For those who know me understand that being outdoors in nature is my A#1 Happy Place. Whether it be biking, hiking, camping, kayaking/canoeing, skiing, boating, or just chilling in a park swaying in a hammock, it is the place to be for me. So, when we consider options that are a reasonable drive from Chicago, there are actually quite a lot. My go-to has been and maybe always will be the crown jewel, SRSP (aka, Starved Rock) as it's a short drive about 1.5 hrs away and puts you smack dab in the middle of *nothing else that looks like Illinois*...except for maybe Giant City in Southern IL in the Shawnee National Forest. But that is about a six hour drive so much less doable. Others include Palos Forest Preserves (best MTB in the area), Water Fall Glen, Saw Wee Kee, Galena, S. Wisconsin, NW Indy, SW Michigan, etc...again, there is way more beauty in nature in our region than you would expect, you just look for it. So when we wanted to check out a new place to us, we came across Kankakee County and the Kankakee River State Park in particular. In short, such an unexpected gem and while it's no SRSP, it does deliver for good hiking in nature running along, you guessed it, the Kankakee River. It's near Bourbonnais where our beloved Chicago Bears do their training camp...well, used to up until recently where they now train at Halas in Lake Forest. In short, if you are looking for a quick getaway adventure in the great outdoors of nature, make this an option, you won't be disappointed. read more

Potowatomi Camp: What a beautiful, quiet campground, neat, well kept, with a good size shower house, and wooded areas separating the sites. The bike trails were awesome. The river views were picturesque. They had parks and swing-sets, pavilions, a nice suspension bridge and river overlooks. 10/10 would come again. read more

We stayed at Chippewa one of Kankakee's state parks had a wonderful time. The hosts "D and R" are wonderful people. They are very attentive to their campground and were there when we needed help. We definitely will be going back. The sites are spacious and very clean. J and Lisa read more

Instant bike trail favorite! I've been putting two wheels on northern IL paths for about 30 years and covered quite a few trails in the upper third of the state. For some reason this one never registered though, until last year when I found it listed on a website. The trail seemed on the smaller size (mileage) for my liking and at 1.5 hours away, it didn't jump to the top of my list. But the other day we decided to make our way down and give this one a shot. An hour later we were very glad we made that choice! The KRST trail is maybe 7 miles long in length. Looped, it's a decent ride for any biker. There are several places along Rt 102 to park and hop on, or you can pick it up from the main park entrance. We decided to park in the main park entrance so we'd have access to the bathrooms once we finished. The trail is a beautiful, canopied, zig-zagging ride that carves through forested areas sculpted along the Kankakee River. An all-asphalt path, which has some pretty nice hills that take you from bluff-top to river-side in a heartbeat and back up again. Just west of the main parking lot area there's a suspension bridge that spans a couple hundred feet over a river filled canyon with high rock walls and beautiful views. This is without a doubt the finest view in the park. The trails also feature several other bridges, rock formations, and terrific forestry. Despite the relative shortness of the trail, this park is worth its weight in gold. Rarely in northern IL will you get these types of views and rewarding scenery. Make your way over and give it a whirl! Cheers read more

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This isn't a good spot for hiking. It took us hours to find the Rock Creek trailhead and once we found it, the trail was just "meh" (Caveat: we only did the red trail, a trail that is both confusing and boring at the same time.) Signage in the park and along the trails is poor. The map that's posted on the wall outside The Visitor Center (which was closed on a Saturday in April) does not match the map on the park's website, which also does not match the map at the Rock Creel trailhead. It's not the same map at any point nor is it an adequate map, especially when trying to find the waterfall or cave. These aren't clearly marked on Google Maps either so you can't rely on Google. The park seems designed for cars but not for pedestrians or hikers. There's tons of parking, but it's not clear where to park to get to Rock Creek Trail or waterfall. At first we parked near the cemetary. You can walk along the bike trail which runs along the river, but it's not very interesting. From here we were hoping to see signs pointing us to the Rock Creek trailhead, but we had to get back in the car and drive to the entrance that says North Loop. Don't try to cross the busy highway on foot because it's not safe. Overall the park is laid out very strangely. Another off-putting part of this experience was the constant gunshots from hunting/turkey shooting/target practice/who knows what. Luckily they ended by 10:30. But it's kind of hard to enjoy a bucolic environment with the sound of gunshots in the background. read more

Kankakee River State Park - Parks Near Me - Bourbonnais, Illinois

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Beautiful state park! I came here one afternoon with friends to go on a walk around the park. There's so many outdoor activities you can do here - walk, bike, swim, fish, camp, grill, hunt, kayak, etc.! The grounds and trails are well-maintained. Much of the trails are paved which is really convenient for those who want to bike around. There are beautiful views of the river as you walk throughout the park. I do wish, however, there was hand sanitizer or a sink somewhere if possible for the bathrooms. Toilet paper was provided, which I appreciate. All in all, I enjoyed my time here, hoping to come back in the future! read more

Love this place! Camp here as often as I can. It's a great deal and the way it's setup you can still Have some privacy with your rig. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the bathrooms are pretty bad every time I reserve a space. I camp every 2-3 weeks. I can get there on a Thursday and there is no TP the entire time. Bathroom have dead bugs and debris all over inside and always needs to be cleaned out - the smell is overwhelming. I always see the guys driving around in their Kabodas but have only seen them stop once at bathroom. Two of them stopped for about 10 seconds - turned on leaf blower on outside of bathroom and left. Why even bother??? They all seem to not like their job or their upset they have to work weekends. And yes... I bring my own TP but other don't. Camp host this year seems pretty green and they don't always take down the reservation tags so you can get a spot if you are a walk-in. I always reserve online. I will continue going here as often as I can, I love it! read more

Kankakee River State Park - Parks Near Me - Bourbonnais, Illinois

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The weather is so nice, and this park is so beautiful. We came here for fishing, but there is a lot of other fun activities like canoeing, hiking, and hunting can be done here, too. The park is pretty clean and neat. I will definitely come back for water sports and hiking because I don't really like fishing but just came because my husband loves fishing. Well, so far we didn't catch anything yet, so probably will stay here for couple more hours. read more

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Best know for fishing along the river This park is also good for hiking and biking Park does have a camp ground and picnic areas Not the most scenic park, but lots of nice open space read more

Kankakee River State Park is pretty great, the main trails are paved and mainly for biking and running but, if you hit up the side trails you can go right to the river and through the woods (not to grandmas house though). There's a neat little bridge that crosses Rock Creek with small side trails at each end going down to the river to explore and hike about or for fishing if that's your thing. The few times we've went there for hiking we didn't notice many ticks or Mosquitos but, when camping the Mosquitos came out like crazy! We got pretty bit up even with OFF applied by the gallon. There are plenty of covered pavilions and even playgrounds for the kids, just be careful and watch out for rebar sticking out from the wooded surrounds on the playgrounds, wouldn't wanna get impaled :/ There is also a small cemetery in the park, pretty neat to look at the hundredish year old tombstones. We've camped at the Potawatomi Campground in the Osage area once, it was pretty nice, the attendant on duty was VERY helpful too. We failed to reserve a campsite on reserveamerica.com in time (make reservations one week prior, not 3 days like most places) but, they DO have first come first serve available. The attendant told us to go, pick an open site, get all setup and then come back at some point to pay and fill paperwork out. It was very easy, he even has some basic camping tools if you forgot them. Ended up borrowing a stake hammer for the tent. The ground at the site we were at was pretty rocky but, it looked like there were a few that had softer ground that the stakes can go into easier than we had. All in all it's a great place, good hikes, clean and fun to explore. Plus, there's no charge to enter. read more

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My wife and I had a great time camping here! $25 a night for electric and showers/flush toilets and the hosts are super sweet. The sites are nice and shady and the hiking and fishing are great too. TIP: don't buy firewood from the outside. There's a guy who walks around with a wheelbarrow of wood and you can buy a whole wheelbarrow of wood for $15 bucks. It's a LOT of wood too. Just make sure you get in before dark. He leaves at dark. read more

Kankakee River State Park - Camping at Potawatomi! - Parks Near Me - Bourbonnais, Illinois

We arrived on a Friday, late afternoon with the storm following us. Checked in quickly and the people here were very nice and friendly. I was surprised that the bathrooms weren't horrible. It's just a toilet to a hole in ground, but I've been camping where they had running water and the bathrooms were gross n covered in bugs and a greasy slime. Camp sites are close so you don't get a lot of privacy. Luckily that stormed cleared out a lot of people so its actually quiet for labor day weekend. The website you book on is reserveamerica.com. Since its a state park, you have to book 3 nights. But at only $8 a night for a primitive site (no electric, no running water) this is a pretty affordable weekend. Especially considering that private campgrounds can cost $30 a night. I would definitely return next year for a weekend! We gotta use all the tent n camping gear again to make it all worthwhile. read more

Kankakee River State Park - Our view from the campsite - Parks Near Me - Bourbonnais, Illinois

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Always come fishing here never disappointed when coming, caught plenty of fish over ten pounds, carp, all catfish breed and white perch read more

Kankakee River State Park - Fishing Rod, 15lb Carp, Summer 2018, Secret bait - Parks Near Me - Bourbonnais, Illinois

Trail signs were vague and no maps due to Covid. About 10 miles of trail in the main entrance with inclines for challenge. Some of the trail areas were near the street and didn't feel like a state park. The north loop has a small waterfall and cave to explore. read more

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The constant threat of severe weather kept us near our campsite, so we didn't get a chance to explore the various recreational opportunities offered...but you're probably looking for information on camping at this park. It's...great! When my fiancee and I arrived at Kankakee River State Park we stopped by the Chippewa campground to see what it was about. The price seems right at the state-mandated $8 per night, but there is no access to showers and most of all, no privacy. The campground was flat, didn't have many trees and each site lies within other campers' sightlines. It's like going to Alpine Valley without the vans. So we made our way southeast to the Potawotami Campground and we were sold right away. This campground is nestled in a more forested environment with gentle slopes throughout. Each campsite offers privacy; the pit toilets and wells are easy to find. The $25 per night rate includes shower access and the gentle breezes are free. Alcohol is prohibited, in case you were wondering, but that shouldn't stop you from having a great time. read more

I love Kankakee River State Park... You get... The river. Miles and miles of biking, hiking and running trails. Open spaces. Playgrounds. Picnic areas. Camping areas. The suspension bridge. Horseback riding nearby. Plenty of parking and very relaxing. It is nice to find a few untouched places off the beaten path. read more

This is a family favorite for a quick getaway motorcycle ride. The destination is the suspension bridge. The fam usually brings picnic supplies, but fear not the park also has some concessions. The park is motorcycle friendly judging by all the other groups I saw ride in, lots of fringe and coon skin sporting Harley Davidsons. Don't have a motorcycle? No worries, the park is perfect to ride your bicycle on it's many paths or walk a dog. Don't have those either? I guess walking will do just fine as well! read more

Nice family friendly state park. We stayed in one of their 2 cabins which makes things easier when you are traveling with a 2.5 year old plus expecting a bit of rain. Park was quiet, facilities and grounds were clean. Cabin small and cozy which was what we were looking for. Cabin has lights, ceiling fans and believe 4 outlets. Not big enough to hang out in, but when you are at a park you need to be outdoors anyway. Our son loved their playground. Park looks perfectly set up for biking as well. Concession stand closed for the season, but a small general store geared towards fishing is about 1/2 mile down road. River too high for us to fish this go round. read more

I go to the state park and have explored almost every part of it. I've hunted, fished, snowmobiled, hiked, biked, pretty much everything. Very clean park. The main park area is nice but I hike all over and have seem everyrhing from snakes to turtles and deer to pheasant. Fishing is outstanding here if you know the river and rock creek. Hunting pressure from northerners is too much for me the past couple years. Too many yuppies from up north around chicago. I hunt private now. Maybe I'll give it another try this year. All in all this is a great park to visit with your family or relax on the river bank after a hard days work. Remember don't litter and take more than you brought in!! Keep our Parks clean!! read more

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We love it here! Since we live about 15 minutes away, we come here a few times a week with our dogs. The trails are everywhere, and there are plenty of restrooms! Also the views of the river are beautiful! There are playgrounds and picnic shelters, too. My only complaint is that my cell phone signal goes down so if I needed to make a call... There always seems to be someone working at the ranger station, which is reassuring if an emergency should arise. read more

Camped here for one night as part of a group father-son trip and selected it based primarily on proximity to all that were coming on the trip. We stayed in the Potowatomi campground and the experience was below average when compared with other campgrounds we've stayed at. Pros: - Quiet - Fire wood truck that came around selling a wheel barrow full of wood for $15 - Rangers were not harassing Cons: - Site was not well maintained, there was garbage on the ground and in the trees - There was little to no gravel on the pull in drive way and the rest of the site was dirt. This became an issue when a storm hit and everything turned to mud. - There are a lot of dead ash trees surrounding and overhanging the site, this is an accident waiting to happen. - There is one old bathroom house for the entire campground and it was relatively small. Several people complained there were lines to use the bathroom at various times. I'm usually not one to be picky when camping but when you compare the facilities to those in Wisconsin or Indiana, these are a couple of steps below. If the iDNR can spend some of the money they spend on putting up "no alcohol' signs throughout the park on updating and maintaining the facilities, this could be a nice campground. read more

My dad used to take the family to this park for the 4th of July when I was a child. Sometimes I would be bored at having to spend a whole day at this park. Other times I would be O.K. when we invited friends to come along with us to the park. Later in life I would take friends to the park to drink and party. Lot's of fun; except I had to keep watch out for the Park police since drinking in public was prohibited. read more

The Park is the nicest thing in the area. A tremendous resource for anything outdoors. Miles of crushed limestone trails ideal for running and biking. Fishing, camping and hunting areas. A beautifully scenic river and thick woods. A great way to get the kids noses out of the iPods and iPads etc. read more

We did not camp here but is seems like a very nice park - quiet and fairly well maintained. Others that have camped their for their annual neighborhood outing said this was the best campaground of the 10 they visited within an hour of Chicago. We launched kayaks for a river trip from here and will likely do so again. read more

Alright, this seems to be a nice state park, with horse trails, lots of fishing opportunity, camping, etc. But I've only used it for Pheasant hunting, and I'll review it in that context here. Pheasant hunting on DNR land means one of two things to a Chicagoan: either A. Driving seriously long distance to get out to the sticks and hunt in relative seclusion, or B. Driving a lot less to get to either the Des Plaines area or (20 minutes farther) Kankakee River SP to share your time with all kinds of other hunters... As a hunter without a dog, I find that the landscape at Kankakee is more conducive than Des Plaines to success. Kankakee Park is a long strip of land that is bound by a major highway on one side, and the Kankakee River on the other. As such, these features present a nice boundary against which to work running birds if you have good eyesight and know how to use them in your favor. All pheasant hunting happens on park land on the South side of the river- the north is reserved for non-hunting uses, camping, etc. On a warm day birds at Des Plaines will run for miles and you'll never catch 'em! There are fewer hunting fields than at Des Plaines, but they limit the park to fewer hunters too. The net effect is an ever so slightly more crowded feeling on a busy day. Moraine View State Park down by Bloomington is WAY better than anything around Chicago, but FAR. So for close to Chicago pheasant hunting, Kankakee River SP is an easy spot to get a permit for and a pretty place to walk and hunt. I haven't figured out why permits for hunting at Des Plaines are ALWAYS booked up, while Kankakee has some available for most weekdays, but I'll take it. Kankakee is my preference if I'm going to take a single day off of work to hunt one place or the other. read more

Beautiful state park. Visited a friend in Monteno and he took us here to swim. It was weird not having to pay a state park fee like you do in Michigan. The view of the river was really nice.Highly enjoyed swimming here, the scenery was amazing. read more

Nice park to visit for a hike with a toddler. Paved paths, swing sets, views/access to the water. All in all, I would say this was a great place to camp/hike. read more

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We wanted to take a driving break and so we stopped here for a half hour. We'd gladly return... it was so pretty! The river was so clear you could see fish in the water from the suspension bridge. Also, people, don't be jerks and make the suspension bridge earthquakey, that's just RUDE. We had a short visit, but a nice one. It'd be nice to return and check out more of the trails. This is a popular place to visit too, so if you're looking for solitude, you won't really find it here. read more

Well. It's safe to say the camp host here is absolutely rude. My husband and our 6 year old son came here to camp with a friend. She said we needed to buy 2 sites because three adults can't stay at one site. I found that ridiculous and pulled up the campground rules from the Department Of Natural Resources website saying a non family group of 4 may occupy a site. She said they never update the site, I pointed out the copyright was this year she said oh well. I'm so fed up with this woman and the lectures and blatant disregard for the rules. I'll be calling to complain about her tomorrow when the office is open. I'm NEVER camping here again and it's a shame. read more

2.8 million to improve the park yet they can't even plow the snow off the paved trail so people can use it. This is what happens when politicians family members are given jobs they shouldn't have. Now both campgrounds are closed for the 2016 year thanks to our wonderful Illinois politicians. Our park superintendent still gets her 100 grand plus every year though. Did I mention she's George Ryans niece? read more

This is my favorite place to camp in the area! The sites are beautiful and private the hosts are polite and warm. Showers and bathrooms are always clean! Very quiet, peaceful, scenic place to tent camp. read more

Nice view of the rock creek river. The African-American woman Ranger with the long braids at the visitor center did not know how long the rock Creek Canyon Trail was. Not sure why. I also asked for directions to the trailhead and got very muddled directions. By the way the trailhead is not off the rock Creek parking area as indicated on the map. It is a nice walk along the river however and I had a good hike. I also saw the guy in the blue Explorer parked in the parking lot. Went to a different area of the park to hike because of that. Might be something the park wants to check out. Have a nice hike! read more

Fantastic place for us out here in nowhere man's land :) It's a wonderful place with campgrounds, the river, tons of trails for walkers, runners and bikers (bicycles, people! :) My family loves to come out here on a nice day, hike, then picnic near the playground. It's a great time. I'm happy it's near home. read more

Back in the 70's the main park was bustling with people on the weekends, but the powers that be put an end to that, now it's mostly empty and has been for 40 years. They installed nice cinder trails through the woods which I would often walk, but then they paved it. It's okay if you ride a bike, but hard to walk on now. I just don't understand why they do these things. As for camping, It seems okay, a little crowded perhaps. The woman officer that patrols the grounds seems to be over the top with her duties and from what I've heard ruins the camping experience for many people. She reminds me of the Judge Dredd movie, "The law is the law" I live near the park but rarely go there except to ride though once or twice a year. There's never any people there and nothing to do. I have thought about bringing my bicycle, but it seems rather redundant to drive all the way there to ride such a short distance on the trails. I would rather ride to Starved Rock State Park, it's a much better experience. They have much better walking trails (non paved). read more

Was sitting in my site, police officer quietly came up and put a light into my eyes blinding me. She then asked me if I was enjoying my mixed drink (which was yogurt). She then asked me open my cooler, which had no liquor in it (thank goodness). Finding no liquor, she then issued me six tickets. Not having the correct insurance card, the light flickering on my back plate, entering the park late, having my plate address being different than my license address, and it goes on. Would not go here ever again. Mentioned to the camp host what happened, and he said she needs to be tough. Tough to who? read more

It's a really decent sized park. A lot for everybody...fishing, camping, horse back riding, biking, hiking, hunting....a place for them all. One thing I don't like is the main bike trail. I wish it would make a loop so you don't have to go back the same way you came. I also wish they'd do something about the part of the trail under Warner Bridge. It floods a lot, so you can't always do the whole trail. Here's a local tip for those who aren't aware of it. There's a little piece of the state park off on Deselm road (off of 102 near state park). It's called like Turtle's rest or something. This is a fun place to hike. No paved paths. Lots of off trails. Fun fishing spot too. It feels like you're in a deep wooded area. Sometimes it feels like you're lost, which makes it more adventurous. Even if you do get a little turned around, just pick a direction and go. You'll either run into 102, rock creek, Deselm road, or a corn field. You'll easily find your way back. The main hiking trail DOES have some markers, but there are some forks in the trail that are unmarked. The trail is dirt, many spots get muddy after a rain, and full of tree roots for stairs and many trees that you can climb over because they've fallen on the trail. Great fun for those who want a little more than your paved path through a wooded area. A portion of the trail runs along rock creek. During the drier months, rock creek is very beautiful as you can walk out through it and see the awesome rocks that make up the creek's bed. This spot has become my favorite spot of all in the State Park. read more

Just a few miles outside of Kankakee, one is able to escape from both the town and the cornfields and enjoy some riverside tranquility. The flat paved paths are perfect for bicycling. There are also trails for walking, a playground, and lots of picnic tables and open space. We only scraped the surface of what is available to see in the park, but we'd definitely come back to see more, especially the 3-mile hike to the waterfall near the creek. read more

There are two campgrounds at the state park Chippewa and Potawotami. We stayed at the Potawotami. It was $25 a night and we arrived on Saturday and did not have any trouble getting a spot. All of the spots are electric. They have a shower with flushable toliets. The spots were nestled in trees. There was a path to the river from the campsite. At the end of the trail is a rotten duck blind and rotten bench. Its a shame the area is not maintained better. Note outside of the campground, the trails along the river are well maintained and there are look out spots. There is also a playground outside of the campground area. The river is not suitable for swimming or small children. I am sure there are areas that they may be able to play in, we were just down there for a day. Splash Valley Aquatic Park in nearby Bourbonnais was closed a week before labor day, but looked like fun. We taken the kids to Exploration Station - A Children's Museum in Bourbonnais. Its nothing fancy, but the kids seemed to really enjoy it. They seemed to enjoy the castle, fire truck, and kitchen area the most. Overall its a nice state park. We may go down again, when the Bears are at training camp. Otherwise, we seemed to enjoy the state parks in Wisconsin. read more

Pretty standard state park camping. Finding the right campground was a little confusing, as was checking in--no check in office, just a camp host on his/her site that you have to stop at the stop sign and go sign in with. Bathroom water temperature was unreliable at best (-1) but the bathrooms were kept pretty clean (+1). Sites in the Potowatami campground were relatively secluded with trees and brush so you can't see your neighbors (+1), but they didn't seem to be super maintained--we had loads of fall leaves we had to clear out (in spring) so it wouldn't be a fire hazard and there was an insanely invasive spiky thorn vine that had overtaken half of the trees/brush with 2 to 3 inch thorns and remnants of dead thorns littered the ground and stabbed our shoes (-1). Nice activities, paved trails for bike riding, Kankakee River was nice, park rangers weren't up your butt with rules and regulations which has its own set of pros and cons. Not our Worlds Most Favorite campground, but we would definitely camp here again. Kankakee and Bourbanais offer a good amount of shops and things to do if venturing out of the campground is desired too. read more

The park ok but if you go fishing get there early because the weekenders come out and ruin fishing for everyone. You'll need waders and good nightcrawlers. If the weekender come out be prepared some novice fishing people who either don't fish or only fish once in a while. I think the park should offer fishing lesson to the more inexperienced fishing and traing in how to be not a litterbug.for instance I was fishing the other day people were swimming and splashing in the water no rangers to check this people. Good for fishing. Bad for conservation . read more