Joined a friend at their campsite to spend the day kayaking. Easy place to find. Plenty of parking…read more Electric hookup was great for the ac. Easy area to put in your kayak. This lake is spacious. Lots of private beaches so you can't dock anywhere.

Fun place to camp. Beautiful lake. Everything was phenomenal fishing with fun. Fantastic but of…read morecourse there's always going to be bugs. Lol but it was well worth it will be back. Absolutely fun time.

Beautiful campground. Most sites are on the water or real close to the water. The park ranger was…read morevery nice. Everything was clean. There is no running water but there are vault toilets. Dog friendly campground. The only significant downside was the lack of available help around - due to covid the park office is closed, understandably but no one is manning the phones and the website map is confusing. It should be specified which area is mainly for campers (the big bear area).

Although short, I had a great time exploring the park. The trail that I really wanted to see was…read moreinaccessible because of construction. The visitors center is also wonderful and I highly recommend exploring this park especially in spring or Fall. There are several accessible trails.

Beautiful rocks and park! Here is some info that maybe helpful before your visit:…read more - Internet connection is not good at some spots in the park. - Fat Man's Squeeze has no signage on it, or around the park. It only says "Nature Trail" on the rock. It is a very tight giant crack. You will not miss it. - Also there is no sign that indicates Venomous Copperheads hibernate in between those rocks. I heard stories about it, but we only saw warning signage about ticks and some bugs. - The visitor center is nice. It has bunch of valuable info about the park and taxidermy. Also 1 live tortoise and a black snake live in the tanks inside. There are picnic tables around. The area is so peaceful. - Alcohol is banned between September & May

Everyone is so friendly and the grounds are super clean. Tents or campers with electric hook ups if…read moreyou want them. Nice lake to fish in. Sandy beach with roped off swim area. You can kayak, or paddle boat on the lake. Golf cart trails through the woods for riding. Playgrounds for the kids. I highly recommend this campground.

Super friendly staff. Dog friendly park, most people here…read moreare permanent or semi permanent residents squished in here and there around the private lake. Rental spots are inexpensive and most are pull through sites, which we alway love that. Sites are clean and the bath house is practically brand spanking new with hot showers. The memorial day weekend brought back to back activities which included DJ's for everyone to enjoy tunes, try your hand at games, with mega log fire chats and those lake views. Grab some frozen treats or bags of ice at the office. Again, super friendly and rates are great. Only take cash or checks. They are respectful of quiet hours, most people live here for periods of time.

Had a really nice weekend at Ferne Clyff. There are 18 trails that are maintained and for various…read morelevels, but be aware that nearly every trail has poison ivy just at the edge of pathways. There's lots to do, whether you're there to hike, bike, climb, or relax in nature. The camping grounds are a bit crowded, but most everyone keeps to themselves and are very friendly. There are lots of primitive restrooms throughout the park, but maintained with plumbing restrooms are only available for overnight paid guests. If you forget firewood, there is a place near the main campground restrooms where you can get bundles of firewood from a vet owned business. As of 5/8/2026 when I'm writing this, each bundle is $5 and can be paid in cash or QR.

This is my go to hiking park when I need to introduce someone to the beauty of SoILL on a tight…read moretime budget. The Waterfall Trail is flat and wide and boasts a fun waterfall in wet seasons, but also lovely bluffs and wildlife even when it's dry. My favorite hike was on a cold January day. We started with flurries, and the ground was completely white when we completed it. My kids are also HUGE fans of the Hawks Cave hike. Lots of fun boulders to climb on and explore. It's a short (though a bit steeper) hike, but begs you to linger at the cave.

Located in Herod Illinois within the Shawnee National Forest,this is a must stop if in the area…read more The views and scenery are absolutely breathtaking. You can hike,camp,pinic or nature watch. The Observation Trail features unique rock formations and scenic views. Make sure you have gas and essentials as there is nothing available in the area.

I live in Milwaukee and the drive here is long but worth it! Having lived in Chicago, I recall this…read morewas on my Illinois Bucket List (along with Starved Rock), and it should be on everyone's Bucket List. The main hike is a short loop with incredible views! Pictures really don't do it justice. And pictures you'll want to take! It's an easy enough hike for all in the family, do wear hiking shoes, running shoes / sneakers, something more than shower slip ons and flip flops, as you'll want safety on the rocks. We were there in late July 2024, and construction had parking lots and trails closed or blocked, but we walked the road to another trail, which was just as beautiful and not popular at all. When we called down to make camping reservations I laughed at a lady who said their campsite closes after July 4th because "the bees take over the forest." Hiking that less popular trail, sure enough, millions of bees were humming in one of the rock structures, bee careful, bee safe! (We were perfectly fine, and crazy old lady wasn't so crazy afterall.) Garden of the Gods is similar to Wisconsin's Devil's Lake, but for those who have never been - put it on your Bucket List!

Cleanliness : high marks…read more Grounds : well maintained Playground : swings / slide, very basic Staff : friendly and helpful Views : main road is visible but the site is nestled back amidst mature trees. Wood carved animal totems on site are a nice feature. Other : they have a well designed and maintained chicken coop w 3 dozen or so Rhode Island Reds and a few other breeds. The chickens free range in the day. We raise chickens and can appreciate their set up

What a quaint spot for our overnight stay on our long trek back to Reno, NV. The restrooms/showers…read moreare closed due to COVID-19, so be sure you are self-contained if you stop here. They still have full hook-ups. The ground are well-kept and have statues carved from wood around the site - Rocky (from Bullwinkle, not the boxer ); Abraham Lincoln; and a rooster on top of a pig on top of a horse - not kidding. Oh, and there are real roosters and hens walking around. Super cool! The sites are gravel and level with fire rings. While the campground is very quiet, there is interstate noise at night - be aware. Also, there seems to be a waste water treatment facility nearby - the occasional funk is not so amazing. Great for an overnight stay or a long weekend away with the kids, especially once the pool opens back up.

We stopped here on way to another town so we could decide if it was worth a trip back here to hike…read moretheir trails. The gal at visitor center was so nice. She was very knowledgeable about the trails here as well as local history. She obviously loves her job and that is a wonderful thing to see. The center itself was very nice with a large number of taxidermy birds and mammals. The history of Indians and the forced march they had to endure is focal point of this park. The park offers some good views out over the mighty Mississippi River. We will return to hike the trails on another day!

The RV spots are immediately adjacent to a train track. 50 yards away at most…read more Trains run multiple times through the night. We have a baby and couldn't stay the night. The first thing the camp host told us was "no refunds." It was tacky. We left after being there a few hours. There's no way we could handle being so close to a train track.

Very nice Very clean…read more Workers are all friendly Lots of medium-old growth trees-which many campgrounds remove. Very pleasant Good Sam campground Totally coming back here!

Quiet, clean. cement slab for the camper. Friendly staff. we will definitely put this down for our…read morenext trip. we got in after a long day so there wasn't time to check out the area but we got pizza delivered from Rosati's, which was perfect!