Learn about camping on the dozens of attractive lakes and reservoirs throughout the Prairie State. Know the best places to park your camper—whether it’s on banks of rivers, in the deep woods, or out on the open prairie. Camping Illinois highlights 180 of Illinois’ most scenic public campgrounds, all operated by federal, state, and local agencies (public campgrounds are typically more scenic and more affordable than private campgrounds). Dozens of campgrounds in the book offer walk-in camping options for those who wish to escape the hubbub.

For each campground listed you’ll get the lay-of-the-land with plenty of information about the terrain: Is it flat or rolling, wooded or open? You’ll learn about nearby hiking trails, historic attractions, local towns, and loads of crucial details like costs, campground amenities, and driving directions combined with GPS coordinates. Campgrounds are easy to locate because they are organized into both primary regions and sub-regions throughout the state.

Scroll down for the compete table of contents for Camping Illinois.

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Bulgers Hollow Campground

Camping Illinois

Introduction
–How to Use this Book
–Conscientious Camping
–Getting Geared Up
–Safety

Northern Illinois

The Rockford Area

Hononegah Forest Preserve
Pecatonica River Forest Preserve
Rock Cut State Park
Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve
Sugar River Forest Preserve
Sumner Park

The Rock River and Freeport Area

Apple River Canyon State Park
Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park
Lowden State Park
Prophetstown State Park
White Pines State Park

The Mississippi River

Blanding Landing Recreation Area
Bulger’s Hollow
Fisherman’s Corner
Illiniwek Forest Preserve
Lock and Dam 13
Mississippi Palisades State Park
Thomson Causeway Recreation Area

The Illinois River and the Hennepin Canal

Green River State Wildlife Area
Hennepin Canal Lock 11
Hennepin Canal Lock 17
Hennepin Canal Lock 21
Hennepin Canal Lock 22
Hennepin Canal Lock 23
I&M Canal Trail: Buffalo Rock State Park
Morrison Rockwood State Park
Starved Rock State Park

Chicagoland

Blackwell Forest Preserve
Burnidge Forest Preserve
Chain O’ Lakes State Park
Channahon State Park
Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area
Gebhard Woods State Park
Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve
Hammel Woods Forest Preserve
I&M Canal Trail: Aux Sable Aqueduct to Seneca
I&M Canal Trail: Channahon
Illinois Beach State Park
Kankakee River State Park
McKinley Woods Forest Preserve
Marengo Ridge Conservation Area
Messenger Woods Forest Preserve
Shabbona Lake State Park
Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area

The Great Prairie

The Bloomington-Champaign Area

Clinton Lake State Recreation Area
Comlara County Park
Friends Creek Regional Park
Gibson City South Park
Livingston County Fairgrounds
Lodge Park County Forest Preserve
Moraine View State Recreation Area
Weldon Springs State Park

The Danville Area

Forest Glen County Preserve
Kickapoo State Park
Middle Fork River Forest Preserve
Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area

From Lake Shelbyville to the East

Arthur RV Park
Coon Creek Recreation Area
Eagle Creek State Park
Forest “Bo” Woods Recreation Area
Fox Ridge State Park
Hidden Springs State Forest
Lincoln Trail State Park
Lithia Springs Recreation Area
Lone Point Recreation Area
Mill Creek County Park
Opossum Creek Recreation Area
Walnut Point State Fish and Wildlife Area
Wolf Creek State Park

From Springfield to the South

Beaver Dam Lake State Park
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Lake Jacksonville
Lake Lou Yeager
Lincoln’s New Salem State Park
Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area
Riverside Park
Rives Lake
Roodhouse Community Park
Sangchris Lake State Park: Deer Run
Sangchris Lake State Park: Hickory Point
Sherwood Forest
Vandalia Lake
Whitehall Recreational Park

Between the Rivers

The Illinois River: Starved Rock to Peoria

Carl Spindler Campground and Marina
Fort Crevecoeur
Jubilee College State Park
Kickapoo Creek Recreation Area
Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area
Woodford State Wildlife Preserve

The Illinois River: South from Peoria

Anderson Lake Fish and Wildlife Area
Canton Lake Campground
Fulton County Camping and Recreation Area
Havana Riverfront Park
Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Sand Ridge State Forest
Schuy-Rush Park
Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

The Mississippi River: Quad Cities South to Nauvoo

Andalusia Slough
Big River State Forest
Blanchard Island Recreation Area
Buffalo Shores
Clarks Ferry Recreation Area
Delabar State Park
Fairport Recreation Area
Henderson County State Fish and Wildlife Area
Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area
Keithsburg Park
Loud Thunder Forest Preserve
Shady Creek
Wildcat Den State Park
Galesburg and Macomb Areas
Argyle Lake State Park
Lake Storey Park
Spring Lake Park
Weinberg-King State Fish and Wildlife Area

The Mississippi River: From Nauvoo to the South

Carthage Jaycee Park
Kampsville Village Park
McCulley Heritage Project
Nauvoo State Park
Park-n-Fish
Pere Marquette State Park
Siloam Springs State Park
Warsaw Riverfront Park
Wildcat Springs Park

Southern Illinois

From St. Louis to the South

Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site
Horseshoe Lake State Park
Pyramid State Recreation Area
Randolph State Fish and Wildlife Area
Washington County State Conservation Area
World Shooting and Recreational Complex
Carlyle Lake Area
Boulder Access Area
Dam East Spillway
Dam West
Eldon Hazlet State Park
McNair
Stephen Forbes State Park
Rend Lake Area
Gun Creek
North Sandusky Recreation Area
South Markham Recreation Area
South Sandusky Recreation Area
Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park

East Side and the Wabash River

Beall Woods State Park
Burrell Park
Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area
Harmonie State Park
Hilltop
Kimmell Park
Leaverton Park
Oblong Park and Lake
Ouabache Trails Park
Red Hills State Park
Sam Dale State Fish and Wildlife Area
Sam Parr State Park

Shawnee National Forest East Side

Camp Cadiz
Cave-in-Rock State Park
Cave-in-Rock Village
Fort Massac State Park
Garden of the Gods
Pounds Hollow
Rauchfuss Hill State Recreation Area
Saline County Fish and Wildlife Area
Tower Rock

Shawnee National Forest West Side

Bell Smith Springs
Crab Orchard Lake
Devil’s Backbone Park
Devils Kitchen Lake
Dixon Springs State Park
Ferne Clyffe State Park
Giant City State Park
Grand Chain
Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Johnson Creek Recreation Area
Kincaid Lake Marina
Lake Glendale Recreation Area
Lake Murphysboro State Park
Little Grassy Lake
Pine Hills
Thebes
Trail of Tears State Forest
Turkey Bayou

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