O'Connell's RV Campground

You couldn’t pay me to stay in this place again. It’s a ridiculous drunk fest mad house. 11pm at night music still blaring from all over the park. People on golf carts everywhere at all hours of the night. And the day time is complete chaos. I was so afraid my toddlers were going to be hit by the golf carts, it was neither relaxing or fun. This is more of a rowdy tail gate party than a camp ground.

It appears to be mostly seasonal people and lots of tiny homes and trailers.

Now the grounds …. Never in all the years I’ve been camping have I seen so much trash everywhere. Even the pool areas were gross. Most people who camp truly respect the area. Those at this park have none. This was a theme park/party bus type of place. During the day there is music blaring from every camp site. The people across from us had loud rap music with profanity.

The water that came out the tap was brown. 🤢

The one positive thing I have to say is that the bathrooms were very clean and nice.

It's simple and incredibly easy.  Nice and compact.  From a parent's point of view, it's a no-brainer. Chock full of decent amenities.  And in the middle of nowhere.  If it weren't for all of the golf carts running through this place at high-speed by residents that have had a few too many Schlitz beers, it wouldn't be half bad.  There's a nice pond for the kiddos to fish in, and true to the Yogi Bear name, there's a ton of other arts and crafts activities for the kids to enjoy.  All the basic hook-ups and pebble-strewn driving lanes are there for the RV'er crowd to feel incredibly comfortable, but for camping purists, I would highly recommend you look elsewhere for a much less commercial spot to pitch your tent for the evening.  That said, if you do find yourself here in the north central area of Illinois, you'll find brilliant stars dangling from the night's sky, along with clean, crisp air that hangs with a touch of silky dew from the fields of fresh corn fields that encircle you.  

Insider's tip?  Just a short 1 mile hike or so south, you'll come across Leake Lake, where you can escape the crowds of would-be campers to enjoy lakeside bliss the way it was meant to be.  Here you'll catch good sized blue gill and maybe even a decent catfish or two.  There's also nearby Amboy March Nature Preserve, which is great for some decent hiking.  Depending upon the time of year of your visit, if mid-August, I would encourage you to check out the Sweet Corn Festival in nearby Mendota.  If not, I highly recommend you head south to Ladd to Rip's, where you'll enjoy the best fried chicken on the planet, along with some really great draught beers to wash it all down with.

Happy Camping!

During the week wasn’t completely full but once Friday rolled around wow all the people. We rented a golf cart was riding around all night. Great time.