We decided to spend the weekend here because I had a client meeting at sunrise the first morning of our stay in downtown Chicago. It saved me making a 3 hour drive the morning of. When we got here, we realize the electric sites on the right side of the bathhouse were in full sun, but the staff member graciously allowed us to switch sites to a more shaded area. I will say I was at the main office for 20 minutes or more before my fiancé could track down a staff member to check us in. Their phones do not forward to a cell or anything so calling the office was pointless.

The campsites are TINY. We were in a modest pop up and still felt crowded. I supposed this would be a great camping area for anyone living in the city needing an escape, but as far as campgrounds go it was about 3x the price for less than half the space.

The bathhouses are newer and kept fairly clean. I don’t think they’re checked everyday though because the ladies stalls were out of toilet paper our second morning. The water pressure in the showers was so-so, but there was no hot water.

There is a dish washing station on the outside of the bathhouse, but don’t get excited because it isn’t turned on - rendering it useless.

The safety issues have me seriously concerned.

1.) The handicap shower drain is clogged, making the floor extremely slippery from soap scum of previous showers. Gross! The stall also doesn’t lock so it swings right open. I had to use my hair tie to keep it closed. The lock on the main door to the bathhouse doesn’t lock, so if you want to shower at night it’s a little sketchy.

2.) They lock the gates (both of them!) to the campground with a PADLOCK at night until 7 in the morning! I had to search for someone to let me out for my meeting. What if there was an emergency? An ambulance would have had to rush the gate.

Overall, I wouldn’t waste the money on this campground.

We are so fortunate to have this campground in our back yard - only 20 minutes away. The host is super friendly and accommodating, the bathhouse and flushing toilets were always clean, and with it being a smaller campground it was always quiet. They said they clean and sanitize the bathrooms daily and I believe it.

They keep it well maintained and the grounds manicured, cutting down in bugs quite a bit. I loved that between some of the camp sites, they left a patch of prairie to act as a privacy barrier. If you camp on the west side, towards the open prairie, you’ll have a great breeze most of the day!

There is a playground at the park entrance, pavilion for rent to host parties, and trails both on the camping side and across the road near the historic Bethel School House. You can walk down along the river bank for shade or on the mowed path within the open prairie.

We quickly fell in love with Friend’s Creek and will definitely be back.