Nelson Dewey State Park Campground
Steph P.The Dyrt PRO User
Reviewed Oct. 9, 2022

Walk-in sites or bust!

We stayed in walk-in site C, which the furthest site from the parking lot. Arrive before dark!! The wheelbarrows provided are a lifesaver, the trail to the site is manageable until the last 50 feet, which is steep and rocky.

It is a smaller site and mostly slanted so we had to use our backpacking tent (90"x70") on the small patch that's sort of level, as our car camping tent (10'x14') was entirely too huge.

The views are stunning. There was a pair of bald eagles in a nest down by the river - bring binoculars!

HUGE caveat - this site sits on a ridge above a county highway and freight train tracks. There are also train tracks on the other side of the river. When trains are blowing their horns miles away, the sound carries. When they go past the site, it's incredibly loud! I was amazed at the racket - we live in Chicago on a busy street, a block from the L and the Metra tracks. 

Bring ear plugs, trains rolled through until just after midnight and started up around 5am (that I noticed anyway).

While Site C is incredibly difficult to reserve (best dates I could find were a Mon-Wed in October which I booked in APRIL), it's worth the views and the privacy.

Site D is the first of the four walk-ins, huge, level, has a wide view, and  a bend in it's trail so isn't exposed. A great choice if C is booked.

Site A is next, least amount of privacy, medium sized, looked level. Sites B was occupied our entire time there so wasn't able to check it out, but it's a bit more private.

Pit toilet by the walk-in sites was as nice as pit toilet gets, it even has a urinal. Water is conveniently located near the parking.

Shower house with flush toilets was really nice, 2-3 shower stalls and 4 toilets. No pay, just have to push the button over and over since the water only stays on for 10 seconds.

The electric and non-electric sites are well spaced and on the larger side. A nice campground overall.

For supplies and firewood, I recommend the Okey Market. It's convenient and has everything you need, huge beer cave too. If you want some local flavor, stop into the Silver Spigot Saloon, cheap beer, tasty fries, and they have a dog-friendly patio.

SiteWalk-in Site C
Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Nelson Dewey State Park Campground by Steph P., October 9, 2022
  • Review photo of Nelson Dewey State Park Campground by Steph P., October 9, 2022