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Big Rock, IL

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Big Rock Forest Preserve

3.7 (20 reviews)
Open • 6:00 am - 6:00 pm

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Laura N.

My husband and I stayed here for two weeks in our RV and we loved it! The campground is new -- added in August of 2013 in an open space off Granart Road. The RV pads are gravel, with a few blacktop ones that are handicapped accessible. They have eight pull-throughs and two dump stations for RVs. A handful of primitive sites are available, some in the trees and some in the grass. You can also rent an RV site for tents to gain electric and water access. There is one shelter with several flush toilets (and sinks), a couple out-house style bathrooms, and picnic shelters. No showers, no WiFi, no pool... its just a forest preserve. The small number of campers did make for a few lonely moments but otherwise, the silence was sweet. The people we encountered were very friendly (we even had a funnel cake truck as a neighbor!) and the campground workers seemed happy to be there. We never had any negative experiences with them (unlike the other campground in Kane County). I loved how we felt far away from Chicago but were still near a lot of places in Big Rock and Sugar Grove. Library, police, farmers market, restaurants, laundromat, gas stations, a fiber arts studio, grocery, an RV repair shop, and more are close by -- so you're not completely isolated. The forest preserve itself is lovely too. The entrance to the preserve is off Jericho, but there is a 1.3 mile bike path from the campground that goes past the soybean fields and into the woods. The woods (and a looping path) surround a calm lake that is perfect for fishing and canoeing. We saw many locals taking advantage of the fishing and picnic areas. Oh, and there's a few geocaches for those who love to find treasures. Pack a tent, hitch up your trailer, or load your canoe and spend some time here becoming one with nature!

Bonnie F.

Well! The 2018 rate increase for non residents is a hefty $35/night for water & electric. Too bad there are no improvements for the extra charge. Love the Forest Preserves campgrounds BUT! Our site was lacking maintenance with 8" grass in picnic pad and uncleaned fire pits - weeds growing on the rv pads. In the past the sites were more maintained. You need 50' of hose to access a shared hose bib. 50amp always works. Has a handful of huge pull thru's. Campground is never crowded so it's nice and quiet.

Good sized campsites
Randy S.

It's not often you get to try a brand new campground and this one is just over a year old. The sites are nicely spaced, large and level. There were only a few campers here so it's not crowded but even of it were full I still think it would be comfortable. The trail to the lake is nice and flat and going around the lake there are a couple good hills but the views at the top are worth it. There are some nice bar/restaurants in Big Rock and Hinckley and DeKalb is not far if you want more. The staff was great and the bathrooms are among the cleanest I've ever seen. This place is on my list of places to return.

S. C.

I pitched a tent here, just me and my dog. We were the only ones using the primitive site. The place was well maintained, the facilities were clean. Everyone else had an RV,some with children, some with their dogs. Everyone was courteous and it was quiet in the evening. The trail took me to a nice lake. The deer were pretty skittish. Next time I'll bring my bike. I'll definitely be back.

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Review Highlights - Big Rock Forest Preserve

“It's not often you get to try a brand new campground and this one is just over a year old.”

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Bullfrog Lake Campground

Bullfrog Lake Campground

4.1(24 reviews)
31.6 mi

We got back yesterday after a great two night stay in a heated cabin here. I took my teenage son…read moreand three of his friends. We camp a lot and were looking for a winter adventure over break. Bullfrog was 45 minutes away and definitely did not disappoint. First of all, the area is gorgeous. I have never been to Willow Springs and was amazed by the landscape. Hills, woods, lakes, the Des Plaines River, huge Cook County Forest Preserve areas, with ample shopping and restaurants nearby of needed make this an ideal camping destination. The campground has a welcome station with after hours gated access. We were the only campers in the cabins and our first night there were a couple other groups using tents. It was amazing basically having this place to ourselves for about $100 a night. The cabin is accessible for those with special needs so it has a roll in shower and ADA accessible routes and features, for those seeking those amenities. It had 4 bunk beds in the main sleeping area, a separate bedroom with two beds, and the aforementioned bathroom. There is a wall unit for AC and heat in both sleeping areas so our comfort was at peak level. Those babies put out the heat and fast! This was especially great after we took an 8 mile hike which included a trip to the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center. The cabin and surroundings were immaculate. There are also a couple heated bath houses, dining pavilions, and docks for fishing or enjoying the beautiful views. In addition to the large cabins they also offer smaller ones without heat for warmer trips. Boat rentals are available when warmer out, as well. I saw canoes and other manual craft behind a fence by the welcome station. Inside the station they sold ice cream bars and much needed firewood bundles for $5. I would guess in the summer they offer more treats. The cabin featured a large fire pit with a swing out cooking grate, which was much appreciated. We cooked many a thing on it! A picnic table is also provided at each cabin. The staff were super friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this place for your next camping and hiking adventure. We look forward to returning this summer!

Nice park with great views. Some 30/50 amp sites. Check the…read morewebsite for specs. No water during winter months. That means no water at the dump site as well during this time.

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Bullfrog Lake Campground
Bullfrog Lake Campground
Bullfrog Lake Campground - West side of the lake

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West side of the lake

Camp Sullivan - Dirty floors

Camp Sullivan

3.8(11 reviews)
38.5 mi

These people are wonderful! Our truck blew its turbo and we had to get it replaced. We were stuck…read morehere for a week and they made our stay very enjoyable. For one thing once we parked the camper we had no way to move it. Lisa the manager and all the campers came together to hook us up to their one water source (later on that) to help us fill up our tank. We came in not knowing what was going to happen and they bent over backwards to make it all work (we were there for 7 days with no reservations). The hiking around them was great. I was able to take my very active cattle dog for a 5-6 miles hike everyday. They also provide firewood, we love campfires. The campgrounds are beautiful and green. They also offer tent sites and cabins. I would loved to have given them a five star but they need a few improvements to give the RV'ers better access to water. Putting water at each RV site would be great and a few along the tent area. A sanitation dump would also be great since they don't have sewer available at the sites. I complained of the showers being cold and they said they had put in a work order, took six days. Not acceptable! Thanks Lisa and Brittany for everything!

The good: Good area for visiting Chicago. The campground is small and they don't have a lot of rv…read moresites. The sites are short. Thr man told.me they were all capable of 38 foot. Note: That will be for your rig only. You can unhook and park in the grass next to it. The campground is pretty quiet. Easy in and out. The not so good: When checking in the music was so loud that I could barely hear the fro t desk person. The site had NOT been cleaned as the firepit was full of burned logs and trash and there were used teeth cleaners on the ground around the picnic table. No water is available to fill your tank other than a "hose that someone will come and bring by the bathhouse". He never showed up. We were low on water do I had to shower in the bathhouse and it was never cleaned. I stuck my head in and.saw a piece of TP on the floor when we arrived and the next day I went to take a shower and it was still there. Wear your flip flops. The shower stalls were very dirty as well ad the shower curtains.

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Camp Sullivan - Mold and dirty shower floors

Mold and dirty shower floors

Camp Sullivan - Same TP from. Afternoon before

Same TP from. Afternoon before

Camp Sullivan - Dirty shower curtain

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Dirty shower curtain

Hide-A-Way Lakes

Hide-A-Way Lakes

2.4(35 reviews)
8.3 mi

I grew up at this place I missed it horribly we lived on creekside and I mean it made me who I am…read moretoday it was awesome.we all knew each other had cookouts every weekend we camped there from Chicago.i recently went back remember I used to go every weekend from 85-94 in summers best place ever now it looked to be honest I wouldn't care but definitely rough around edges kind of people for I'd still camp here!!

Soooo, I've been camping a lot. Usually attached to canoeing in Southern Missouri. Pretty much…read moreevery year since I can remember. And there's different types of campgrounds. This is a party camp. For partying. "Locals" run all over the place in golf carts, there's beer by the case 15 minutes drive in any direction, and lights out is loosely enforced if at all. I say "locals" because these are largely Chicagoans who own RV's and 5th wheels and leave them at the campsite all season, visiting every weekend. Or townies who just hang out because they like to party; I didn't ask a lot of questions. The only time it's quiet is between 4am and 8am when everyone is passed out. There was a Grateful Dead cover band at the pavilion the first night we were there, and a DJ spinning the best of blue collar rock the second night (with requisite 4th of July fireworks). The bathrooms were impeccable, for a campsite. The staff was friendly, though definitely moved at "rural speed". The sites themselves were decently kept grass, with easy soil for driving tent spikes. There were plenty of sticks lying about for kindling, and wood for reasonably priced purchase at the office. There was a little bit of broken glass about, but I've seen worse. We tubed for an hour on the Fox River for $5, though the launch and take out were not marked at all. The launch especially was difficult to find, and utilize. Other than that the float was awesome. Overall I had a wonderful time, and so did our group. I'd very much recommend this place, as long as you know what to expect: A Party Atmosphere.

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Hide-A-Way Lakes - Great Fishing on the Front Lake!

Great Fishing on the Front Lake!

Hide-A-Way Lakes
Hide-A-Way Lakes - And another beautiful scene

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And another beautiful scene

Silver Springs State Park

Silver Springs State Park

4.6(25 reviews)
7.7 mi

Nice lil' walk along the Fox River and also a few small lakes, kewl. Lots of winding trails to get…read morelost in lol, Google Maps will get you through!

Great park located around Yorkville with a few big lakes. It has lots of hiking trails. Silver…read moreSprings State Park gets its name from the pool of bubbling water. Of course, there's tons of other things to see around it. The popular activities include boating, fishing, and picnicking. Bigger park with a lot of history. It's an area that was purchased by the state in 1969 and turned into a park. The park was originally 1,250 acres, and added a prairie restoration project in 1980 among expansions since. Kind of what the land was like before settlers took it. There's a path that goes through it where visitors can check out animals, grass, and wildflowers. A few man made lakes are highlights. Loon Lake is the biggest one, popular for fishing or getting photos. A refreshment stand is located by it. The spring is the biggest attraction of the park though. Amazingly the water in it never freezes. There's amazing plantlife around it including watercress. Also fun when it's colder. There's a toboggan hill that's fairly steep. Among the kinds of trails are equestrian. There's also plenty for basic hiking. Has lots to look at here for hours and you can even stay overnight by camping. It's got an area that's available for youth groups. This area is only reachable through backpacking so it's far away from loud noises or vehicles.

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Silver Springs State Park - Silver Springs

Silver Springs

Silver Springs State Park
Silver Springs State Park

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Hi-Tide Recreation - Justin trash he dropped off at the current rv park I'm staying at, using the company work truck.

Hi-Tide Recreation

2.5(69 reviews)
15.3 mi

Just camped here for the first time. This is a great place to camp, especially if you have kids…read more The lake was great. It's separated into 3 sections by buoys...one shallow end for small kids, a deeper end for bigger kids, and a fishing area. Both swimming areas had lake toys for the kids to climb on, including 2 trampolines with slides and bounce pillow, log roll, a giant iceberg, and some other things. There are smaller lake toys in the kiddie area. The lake had no algae or fish smell like other reviews noted, so they must have solved that problem. There is plenty of lounge chairs and picnic tables around the lake area for parents. The pool was nice too, but the kids liked the lake the best. They also had activities during the day: bingo, a glow stick dance party at night, and a scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt doubled as free campground cleanup for them because they had things like bottle caps, juice box straw wrappers, and cigarette butts on them! Please take the cigarette butts off that list!!! Nobody wants their kids picking those up!!! They had bean bag games, pedal cars, horse shoes, basketball and volleyball courts. The grounds were clean and well maintained. The sites are typical for a place like this...fairly close together but there were huge trees everywhere so we had shade and gave it a little more wooded feel (I hate camping in a big grass field). Cost: We paid $45 a night for water and electric (no sewer) which I think is reasonable because you're paying for all the facilities as well, not just the camping. They do nickle and dime you a bit...you gotta pay to use the pool, carts, and some activities. As long as you're OK just using the lake it's not too bad. Checkout time is non-negotiable. We wanted to stay an extra hour or 2 after checkout time so we had to pay for a whole extra night. Most places don't mind if you stay a little longer if the campground is emptied out. The kids really wanted a little extra time so I ended up paying for the extra night and we stayed until dusk so I could get my money's worth. One last note...the owner has a lot of rules and he enforces them. They are mostly to keep the kids safe and keep the camp family friendly. He was out multiple times during the day making sure the kids in the lake had their life jackets on and had parents watching them. If you're planning on partying loudly until 2 am, don't bother coming. He will kick you out if he has to. This has led to some bad reviews from scorned folks, but it's nice to see a campground enforce their rules for a change. Since I was there to enjoy family time it worked out well for us.

We came here for a day visit with our kids, but we left incredibly disappointed by how we were…read moretreated. When we arrived, the front desk was completely empty, and no one was there to assist or check us in.Because no one was working the desk, we headed into the campground to set up our things, fully intending to walk right back up and purchase our activity wristbands. My kids were excited and jumped into the water while we were settling in.Before we could even go back to pay, a man on a four-wheeler (who seemed to be the manager or owner) approached us. Instead of asking us politely if we had checked in, he immediately started yelling at my children. He automatically assumed we were trying to sneak in without paying.Even after we calmly explained the empty front desk and our plan to buy bracelets, he refused to listen and kicked our family out. The lack of staff at the entrance is their mistake, but taking it out on paying guests and yelling at children is completely unacceptable. We will not be coming back."

Photos
Hi-Tide Recreation - Birthday celebration, bbq & bags...great way to end summer vacation

Birthday celebration, bbq & bags...great way to end summer vacation

Hi-Tide Recreation - Justin trash he dropped off at the current rv park I'm staying at, using the company work truck.

Justin trash he dropped off at the current rv park I'm staying at, using the company work truck.

Hi-Tide Recreation - Justin trash he dropped off at the current rv park I'm staying at, using the company work truck.

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Justin trash he dropped off at the current rv park I'm staying at, using the company work truck.

Camp Ground Road Woods - Informative plaque is not so informative.

Camp Ground Road Woods

4.0(3 reviews)
38.7 mi

I came across this place searching for running trails nearby in the neighborhood. I was here in the…read moreevening and camp ground looks very empty although there were few runners/bikers along the trail. Most part of the trail is shaded. Part of the path is muddy and mostly laid of gravel(Could be limestone) and that portion feels bit slippery when running on lite shoes. There is a huge parking lot, picnic tables at the entrance of the trail. It shares the Desplaines river bikers trail, with markings all through the way which are really helpful not to get lost off track. Didn't notice much litter, not sure how often this place is cleaned. I didn't get to run the whole distance of the trail but but the markings state the trail distance somewhat close to 6 miles. The only trouble I had was when navigating o this place. I was going towards west on Algonquin(From Oakton) and the google maps shows the destination point in the middle of no where. If you drive a bit further you can find he entrance /parking lot on the right side. I might end up here more often for my short distance runs.

4 stars for being a natural haven in the neighborhood, though perhaps 3 stars if compared to other…read morenature sights. Probably even better in spring and summer. Trail is wide and parking is plentiful. Trail is cut short by roadways with pedestrian crosswalks, so not continuous. The sound of the cars nearby overtakes any wilderness sounds. It was a nice day, but no animal sightings.

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Camp Ground Road Woods - A doe. (A deer. A female deer.)

A doe. (A deer. A female deer.)

Camp Ground Road Woods - The main trail.

The main trail.

Camp Ground Road Woods

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Big Rock Forest Preserve - campgrounds - Updated October 2026

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