Best Cabin Camping near Zion, IL

Recent Cabin Reviews near Zion, Illinois

163 Reviews of 16 Zion Campgrounds

• 

  Jenifer K.

  Guide

  

  May. 10, 2019

  Fish Lake Beach Camping Resort

  sort of like summer camp

  We stayed for 4 nights in June in a pull thru FHU. The mosquitos were pretty vicious... a couple of the regulars said it was the worst they'd been in years. We biked around the campground during the days and took advantage of the adult only hot tub hours at night. It was a nice getaway from Chicago.

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 13, 2024

  Northwoods RV Resort

  New Campground Scent Emanates From this Freshly Minted RV Outpost

  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!

• 

  Yang L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 5, 2022

  Camp Reinberg

  Five stars for great amenities and easy accessibility

  10min away from my home, this is a ideal getaway place for Chi-town people. Camp sites are all flattened and mulched but not too spacious. You cannot pull your vehicle by the site but they provide wagons and staffs are willing to help. They have cabins as an option too. Btw, nice fire-spitting show at the pavilion!

• 

  Susan T.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 5, 2021

  Thousand Trails Pine Country

  Pine Country campground

  It's a nice park, nice good size pool, no jacuzzi, small play ground with a jumping pad. Pond for catch and release fishing. Only bad thing which isn't that bad, the roads in park are large gravel rock and the dust is awful. The people that work in the office are very nice, helpful. We will stay again!

• D

  Darren L.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 30, 2019

  Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resort at Caledonia

  Christmas light show

  We go at least once a year to see the Christmas lights. A great little after work trip on a Friday to cure the kiddos cabin fever a bit.

• 

  Katie A.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 29, 2023

  Camp Reinberg

  Great little camp ground!

  Loved everything about this place. The staff is so helpful, well maintained, nice trail system. We tent camped on site #1 and would definitely book that spot again. We also came back last weekend and stayed in one of the large cabins- game changer in the winter! It’s a perfect spot for a weekend away from Chicago, will definitely be back.

• K

  Kara G.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 22, 2018

  Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

  Boaters dream

  There is nowhere to swim here, they have multiple camp sites, a couple of group sites and a few cabins to rent. There is a concession area, however it is a moderate hike to get to from the campground area. This campground would be best for those who want to spend their time fishing, kayaking, or paddle boarding as it is connected to the fox river.

• 

  Addison G.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 23, 2024

  Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

  Awesome choice for campers on a budget

  These campsites are as low as $12/night!! One of my favorite spots to test new gear. Family friendly. There’s some small trails around as well that are beginner. There was electricity, however those sites are $25/night. Bathrooms could’ve been cleaner but we were grateful for the facility which doubled as a storm shelter. There’s indoor showers and bathrooms. There are also cabins at this campsite, not sure on pricing tho

• 

  Kristy G.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Camp Reinberg

  Small camp sites, but fantastic facilities and trails, close location

  For nature that's close to civilization, Deer Grove Forest Preserve is the best. While the camp sites are small, the amenities are super clean and the rentable cabins are as well. The trails through the grounds are varied and long--you can find something to suit just about any preference for suburban midwest hiking. There are plenty of paved trails as well as dirt, lots of fun little off-shoots into the woods, creeks run throughout, and there's even a little up-and-down thanks to ice age glaciers.

• 

  Gina L.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2018

  Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resort at Caledonia

  Good for kids, but expensive

  Yogi Bear campground is a nice, clean campground. Rental options and the big pool are wonderful. I can’t afford to go there often though because it is pricey.

• 

  Brian O.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 17, 2024

  Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

  Fine camping in Northern Illinois

  We stayed in the Turner lake south loop, which has nice and private sites. This is in contrast to Honeysuckle hollow which is open and row after row of RV sites. Fox den and Prairie view loops are nice as well with mostly primitive sites. Be aware that the map on www.ExloreMoreIL,com(where you make your reservations) doesn't show where the restrooms are. In the Turner loop, the pit toilets are next to the path to the fishing pier, while the showers and full restrooms are between Turner and Fox den, there is a short path between sites 60& 61. Facilities are clean and well lit. Fire pits are slightly raised steel troughs with a heavy adjustable grill. This is a BIG park, the campgrounds are two miles from the front gate, and it's a drive to the main boat launch at Maple Grove, where you have access to the Fox River and Grass lake. This location has a huge parking lot for boat trailers, a very well stocked general store with fishing supplies, a cafe, boat rentals and good firewood. To get away from the crowd if you're a canoeist or kayaker it's nicer to leave the park and go back in at Oak Point picnic area and boat launch at the northern border. This will put you on the Fox river with developments to the north(including a bar& grill) or to the south which is all nature. I think the distance by boat between the two launches is 4-5 miles, but I'm not sure, Halfway there you'll meet up with the Goldfinch trail which is the shortest loop and the most diverse in term of flora. There are horse/ snowmobile trails, but no equestrian campground. Chain o' Lakes is one of the busiest waterways in Illinois, with motorboats everywhere in the height of the summer season. We canoe, and both times we stayed there it was October, so I can't tell you how crowded, but the vast number of picnic areas must be there for a reason. An odd thing is that you can hear a Steam Train whistle quite often, this is from Richardson's Adventure Farm in Spring Grove. We don't have kids so we went to Stade's Farm& Orchard(which is also large and kid friendly) because they have an orchard and vegetable market. One last thing, the gates close at 10:PM and there are tire shredders, you can leave but you can't get back in… unless you want to walk 2+ miles in the dark:)

• 

  Mitchell S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 20, 2021

  Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Family camping

  Nice quiet place to get away to. Sights are large. Good size lake for fishing or Kayaking. Large beach area for kids. Graded shallow so they can go a good distance into the water. Scuppernong trail is less than 5 minutes down hwyZZ.

• 

  Susan L.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 5, 2020

  Camp Reinberg

  Supreme suburban camping!

  This gem of a campground is run by the Cook County Forest Preserve District and the care they have for it shows! There are pavilions, air conditioned/heated dining hall, shower building, restrooms (seriously the cleanest I’ve ever seen, even the ceilings were cleaned!) and cabins, along with tent sites and 5 RV sites, 2 of which are paved. The other 3 are gravel pads. They all have electric and the camp hosts will pull the hose over to the site in order to do a water fill up. This makes it very convenient to refill.

  I was visiting family in the city and surrounding suburbs and felt secure staying here as well as leaving my RV in this campground. There is a gate that is closed at 10pm every night and opened again in the morning. The campground is centrally located to the major roads (Quentin/NW Hwy) and about 10 minutes from the Palatine Metra train station. So there is the smallest amount of road noise, but after rush hour I didn’t notice it.  It's a short trip to get groceries or whatever you need in Palatine, but there’s also a little camp store.

  The campground provides easy access to hiking and bike trails directly in the park and they go for miles and miles. This was a highlight for me, along with the butterflies and fireflies that put on a beautiful show. There are so many wildflowers everywhere!  I almost wasn’t going to review this place because it’s that special and I’d love to keep it all to myself. It’s not easy to find a place to camp this close to Chicago, let alone someplace really great!

• 

  Landon C.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 12, 2022

  Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area

  Generators not allowed

  The campsite itself was nice and peaceful. There is a lot of nature and the recreation area itself is massive. Definitely a nice getaway. The only issue was that generators aren't allowed, so we were kind of suffering in the oppressive heat with no reprieve of the AC in our camper. There aren't many electrical hookups so it's hard to get one of those spots. Apparently no state park in Wisconsin allows generators at any time unless you have a medical need. Kind of a bummer.

• 

  Naomi M.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 3, 2017

  Honeysuckle Hollow — Chain O' Lakes State Park

  Good Starter Camping Near Chicago

  This is our go-to state park when I need to get out of Chicago for the afternoon. We camped here once as a starter trip with our two kids, since it was easy enough to go home if it all went south.

  Non-electric sites in the loop on the small fishing pond were relatively quiet, well shaded, with decent screening between sites. Easy walk to bath house adjacent the electric sites, which were jammed with RVs.

  Nice easy hiking/biking trails. Boat rentals. Stocked concesion building.

  Our kids, 4&8, really like it here. Nothing too hard or scary for my little city kiddos.

• C

  Claire S.

  Scout

  

  May. 31, 2017

  Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

  Typical State Park Campsites

  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.

• 

  Kelsey G.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 23, 2019

  Camp Reinberg

  Clean & Safe Urban Campground On County Preserve

  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.

• 

  Kelsey H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 21, 2016

  Kettle Moraine South Camping — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  a getaway all your own

  The southern unit of this park is the perfect place to go for a weekend getaway, or an extended trip! Whether you're in a tent or in a camper you can find just as much comfort as you're looking for. there's a lake with a swimming area if that's what you're looking for, not to mention a dock with great fishing. We saw a guy with a catfish the size of my forearm. There's swimming, access to almost all of the hiking trails available in kettle Moraine, and all within walking distance of where you park your tent or vehicle. There are showers, although we did not use them. And bathrooms available if that's a dealbreaker for you. We hiked and swim and sat on the dock. It's the perfect place to bring friends for a weekend or week away, or for a romantic trip, just the two of you, looking to spend some quality time in nature.

• 

  Art S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 31, 2021

  Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Large campground with a cozy feeling

  This large campground was filled up with an upcoming triathlon. Even with all these campers there is still plenty of greenery between sites to give us privacy. We didn’t feel as if we were part of such a large place - such a great experience to have a small vibe amongst many campers.

  The campground is a series of loops with a mix of electric and non electric spots. There is also a variety of shade versus sun. We saw a few people on bikes but enjoyed the lack of visual stimulation for our dog.

  The road out into the forest area of the campground was closed off to cars for the triathlon. Not to worry, a couple miles away is a great hiking trail system. It’s for skiing during the winter. They keep it one way for the skiers but summer hiking gave us freedom to do an out and back hike. We loved the solitude on the trail. It’s wide enough for our dog to walk next to us and has plenty of rolling climbs.

  This is a nice place that would be a great weekend getaway from Chicago.

• S

  Scott C.

  Guide

  

  May. 22, 2018

  Chicago Northwest KOA

  Close to Chicago

  Typical KOA. Spots are close together but also close to Chicago. Next door to the Wild West Town, which is great for kids. Also close to Illinois railway museum. Locked gate, but keycards are available if you go out.

• 

  Jeff G.

  Ranger

  

  May. 21, 2019

  Chicago Northwest KOA

  A very basic KOA

  It’s a reasonably clean campground. The spaces are tiny, open and cramped. In the pull through spaces, where we stayed, the curb side neighbor’s sewer dump was about 10 feet from our fire pit. He didn’t hook it up tight, I had to fix it for him or suffer the smell. The campground is next door to a cheesy western town attraction with “shoot outs” and a restaurant. Also about a mile from the Illinois Railway Museum. The pool was not open for the season yet so can’t comment about that, exception say it could have been less expensive to stay before the pool opens. Not much to do in the camp spaces but look at the road side of the next camper about 15 ft away.

• 

  deb K.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 23, 2022

  Chicago Northwest KOA

  Not a bad campground

  We had to leave a horrible CG to the south. Booked this site on app the day before. Which was a huge plus. This KOA has very limited full hook up sites. As far as KOA standards, it is not great. It is about an hour and half from Chicago and Milwaukee We paid for the deluxe patio site, which had no sewer. Site was not level but it had a lot of shade which was nice. Had horrible WiFi, no cable and limited reception. One bathroom and shower was nice, the other had disgusting showers. Pool was ok, but tons of kids. CG was very kid friendly, with tons for them to do. The people running the place were still COVID crazy with restrictions for check in and everything else. But what do you expect in crazy Illinois. Makes you insane, when you come from the free parts of the US.

• 

  Semaj C.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 15, 2020

  Northwoods RV Resort

  Great RV resort for “glampers”

  My wife and I have always wanted to buy an RV, but finally took the plunge this year since COVID-19 shut just about everything else down. We decided to keep it here on the recommendation of a friend who also stays here. At first, we were disappointed at the lack of amenities, but ultimately realized that once again, it was due to the pandemic. Things started to slowly open up around the 4th of July. Now, it’s our favorite place to go! The most impressive aspect in our opinion are the people. It is the nicest group of people I’ve ever been around. Everyone waves and speaks to you when they see you. When we first arrived, neighbors came from all over to help me set things up. At one point, I actually sat down because so many people were helping! Of course, we bought bottles of wine for everyone. The pros: friendly neighbors, well-maintained heated pool, full hook-ups at most sites, community center, lake, and arcade (was not open due to COVID), free included cable and WiFi (although the WiFi is spotty at best!), several playgrounds and jumpy balloon. Cons: owned/managed by Zeman, which makes it expensive, most of the year the campground had no manager, then one came, but he left a month later, not often, but sometimes music and loud noise can be heard well after quiet hours at 11pm, as I mentioned earlier, the WiFi is terrible, if you need it for work purposes, you will be disappointed,sites on the lake end of the grounds will flood if there has been a lot of rain. Overall, if you are an RVer and in the Rockford Illinois area, you MUST give Northwoods a try!

• J

  John &.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 14, 2022

  Happy Acres Kampground

  Great for families

  Staff was polite and helpful. They escort you to your spot. They hand out activity sheets for the weekend. Petting zoo, camp store, pool, lake/pond for swimming and fishing. Cell signal for ATT just one bar. No internet. Lots of full time residents. Lots of activities for kids. Pet friendly. They charge extra if you have visitors.

• 

  Gretchen G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 28, 2021

  Happy Acres Kampground

  Not the worst

  This place was fine. The staff was helpful. People were friendly. But it's kind of weird and dated. The playground equipment is questionable and the pond (for swimming?) is a very disconcerting color. There is also a pool but we were there in spring and also I probably would not have gone in that either. We didn't have any major issues though, just not as nice as any other place I've been to.

• J

  Jeffery S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 8, 2021

  Happy Acres Kampground

  First Timer's

  Pleasantly surprised after reading some of prior reviews. Quit place, staff very nice, family friendly, sites are large, plenty of things for kids to do. I would definitely come back.

• 

  Amanda K.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 15, 2020

  Happy Acres Kampground

  Crowded and Outdated

  The campground is very crowded and disorganized. The “pond” to swim in is dyed a very bright fake green color... not a healthy looking place to swim. The bathrooms are very outdated and they charge extra for showering, which is far from all the camping sites. Along one edge of campsites there is a huge cliff-sized drop off, so be cautious if camping with children. The staff is also not very friendly. One star because their campsites have water and electric. This is not a place I will go camping again.