The park in general is very nice and beautiful. Lots of thing to do. That alone is 5 stars especially being so close. But the thing that ruins it is the Rangers/dedicated law enforcement for this area. They are just fishing for whatever like they have nothing better to do. I've heard stories but my personal story is I got pulled over, complained about how I was speeding and then threatened to search the car. Absolute power trip. Other then the tyrants that work here very beautiful place. read more

Very rude front desk staff. Ruined the experience of wanting to take the trail walk. She was unwilling to listen read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

I really like this Illinois State Park, I've been coming here on occasion for decades. It's been years since I've camped here, or really anywhere, I'm just too old for that now, but for a casual two hour hike this place is a very good choice. Judging by the car traffic, most people are coming here to fish or other boating activities, but the hiking trails are very enjoyable. Don't forget insect repellent. read more

Chain 'O' Lakes State Park is a nice, convenient state park to escape to if you live in the northern-ish burbs of Chicago. It borders the famous Chain 'O' Lakes (hence its name) and is definitely geared to those who want to boat and fish. We camped mostly at Mud Lake campground. We didn't have any mud issues but I think a new name might not be a bad idea. Our campsites were always clean and seemingly nicely maintained. No issues with bathrooms or facilities in general. I love to hike but never really got to check out the trails - one visit was on the most humid July afternoon ever and hiking was not an option anyone wanted to consider. Another visit was with young folks who wanted to canoe so that is what we did. Be careful - the canoes are rented out of a little inlet and when you leave the inlet in your canoe, the lake, Grass Lake I believe, can be very choppy depending on the wind. Boats also are in the area so it can be a challenge if you are a novice canoer. This is a nice state park to spend a night or two at. Close enough to us so it is not a huge expedition. We did camp through a huge electrical storm on that humid July night. Most of the campers broke camp and left, but we stayed. Overall worth a visit if you love to camp in northeastern Illinois. read more

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5.6729/10 very epic aura. But why are there only blue GIGI'S in the water. Like I'm finna crash out, like instead of where the buzz at, where the bass at. But fr fr this place was mad aura, very sigma squid games at 1am to (bathroom next to lake, if you know you know). read more

Love this area has so much to see. They have water access along with camping and log cabins to rent.

Note- this review is for the campground not the state park... In terms of appearance this is a beautiful state park and the setting was very pleasant. There's a few lakes/ponds/marshes which all have different wildlife. Very nice hiking and bike friendly for those who like to explore! The sites in Fox Den are for the most part a little more spaced out with some privacy. Unlike the other circles of sites closer to the entrance of the state park. The website to book the campground was not very user friendly. Nowhere does it show where bathrooms are in relationship to the campsites. That is a problem for me who has little boys and tend to book sites near the facilities. I was able to call and get through to someone at the campground and they told me where the restrooms were. That was good. We were told Fox Den sites opened on May 1 and those were the more "premier" sites. So we waited until 3 days before our trip to book one of the premier sites. Here's where you see why my review is only 3 stars... 1- the vault toilet near our site was gross. If the campground just opened today, why is this facility so gross?? It looked like it hadn't been emptied in over a year and definitely not swept. 2- there was 1/4 roll of toilet paper in the vault toilets. Again, why if you opened today is there not 2 fresh rolls of TP?? So I called the campground office. He was very nice, apologetic, told me where another restroom was (which was 2 circles over) and said he'd send some down. Guess what? Over the 3 days we camped, there was no toilet paper... hmmm... 3-the shower house/bathrooms were also gross. I am used to camping at state parks and I really don't have huge standards as far as the bathroom, but these didn't appear to be cleaned at all. I never once saw any type of park employees anywhere to be checking on things... 4- make sure you understand that you can exit at all hours, but there is no re-entry after 11:30 pm. So if you have to leave for let's say an emergency, you won't be able to get back in to your campsite. Just know this. Overall though, it was a very pretty state park. read more

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Very clean park the staff at the store was very helpful. Saw a lot of DNR officers patrolling around on golf cart during the busy weekend. Makes you feel safer read more

I've been camping at Chain O Lakes state park at least 6 times in the past few years. It's only an hour from Chicago and the campsites are great. Most tent camp sites in the PRARIE View and Turner loops are pretty private and wooded shade. There are a few bath rooms located within a short walk from most sites as well. The lake is big, plenty of boats on the lake and decent fishing on the shoreline too. This is one of my local camp spots. I recommend this location for camping year round. read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

We did not camp at Chain O Lakes, but we did spend a few hours exploring here. What better socially distanced activity than spending some time in the woods? We were able to take some short walks along the water, and a longer walk as well but not near the water. There are a number of picnic areas as well, and we enjoyed our picnic lunch. My one Covid-related complaint is the man at the ranger station didn't have a mask on, and definitely came within 6 feet of us to check us in. We were wearing masks, it's only polite to also wear a mask or keep your distance. read more

Have never been camping here before or even seen the park. So went on reserveamerica.com to figure out how to reserve a spot to go camping. I was a little nervous about doing this online and site unseen but it works out perfectly. We have 3 dogs and wanted to take them with us but we're staying in a tent. Opted to use a spot with electric because yes I still want to be able to stay charged and had a small fan that came in handy for my geriatric dogs comfort. Picked a site that was a minute walk to the 'bathroom' which was a very clean hole in the ground with toilet seat and toilet paper and its lighted with locked doors. It didn't smell and was nicely kept up. Stayed in the Fox Den campsite and was very happy about that. Since it did have electric there were about 80% RV's and campers but the sites were laid out nice and not too on top of each other plus very quiet. The other site with electric hook up is called Honey Suckle and is on the lake and seems to be set up perfectly more for groups of people or families camping together and has a more 'party' atmosphere. There is a shower equipped bathroom about a five minute walk from where we camped. It had regular flushing toilets and 4 showers with latching doors and a little bench to put your things on. Be advised its not a hotel shower and no water temperature control. The water is a bit chilly but hey, it's a shower and you are camping for $25 a day, not complaining bout that!!!! All kinds of trails to hike on, boat rentals and you can rent a horse and go on a guided trail ride. Very close to Chicago so it's easily accessible for a couple day get away. Bring bug spray and enjoy the time away from your normal gig. The camp site is super clean and maintained to keep everything natural looking. You don't have to be an expert camper or have a million dollar RV to enjoy this place. Highly recommend it! read more

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I had heard this was a great area to explore, so when we decided to try horseback riding, we looked around the Chain O'Lakes State Park. They have a stable and we had a really great ride on beautiful horses through the state park. However, we found it hard to navigate the park otherwise. We had an hour to wait in the area before our ride, and there wasn't much to do based on the maps of the park. This is a good place to hop on a boat or camp, it seems, so I still recommend checking it out! read more

I love camping.not glamping a lot and try to go at least few times a year. I had not been here before but when my next door neighbor suggested it (he and his wife grew up in Antioch) I was on it and excited to check it out. It's a State Park so you kind of know what to expect in terms of safety, cleanliness, cost, and amenities...that is to say, completely fine and respectable. There were a total of seven of us and we chose Prarie View - non-electric, much to my chagrin but ended up being fine (I like electric for a few good reasons imo, putting air in air mattresses, cooking w an electric griddle, string lights, cell phone charging, etc....all things that make camping enjoyable yet not glamping but also not having to go completely off the grid...with kids and g/f's/spouses, I find it just makes sense. Any rate, apart from a slight hiccup upon checking in, they gave us the wrong camp site initially and only mentioned it to us *after* we had unloaded both vehicles, uggh! everything was more than ok. The Prarie View site is excellent IMO, with lot's of privacy as each site is tucked away in between heavily forested, mature trees. No concrete slabs here, thankfully and the area of each site is very spacious. The only bad thing at the site is they don't have a fire pit, which is a pretty big deal for me, seriously, you *have* to have a fire pit, this is kinda ridiculous and almost has me docking an extra star to three! We kayaked, hiked, and rode horses. I wanted to bring my bike but our cars were full and I don't have a bike rack, inconceivable but I don't :/ the areas is HUGE and exceedingly beautiful with, you guessed it, tons of lakes around everywhere. Fox Lake is not too far, maybe a 15 minute drive for when you need to step away from the site for whatever reason, which we did once. We also drove up to Walworth, Wisconsin (about 30 minutes North) for their County Fair that was happening and it was totally "worth" it, totally fit in with the theme of our Labor day weekend getaway. Check in/out is 3pm but they let you check in early if the site is avail, which we did. Really helpful and nice staff. read more

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We went here to kayak and paddle boat and it was super fun, the lake was nice and not to hard. the staff here at the store were very friendly and helped us. it was a good time! read more

Maybe my standards are lower, but I really enjoyed this place! Nothing else was open during the covid shutdown of 2020; but they hadn't put the kabosh yet on state parks, so away my boyfriend and I went! We found a beautiful lake right around sunset; and laid on a park bench mounted on the dock that jetted out over the water quite a ways. It was so beautiful; peaceful, we were all alone, and the only thing missing was a private cabin near by where I wanted to grill huge lobster tails like Dan Aykroyd in the "The Great Outdoors"...anyways, the park is huge and beautiful. I believe he wanted to go "moral" hunting and while, we didn't find many morals--none actually lol; it was a beautiful park to spend the day in...would recommend it to anyone. read more

Great camping on mostly secluded lots. Plenty of sites with and without electricity. Great programming by the state park office, including Ranger Dave's discussion of woolly mammoth's and other prehistoric animals that once roamed the park read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Beautiful park offices. - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

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Visited 4th of July weekend 2015. Family of 2 and a boxer. We camped at Honeysuckle Hollow. Mostly a family crowd. Lots of kids riding bikes, playing. Pros 1. Friendly staff, we were not harassed or treated poorly. We were not bothered about our dog and our tents weren't approached by rangers or ransacked, like other reviews have mentioned. 2. Park is clean. Huge garbage bins are scarce which is nice because it deters critters. 3. They have a nice amount of water pumps distributed throughout the camp. Convenient. 4. We did not take alcohol; however, our camp neighbors had a couple of twelve packs, they concealed their drinks and maintained their composure, although they had music and a big crowd, they were not approached by rangers. 5. Every spot includes a grill and picnic table. Things to consider: 1. The park gates close at 11:30pm. The bathrooms shut down at 11-11:30ish. 2. The bathrooms are not the best. Honeysuckle Hollow had one bathroom with about 5 stalls and 3 showers, in the Women's washroom, not enough for the capacity of campers. They reopen the bathrooms about 5:30 am but do not replenish supplies until later. This is not good in a women's washroom. Long lines and bring your own handsoap, something I forgot. 3. Campsites are a nice size for a family of four. Although if you're stationed next to a camper/RV it could get tight, as we learned. The designated spots are right next to each other. This is not privacy type camping. 4. Although the instructions allow quiet dogs, there were two dogs that barked non-stop, frustrating when you're trying to sleep. The quarters are so close there is nothing you can do. 5. There is a little lake in Honeysuckle Hollow, however, it's not a lake to swim in, nor would you want to swim in the water. There is a shakey dock that leads out to the lake for fishing, however, the platform is small. Not many ppl could visit at once. 6. No fireworks allowed, understandable, but you also cannot see the Fox Lake fireworks unless you drive outside the camp site near the entrance or leave the grounds. 7. Clean up at night. We accidentally left the dog food out and the critters ran off with the food. To be expected, our mistake. read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Peppers loving the outdoors. - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

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My son and I enjoyed this State Park. All the sites on Tinley Lake had trees surrounding, making them very private. Neither raccoons nor rangers were as aggressive as others describe, it is simple common sense not to leave food out or be loud at night. Mosquitoes were really bad and the showers were not so good, but other than that the park is beautiful, we did hiking and canoeing and we were able to disconnect from our busy lives for a weekend, which was our main goal. read more

Wonderful campsite! Plenty of options for all kinds of campers. Nice showers-- although the toilets need an upgrade. Privacy at most of the sites and many activities available for the whole family-- strongly suggest here if you love long walks and horseback riding! The Campsite Hosts are very nice and offered us help when we needed it. They keep the place clean and ready for all the campers. read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

On our way up to WI for some spotted cow and brats, we stopped at the Chain O' Lakes State Park to burn off some inevitable calories that we were about to consume. We made a quick loop around the camp sites to check out the trails they had for hiking. In terms of hiking, there are better places, but if you are looking to RV style camp, or rent a small cabin, Chain O' Lakes is a pretty nice place. It can get fairly packed so don't go in assuming this will be any sort of wilderness style camping adventure. read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

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Went camping several years ago here and will NEVER come back. The site was fine, the staff were okay, I guess... they never bothered us. But it's not the staff you have to concern yourself with... IT'S THE RACCOONS!! OMG! They are big and AGGRESSIVE! Seriously, we had to abandon our campire and hide in our tents... the kids were damn-near traumatized. Then a raccoon tried to zip one of our tents open to get in. Nope... nope... nope... NOPE! Never again. read more

Great Public Piet easy to tie up, brand new park and great fishing! Fireworks in the Summer too! Great addition to the area

Holy mosquitoes if you are prone to bites do not camp here! These super mosquitoes are immune to bug spray of all kinds, citronella candles are no use either. As a family of 5 we spent 14 hours there and darted out in the morning with almost 100 bites combined. The lakes are nice, lots of trails to bike and hike, decent sites for fishing. The best thing about this place is how close it is to Chicago so that if we did indeed needed to evacuate ourselves from the mosquitoes next time it's a quick trip back home. read more

You can hike for hours and see prime examples of local flora and fauna. Really, it's an incredible way to spend the day. We know folks who've camped here too and have had great experiences with the place. You can get lost in magic here: ambiguity and mystery intended. read more

Don't go here if you like to drink, swear, and enjoy being with your friends. Drive the extra 10 miles to Wisonsin where they actually want your business. They were clear about the rules. We broke them. I guess some Illinois parks are lenient with the drinking rules but not this place. They eavesdropped on us for what we estimated to be about a half hour. They recited back to us what they heard us talking about. They also went through every piece of trash in our garbage back looking for anything incriminating. We were smarter than that of course. I guess they did us a favor by not writing us up, but the 20 minutes of humiliating us still wasn't worth it. read more

I love the fact that this park has horse trails and an on-site horse rental. For $21-30, you can rent a horse and go on a guided walking ride for up to an hour. The guide was friendly and they seemed pretty well organized. For insurance reasons, they can't allow you go alone with their horses or speed along the trails, but.. if you stick to the end of the group, you might be able to misbehave a little bit when the guide is not watching. The direct line for horse rentals is: 815-675-6532. read more

Pros: - Decent sized, cheap campsites (about $12 for non-electric) - For non-holiday weekends, probably don't need a reservation. We got there at about 9pm on a Friday and had no problem getting a site - Relatively clean bath house - Tons of trails for hiking and biking in a variety of settings (wooded, prairie, etc.) - Boat rentals (canoes, rowboats, paddle boats and speed boats). I think it was $25 to rent a canoe for about 3 hours - Horseback riding - Not too far from "civilization" so it's perfect for a weekend getaway. Only takes about an hour to get there from Chicago. Cons: - No swimming or beach area - Alcohol ban (which we ignored, and then got busted and had to dump an entire bottle of wine or pay a big fine) - TONS of mosquitoes, spiders and biting flies (at least in June) read more

This park is less than an hour and a half outside of Chicago and has a lot to offer. There are swimming areas, boat rental (canoe and row boats), hiking, horse rental, and camping. Camping only costs $12 and the sites are really nice. read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

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First of all the employees were helpful and kind. I didn't have any problem during my camping. I had primitive camping site (non electric ) because that's my kind of camp. The first camp site had no grass therefore I wanted change my place. They offered me to check campsites and tell them number of place so they can check if it is already reserved. They helped me to get another place and I enjoyed silent and peaceful camping. Just bear in your mind raccoons might be annoying at night especially if you leave food or anything which has nice scent, even odors or wipes. To keep them away the easiest solution boiling chili pepper or cayenne pepper with water and pouring this potion around your campsite or tent. This way you will keep them away. read more

For the most part, Chain O' Lakes offers a great camping experience as long as you take into consideration two factors. Those factors are the tons of biting insects (at least in August) and the possibility that if you don't put your permit on your site as soon as you get it, your spot may be resold. The good: - Decent sized camp sites for $12 - Easy navigation through the park - Beautiful vegetation and bodies of water - Was able to rent a site at 6:00 pm on a Friday without reservations - Friendly employees - Pretty close to Chicago - Plenty to do if it tickles your fancy (hiking, biking, canoeing, horseback riding, etc) The bad: - Your site can be resold if you don't get there immediately and put up your permit. We got to our site about 25 minutes after we paid for the permit and there were people already there with their tent set up and a fire going. We had to go back to the entrance (not the main office) to be issued a new permit for a different site. - There are a ton of biting insects in August. You might as well bathe yourself in DEET if you don't want to come home itchy. I used multiple types of bug repellent and still went home with over 200 mosquito bites. read more

Campgrounds were super clean, wooded, and spacious. We had electricity and water. Most of the campers there seem like normal people and actually had teeth. What I have found is that state campgrounds in IL are very clean, well maintained, and attract normal folks where as private campgrounds are hit or miss. read more

There is a place to kayak when you go to the campground boat launch in Turner Lake. If you go left once you are in the channel, you will find one of the best-kept secrets. It's amazing to get so close to Sandhill Cranes and all other kinds of wildlife (those mute swans which are beautiful but I guess invasive too). It's so close to the city for peaceful bliss in a non-motorized boat. There are some folks who do not respect the no-wake area though. I would love to go here right now and paddle around. It's fabulous. They rent canoes and kayaks and have a boat launch. Most people go to Blarney's island or something lame like that. Not us! It's hard to tear yourself away to get back before dusk is the only problem we had. The camping is not so great. All the sites are fairly far from the lakes. There was a woman at the gate who was odd and not helpful in any way. She wouldn't let us go look at the sites and come back to pay. We had to commit and then go look at it (most places let you take a look first). We have camped here a couple times though, mostly because it was close to our house. I wouldn't recommend camping here, but the canoeing or kayaking (and probably the fishing) in the protected area is awesome. read more

Friend and I arrived here at about 2:00pm Friday of Memorial Day weekend and snagged two "rustic" sites in the overflow area (the wooded lots were full - of course). We had a great stay that night and the four of us went canoeing on Saturday. We didn't get to the boathouse till 1 or so and easily reserved two canoes (cheap!). You can also rent rowboats (w/ or w/out a motor) and paddleboats. Its was a gorgeous, well-maintained park. Lots of hiking trails (didn't get to explore them the first time) and a busy boat launch. Good times indeed. read more

Besides all the things that Sarah F. mentions, Chain O Lakes State Park also has a free boat launch. Of course, to launch you will need to have a Fox Waterway boat sticker (you can buy weekend, or seasonal passes). On the weekends the Aux. Coast Guard is usually there and will give you a free safety inspection as well. Very well maintained park (considering it's Illinois). Pretty any time of year. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Not only can you bring your RV but you can rent a cabin, you can fish, hike, horse back ride, bike, boat....the list just keeps going. Great place to bring kids, but I reccomend taking a picnic basket and a blanket and cuddle up with someone makes your heart melt, my husband last weekend dropped the kids by his parents, and decided to woo me! Gotta love him, pizza, wine, candles and a cute spot by a little babbling brook with a bridge over it....it was so romantic and perfect beautiful outside, with no bugs...YEAH!!! So it not only gets 5 stars but it also get my MUST GO HERE!!! read more

Went here over labor day weekend to go camping with my gf and her family. I just went camping up in Wisconsin a few month before so that's what I'm going to use as my comparison. First impression is that this place is huge. Drove for like 5-10 minutes after entering the park to find the camping area. I also like how it's locked down from like 2-6 am or something like that. Gives you a sense of security which is better than place I went before. I'm just paranoid like that I guess. In the camping area, everyone's campsite is literally right next to each other. That's probably what I didn't like the most. Luckily the one we rented had trees that separated us from the next group, but some groups had someone to their left and right. No sense of privacy. And if they were to be loud at night, that would suck. There's no drinking either, but I doubt everyone follows that. You can buy firewood from them, and they had electricity and public bathrooms. Probably the coolest part of it though (that i did that is, I didn't go fishing or even see the lake) was the horses we saw. We went on a wagon ride, which I admit I thought would be pretty lame. But we had one bad ass horse and there are two uphill parts of the trail where the horse goes crazy. It's cool seeing a horse in action that is actually pulling you, Oregon trail style. That was only like 6 bucks, and then if you have children, they can ride a pony for like 6 bucks also I think. Overall, an alright place for Illinois camping, but if you want a more woodsy experience, I'd recommend going somewhere in Wisconsin. read more

Awesome trails. Beautiful scenery. Very peaceful for hiking or trail running. Also a great place to walk your dogs. It's a big of a drive from civilization but it's worth it. The only disappointment was the gravel company bear by because you can hear the trucks backing up and driving. It's a bit of a distraction when trying to escape people. read more

Chain O' Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Spring Grove, Illinois

Had a great weekend at the state park. Hiked about 8 miles of trails that lead us through forests and prairies. Then we camped in the Mud Lake section of the park (near the southern end). Looking at some of the other reviews, it seems that people were most upset about the fact that they strictly enforce the no alcohol rule. It is posted all over the place, and shouldn't be a surprise. If you are looking to drink alcohol, you might as well camp in your back yard. If you are looking to get away from city or suburban life, hike, boat, etc. then this is the place for you. read more

Stayed here in a tent with husband and son for labor day weekend in Prairie View (non electric) it was beautiful and quiet and each site is surrounded by trees on each side so it feels more private. There is plenty to do for every member of the family - we went fishing and caught dozens of fish in a super secret spot Steve from the concession store shared with us, went for an amazing wagon ride and did running on the trails! There are playgrounds which my son loved and plenty of things to explore. Did not feel crowded to me even on a busy holiday weekend. There is a no alcohol policy, not sure how they enforce that as I never saw Rangers bugging anyone. Besides some of the noisy kids at a neighboring campsite you kinda forget where you are! Great escape only an hour from home. read more

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This is a nice park! Very Clean and Quiet, the usual nuances such as mosquitoes, raccoons, bull frogs once in a while but nothing that will kill you. The bathroom and shower were surprisingly clean, buildings a little old, but CLEAN! But the outhouses were something different, very YUK! nasty, nasty. Otherwise I would give 5 stars. The cabins we rented were clean as well, mattresses were in decent conditions of course you will need to bring your own sheets and pillow. Cabins have heater and fan, outlets for your electronics. I am coming back next month. read more

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