Ted Villaire - Camping Illinois: A Comprehensive Guide to the States Best Campgrounds

L ike so much of Illinois, the landscape in the Chicago region is the legacy of the glaciers that covered the area. They created the local riversthe Fox, the Des Plaines, the DuPage, the Kankakee, and the Illinoisand they steamrolled the area making it often as flat as the surface of Lake Michigan. While the surface is mostly level, topographical exceptions aboundmost notably in the hills that swell in McHenry County near the Wisconsin border and the river bluffs and canyons that developed on the shore of the Kankakee and Illinois Rivers.

Despite its reputation as a place where people focus on work and little else, the Chicago area contains many places to swim, fish, hike, and bicycle. Dozens of attractive forest preserves containing stocked lakes attract boaters and anglers. Connecting many of these forest preserves is the best network of rail trails in the state. Visitors to the area come for charming suburban communities, a growing constellation of local casinos, and, of course, enough shopping options to make your head spin. And its not as unusual as you might think for people to camp outside the city and make daytrips into Chicago to see the museums, lounge on the beaches, and explore the lively and engaging neighborhoods that lie at the heart of the city.

While the prospect of camping in Chicagoland may sound unappealing to some, for others, particularly those whose jobs and other responsibilities keep them on a short leash geographically, spending a quick night or two in the woods can be wonderfully rejuvenating. Fortunately, a variety of good campgrounds can be found in the region.

While the large local parks offer plenty to do and see, you may want to think again if youre inclined toward tranquility. At state parks such as Illinois Beach, Chain O Lakes, and Kankakee River, campgrounds fill up fast on summer weekends. If youre looking for a quieter atmosphere, consider visiting midweek or, even better, during the off-season. You could also head toward one of the many smaller forest preserves. Marengo Ridge Conservation Area in McHenry County and McKinley Woods Forest Preserve in Will County are just a couple of smaller parks that will likely provide a more peaceful atmosphere. If youre interested in a truly remote camping experience in the region, consider one of the hike-in camping options along the I&M Canal Trail as it runs between Joliet and LaSalle.