There is obviously the lake, hiking and biking paths throughout the park, 2 camp stores, showers and plenty of restrooms scattered around the park.

Pet friendly.

I camped for two nights in Loop 1, site 21 (24-hour quiet enforced - no pets or speakers allowed). My site was pretty open, but still had nice shade and flat areas for my tent. I also hung a hammock and clothesline and had plenty of space to move about!

Five stars for the camp hosts -- so friendly and they keep the campground very clean! You can also get firewood and ice from the camp hosts, so extra points for convenience!

Hiking at Scuppernong and the Ice Age Trail are both accessible from the group camping area and/or near the showers, depending on which trails you are accessing. 

Firepits were cleaned out daily, so no soggy ashes or smoky fires :)

You could hear a bit of road noise, especially motorcycles and heavy trucks, but nothing crazy. There are also several hike-to sites that are nice as well.

We liked this site because it was on the "quiet loop." No radios or pets allowed. I'm not sure about children! :) The sites are fairly close together and the trees are sparse, but it was a beautiful site and wonderfully quiet for the long weekend over the 4th of July 2017.

You can walk over to an area that has hiking trails right out of the campsite. State park mountain biking trails are also close by, but you would need to drive to them. The showers were clean and when we used them, available. There is a playground right next to them as well.

The campsite itself had a good log-stopper so you wouldn't drive too far into the woods, great fire ring, and picnic table. We had nice flat areas for our tents.

I am not so sure I would have enjoyed myself if I'd been in another loop. The quiet was perfect!

I drove through this state park to find some great campsites for future camping; I haven't actually stayed here yet.

The purpose of sharing the following is that is difficult to figure out what are nice sites from the online reservation site. For anyone who is interested in camping here, the following sites, in my opinion, are the best campsites in terms of shade, not being flooded during a rain and privacy.

There are several camping areas in this state park, I found the most appealing sites in the Pine Woods area because it has no electricity, is a 24-hour quiet area and no pets allowed. The sites in this area generally have long driveways, more "privacy" than I've seen in many State Parks campgrounds and generous space between sites. I don't think there is a lousy site in this loop but my favorites are the following.

4

7 very private 

10 pull-through driveway 

11 private, long driveway 

12 awesome, large, private, long driveway 

14 private, long driveway 

19 a bed of pine needles to sleep on 

33 level, pine needles, room for two tents

Conveniently located next to absolutely nothing just due northwest of Fort Atkinson, you’ll love Pilgrim’s Campground for its successful delivery of (capital letters) P&Q! What I love most about this location is how they keep all the RV campers penned in up against the slight diagonal embankment, which actually provides some pretty phenomenal views of the surrounding areas (if not your next door neighbors) as well as excellent drainage and subsequently separated from the primitive TV campsites. These latter sites are placed just due southwest of the grounds and are pitched perfectly in a tree-lined meadow, encircled by freshly cut corn fields, where you’ll find no shortage of amazing animals coming to graze throughout the day (and night) from deer, raccoons, opossums and endless tag teams of squirrels. 

Because there isn’t so much around, be prepared to bring everything with you (save ice and wood, which is sold on-site). While the bathroom / shower facilities are just passable, what you are giving up in terms of creature comforts is more than made up for in the sheer proximity to all of nature. During the warm summer months, there’s a small in-ground pool on-site, which sits right in front of the main office. All of the standard camping surround-sound elements are here from fire rings and picnic tables to water, electrical (50 / 30 / 20 / 15 amp) and sewer hook-ups. In all, there’s about 100 sites here at Pilgrims Campground, with the lion’s share of this pet-friendly property dedicated to overnight and seasonal RV / 5th Wheelers offering both back-in and pull-through sites. 

Insider’s Tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you don’t mind some rough hiking, there’s fantastic ‘spazierengehen’ to be had just wandering around the countryside in the bountiful corn and bean fields or head over to nearby Dorothy Carnes County Park for some decent trails to explore; (2) In the event that you don’t like being awaken too early from all of the nearby roosters, then bring some ear plugs; (3) When you grow tired of having to forage through either your on-board RV mini-fridge or bear-proof Cordova roto-molded cooler, then look no further than ‘What’s the Point’ (no, seriously, that's the name of the restaurant!) for traditional Midwestern comfort food like corned beef & cabbage, fried fish, BBQ ribs and prime rib; (4) Should you come bearing watercraft and looking for a decent spot to dip your kayak or canoe at, then check out Rose Lake State Natural Area, which BTW is quite small, but very convenient, or try out much larger Red Cedar Lake or Lake Ripley; and (5) Cell coverage and WiFi is pretty horrific in these parts, so bring a booster or plan to leave civilization behind you. 

Happy Camping!

So this place is much less dog friendly than is advertised. Dogs aren’t allowed in large swaths of the park nor on the (tiny tiny, bordered by loud highway) beach. Lake Geneva is very pretty, but the area is obviously very wealthy and obviously geared toward retirees without dogs or with tiny dogs they leave at the RV (to bark, constantly, at their next site neighbors. Until the owners get back.)

To start: I’m an RV camper who stayed in one of the electric sites this go-around, but I’ve tent camped here in the past as well.

I’ll start with what I loved; the sites here are VERY private. You only get glimpses of your neighbors through the thick foliage. Doesn’t get much more private than this in a campground with hookups!

The bathrooms are pretty dirty (dead bugs everywhere).

Be careful about your site selection; do NOT camp along the road if you plan to be outside or you’re tent camping. I know from prior experience that it’s EXTREMELY loud at almost all times of day.

There’s a good playground and beach, but they’re a bit far from the campsites. On an extremely hot day you might want to drive rather than walk, especially with little ones.

If you’re camping with your dog you won’t find great trail access from the campground; the closest trail doesn’t permit dogs. I’d also avoid the dog beach like the plague. I didn’t see much in the way of posted rules, and people apparently had no problem bringing their untrained, unsocialized dogs. My dog was attacked by two dogs who wanted to get at her toy and the owners did nothing to stop it. My husband received a lovely bite from one of the dogs when he tried to fight them off.

This campground could be stellar with just a few tweaks. Overall I’d say it’s a decent enough place to stay when visiting Kettle and I’ll likely be back.

Always full on weekends. Popular destination for locals and people from Illinois. 4 stars because it's not the camping in nature experience I am looking for. Lots of noise. Lots of kids. Lots of dogs. It's park area is very nice. Nice playground for kids. Volleyball nets. Lots of picnic tables and grills available. Dogs not welcome in most of the park. More of a party place. But the staff is very active. They clean sites quickly, clean the bathrooms regularly.

We stayed on site 50. We were closer to our neighbors than I'd like, including the campsite behind us. The campsite behind us had a path thru it to get to the bathrooms. There was a thin layer of growth between sites but not much. Our site had a nicely placed tree providing just enough coverage but nothing stayed wet in the rain. We camped in a popup, if we had a tent I think we would have been soaked. Lots of pooling water on the backside. The campground just added new gravel to the sites and asked that all trailers and vehicles stay on the gravel but the gravel doesn't go back far enough for both car and camper to stay on.

The inner ring of the campground are smaller(shorter) sites. The outer ring sites are better for RVs. Except for site 70. That should be tent only because there are 2 trees right in the middle behind the gravel. 50, 69, 74 seemed the best for both shade and sun combo. Site 79 is paved but not marked as handicap because it isn't being maintained as handicap and is not close to the new bathrooms. Not enough sites with electric, however we didn't need it for the weekend.

Loud music, dogs constantly barking, no camp host, unleveled lots.

We decided to stay here - mostly because state parks are closed - and thought military campgrounds have an advantage over public parks.

Not this one. Most of the permanent residents had trash sprawled over their site, let their dogs run lose and didn’t curb them at all. So much so that there were was dog shit next to our power podium. What a welcome.

Needless to say I don’t think we’ll be coming back unless absolutely necessary. Oh wait. It’s not.

Oh. Wonderful views of the lake and way close to the beach on base.

For whatever reason you find yourself up here in northern Illinois, whether just entering the Land of Lincoln or fleeing to the 'nation of cheese curds' to the north (a.k.a. Wisconsin) – only 10 minutes from this natural outcrop by the way – be sure to stop by this multi-campus nature preserve camping outpost. With more than 3,000 acres of wetlands, tall grasses and protected forest preserves, Rock Cut SP packs a punch from a camping perspective as it offers up so much in such a concise area of land that has Pierce Lake perfectly placed in its center. 

The biggest problem you are likely to encounter here is exactly which of the 7 (yes, I just said 7!) campgrounds to stay at: Staghorn, Prairie View, Plum Grove, Hickory Hills, White Oak, Equestrian or Youth Group. And if 7 campgrounds aren’t enough, there’s also a single rustic cabin with electricity (mind you, no running water or even a bathroom) you can rent as well as 3 other smaller, really intimate primitive camping spots (that are actually my favorite) with the following names: Hawk, Crow and Owl, which sit along the same lane opposite the Youth Group campground on this eastern stretch just due north of the lake.  Over here, you'll also see the boat launch area.

For this particular review, I will focus my efforts on detailing Staghorn, which is the second campground (with the first campground you pass by being Prairie View) you will come across after entering Rock Cut SP from its northernmost entrance, with Highway 173 to the west and Harlem Road to the east. Once you enter the park, you will follow the long winding nicely paved roadway until you begin seeing the signs highlighting where to go for the various campgrounds. Once you access this road, you’ll come across a small building with a smiling SP ranger inside where you will register, after which, you will pass by a designated dump station before coming around a small bend where you will take your second right (careful: taking that first right will have you driving into Staghorn the wrong way!). 

The sites begin with #300 and as you circumnavigate the simple circular loop, you will pass by about 2 dozen or so slots that are nice flat paved slots perfect for just about any RV or 5th Wheel. You will note that the odd numbered sites are on the exterior while the even numbered sites are located on the interior of the loop. There are two his / her restrooms located at Staghorn with the first being placed behind the campground host sites (#302 and#304) at the beginning of the loop, while the second is strategically placed towards the end of the loop behinds sites #324 and #326. At the end of the loop there is also a designated trash area just past site #331. To access the shower, you will need to go back to the main road and hike it down the road with your towel and toiletries, which makes the latter sites (#318+) more attractive for their convenient location to the bathhouse (if that’s important to you). 

As far as amenities go, Rock Cut SP offers up an awful lot (if the 7 campgrounds weren’t enough to help you arrive at that conclusion). In addition to all of the camping options, of course, one of the greatest assets here is the very massive Pierce Lake, which is great for fishing, boating, kayaking and swimming. In the Staghorn campground specifically, in addition to restroom and waste disposal, you’ll also have access to running water spigots at each site along with running electric. A single amphitheater is located centrally just past the camp store and before reaching the Hickory Hills campground. While I'm at it, this camp store in the middle of Rock Cut SP is just decent (not amazing) and offers up ice, firewood, ice cream, snacks, games, limited groceries and a number of other sundries you might need while camping. In all, there are 5 shelters that have electricity, water and restrooms nearby, with each shelter available by reserving them well in advance. Two of the shelters (Red Oak and Puri Crest) also have children’s playgrounds nearby. To launch your watercraft, you’ll have to head south to Hickory Hills campground where on the eastern side of this area you’ll be able to find the boat launch. To make a reservation either to camp or rent out a shelter, you’ll have to visit the ExporeMoreIL site to make a reservation. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) IMHO the best sites here in Staghorn are those that are positioned on the exterior of the loop and located furthest from the main road, for the obvious reasons being less traffic, less noise and more privacy. As such, odd-numbered sites from #301 to #319 are the best spots as they deliver peace & quiet, privacy and thus an intimate nature experience; (2) Once you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your onboard RV fridge, fret not, and just head out of the park where you will find a handful of dining options, including: Tom& Jerry’s, Fresh Start Café, Waffle Shop, Golden Chopsticks Buffet, Sunrise Family Restaurant, Beef-A-Roo (in fact, there’s like 4 of these that the park is surrounded by, so apparently they are very popular), but one of my absolute favorites is Pig Minds Brewery Company, which is, surprisingly, a Vegan joint, but one nonetheless that you can grab a number of seriously astonishingly awesome brews; (3) If you are on the prowl to see some of the most amazing animals that call northern Illinois their home, then you’ve hit the wild animal jackpot with easy viewing of white-tailed deer, red foxes, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, woodchucks and beavers; (4) But because there are so many wild animals out here, be sure to keep your domesticated pets on a leash (as its a requirement here at Rock Cut SP); and (5) If you would like to experience a bit of Illinois history, you could go for a nice long drive to the northwest corner of Illinois where you can experience Galena or if you don’t have enough time for that, then just head south of Rock Cut SP to check out Midway Village Museum. 

Happy Camping!

It was a great way point on our travels. Convenient - right off the highway. Late checkin and easy communication.

Lots of dogs so be prepared for early morning barking.

Pros: great hiking trails, nice lake to kayak on, family friendly beach and picnic areas

Cons: Not great fishing, no dog friendly swim area, the beach/fishing pier/boat launch are all pretty far from the campsites. There is a hiking trail down to it, but when bringing a bunch of beach gear/kid toys it’s much easier to throw it all in the car and drive down there.

We have been to Bong a few times and this site was by far the best we’ve stayed at. Evenly sunny/shaded. Not overly buggy. Couldn’t see the people in the sites next to us. Had a flat, grassy area for the tent. It also had a couple mature trees to attach the dog’s zip line to.

This park has a fair amount of trees throughout which gives a greater sense of privacy than most state parks. As usual, the facilities were well maintained and the park was clean. The beach was great for morning walks but that draw makes it seem that this park is probably packed in the summer. Location of hiking trails from campsite isn't super clear but head south for the longest trails. If it's been raining a lot I'd be wary as many of the sites were completely underwater when we went. It's a great place to take your dog with you! (Beware if they have long hair though, the pine trees meant I had to cut sap out of my dog's hair in several places.)

Great areas for camping and many sites to choose from. They have many kid and dog friendly activities to participate in. Offer water activities; paddle boating is a blast. Beautiful park overall.