This is a hidden gem in the big city where you get to experience your classic Boy Scout camping…read more It's very well taken care of, clean, family friendly. We came here from out of town, and this is something I wish every town in the USA hadZ they play an important as a nature preserve as well as education. This is a great example of how tax money should be used

We've camped here a few times in the past 5 years. Each time has been a good experience. We…read morehaven't rented the cabins, but there are a good amount of 2 and 3 bedroom cabins at the park. We've only stayed at the RV sites everytime we've camped here. Once in a tent and the other times in a campervan. The RV sites are spacious and spaced apart enough for some privacy. There are only 5 RV sites at the campground, offering electric, no water hookup. There are a lot of tent sites. You do have to park in the parking lot and walk your gear about 1/4 mile or less to your site. The camp store is really under stocked. There really shouldn't mention they have a store with so little to offer. Surprisingly, you can't hear any road noise once inside the campground, even with the RV sites just off a main road. We'll camp here again, mainly because it's so close to home, it's an easy and quick weekend trip.

We always have a wonderful time spending a weekend here every year. We are return campers with a…read moregroup of ours. The large bunk house has plenty of room for all of us to be able to mingle and sleep. Staff members have always been helpful and friendly. Looking forward to our next visit in a few short months.

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!

There's no water at the sites, electric only (aka dry camping). The dump site is about a mile away…read more The road has potholes. The Internet is, um, spotty. This is a terrific place and a well kept secret. You are right on Lake Michigan, where the breeze keeps it cool. Or cooler. It was 62 degrees last night, and people were running their heaters. I am sorry we have to go. The RV office is exceptionally smart and friendly, and they contacted us when we were going to be late. A nice touch of course. Except the gate personnel had no idea where the RV campground is, lol. If you can get on military installations, this is a solid place to camp ... if you're prepared for dry camping.

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.

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!

Beautiful, well kept park. Kind owners, we had a scare with our dog including a trip to the…read moreemergency clinic. They were very supportive, happy to accommodate us however they could. Can't recommend enough! Thank you

A very well maintained place. Grass in between most of the sites no matter if it's back in or pull…read morethrough. Restrooms at office are heated and very clean showers and toilet areas. Very kid friendly with a playground, bounce pads and a small putt-putt course. It has a small general store with necessities and a clean laundry room. Pads are all gravel but there is sites with a KOA patio. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. Plenty of room to put up a canopy. My only bug a boo is lack of antenna channels. There's no cable and it's hard to get the local major networks besides NBC and WGN. Wi-Fi is great and so is the cell reception. They also have nice cabins and a very nice tent area.

Fish Lake is family run, not corporate..they accommodate tents, travel trailers, motor homes and…read morethey sell Park models for those of us that visited once and had to stay...there are so many activities..Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, RC Racetrack, 2 parks for the kids plus the Beach play area..Miniature Golf, Hay Rides, Outdoor Movies, Fishing, Hiking, Paddle Boats, Swimming Pool, Hot Tub, and Dances..Very family/pet friendly..they also have a little store for essentials and Ice Cream! It's 40 miles from the North side of Chicago and you are in another world.. the stars are incredible at night. The campers are friendly and more like family than neighbors..There are generations that keep coming back for the fun..There are also different theme activities..Memorial Day/Veterans Day remembrance, Christmas in July, Halloween weekends etc etc..I highly recommend FLB and you don't have to spend 1/2 a day traveling to get to it..Book early as the dates fill up quick!

My husband has been with Fish Lake Beach for 40 years. We've been there for about 6 years as a…read morefamily and it's time to leave. Management is terrible. The place is honestly a dive. Slap on an extra thick coat of 'new' paint for pictures. Pool is dirty and gross. Playground equipment is a liability due to age and basic safety. The rate of speed, that may not be allowed but a blind eye is turned too, is dangerous for anyone, especially children and animals. The little store is cute but completely underutilized, so another disappointment. There are plenty of other places out there that are better worth the experience, time, and cost. I do have to say that Fish Lake Beach is a great place for anyone who doesn't have the littlest of expectations and just likes to be drunk. That's about all the place has to offer.

Camp Wandawega is a flawlessly re-created 1950′s summer camp. At $250 a night (plus a $60 airbnb…read moreservice fee), you can step back in time. Located in Elkhorn, WI about 90 minutes from where I currently live, on the way there, I drove by the place I used to camp as a kid and by towns I have met my parents in to go antiquing. Where many of the sites on the way were well-known to me, pulling into the camp site was familiar because it was like driving to the set of Moonrise Kingdom. Really, it was like plopping into any Wes Anderson movie. I could very clearly imagine children with their names emblazoned on sleeping bags and wooden tennis rackets being used as swords by campers. When I first arrived, I was early (although the reservation said there was a flexible check-in time). The cleaning lady was arriving in two hours, so I read outside for a while of (what would be) my cabin. The breeze was nice and my book was distracting, but then I started paying attention to a couple who were dipping their feet into the lake at the end of the dock while eating oranges AND drinking orange juice (?!?). That is commitment to Vitamin C, if I ever saw one. Once I moved past my internal giggle at the scurvy-free couple, I glanced at my phone and saw that time had slowed to a crawl. How can a morning at home go so fast and an hour at camp go so slowly? It is like that scene in The Jerk where he says the first day seemed like a week. Camp Wandawega is quite quiet, except for the crazy chipmunks. Sometimes, you can hear the muted, but distinctive click of the flagpole outside. Often, I caught myself looking to see if the crinkle of leaves or branch breaking was a person, but it was almost always a chipmunk (or, not to be out done, squirrels). If the chipmunks weren't there or if flags didn't move, I would have thought I was frozen by some witch's autumn spell. Overall, it seemed like it shouldn't all be there- the details. It felt like it all should have been swept away in a flood or be permanently planted in someone's dream, not surviving as well-preserved as it all is. There is no internet that I could connect to. I didn't need air conditioning or heat, but they are a window cooling unit and a floor heater respectively; nothing major to protect you from the elements. You are here to be (at least, a little) outside. There is a rope swing and open-air showers. There are old bikes and bird houses. The traditional camp colors of burnt red, forest green, and stark white are everywhere. Uneven stairs and rocky hills force your attention even while you walk casually around. The camp was at one point a brothel. Well, it was a speak easy, a distribution center for organized crime, a brothel, a lake resort and a church camp before the current owners bought it and renovated it to its current state. While at Camp Wandawega, what I felt was a constant pang of that very specific camp feeling. The anxiety before arriving your first time. The waiting of ONE MORE YEAR before your next camp experience always seeming like forever. The addiction in the autonomy and the freedom of no parents or siblings. You just being who you are. Someone good at archery. Someone who loves sitting on a dock. Someone who swings in a hammock. Someone who naps. Someone who hikes. While there, I got invited to a fire on the beach by one couple. At another point, a couple taking engagement photos came by to use the canoes. Untroubled people came and went. Some times a fish would come up to ripple the water in their hunger. The lily pads provided a little buffer from the reflection of the sun. There was the constant smell of a fire burning somewhere. What I recommend doing while at Camp Wandawega: -Eat PB&J. You can go into town for food, but why bother? -Sneak iced coffee or coffee grounds and a French press into the communal kitchen. -You don't really have to sneak, but sneaking around seems very camp-y. -Take a nap. Or several. -Read the books at the end of the bed (A Very Modest Cottage and Found, Free & Flea) by Tereasa Surratt. They will provide more information on the renovation of the property and the care of one of the cottages specifically. -Go on a walk around the whole site. You will find tipis (or teepees) and other fun finds. Just bring your hiking boots. -Canoe. (Language side note: canoe is a noun and a verb. English is so quirky.) -Sit with the liquor of your choice by a fire or just sit by the lake for a while. -Go on a bike ride. -Take pictures. You can't really take a bad one. During my time here, the bees were about. Flies and ants, too. Twice, a spider dropped down (seemingly from the sky) onto the book I was reading. Also, I am 99.9% sure there was a raccoon outside of my cabin door one night. Camp Wandawega is a natural and authentic place which makes it an ultimate place to reflect and assess. Yes, you have to constantly check your wine for bugs, but that is part of the magic of being fully present, isn't it?

AMAZING. This is an awesome place with rich history dating back nearly 100 years ago. The tree…read morehouse is soooo cool, there are many options as far as areas you can stay in. Teepees, old Army tents, the old "dormitories," and small cabins. We were here for a wedding over the weekend (which is rare from what I hear), and the place was recently renovated (in the last 5-7 years or so). This is a very rustic place with a historical feel. In the 1920's during the prohibition years, it was a speakeasy (my favorite part of their history), but there is much more. To learn more about the history check out, www.wandawega.com. This place is also a very well kept secret. I grew up less than 10 miles away from Wandawega, but had only heard of the lake not the "Camp" or "Resort." This place is meticulously decorated, clean, historical, rustic and all-around awesome.

Located in the middle of corn fields,this 840 acre preserve is made up of woodlands,marsh and…read moreprairie. There is a small creek that runs along a gravel path that is a 1.3 mile loop around a 65ft deep quarry filled lake. Pets are welcome including horses. Swimming is not allowed but the lake is great for fishing and kayaking. Bathroom facilities are available along with plenty of parking. Part of the Kane County Forest Preserve.

Peaceful preserve with a former quarry now lake that has a gravel trail (also used by horses) going…read morearound it. Nice variety of trees and a few wildflowers. Many species of birds call this area home as there is a creek running through it as well. Part of Kane County Forest Preserves. Saw paddle boarders and kayakers enjoying the serenity. Not far off of Rt 47.

It almost seemed like a dream. From the very start, cruising through a large patch of lotus plants,…read moreit felt otherworldly. Very peaceful, going at our own pace. Enjoyed the cliff walls of Buffalo Rock and the shallow waters of some side passages. We paddled for 5 hours, covering 8 miles total. After we were done we headed to charming, historic downtown Utica for drinks and dinner at Skoog's Pub & Grill in North Utica, IL. I was impressed with the logistics and operation of the kayaking experience, from the guide* to the equipment and online booking process. *Full disclosure, the guide was my twin sister, but I am being objective...seriously.

I have mixed feelings about this kayak tour company. I signed up because although I'm a very…read morecapable and seasoned kayaker, I didn't know this river and I like learning about the ecosystems and local wildlife. For this reason I like having tour guides. Going up the river was fine. Coming back went a bit sour. I went as slow as I was capable of paddling or not paddling, but apparently it was too fast for the preference of our tour guide. I was barely touching the water with my paddle. I have no idea how I could have gone any slower. It wasn't humanly possible. After shouting at me several times, he took to chasing me down and ramming my kayak so it'd spin in circles. Would I rent a kayak here and kayak the river alone? Yes. Would I personally use a tour guide here? No I wouldn't. Would I recommend? If you're a family with little kids or a drunk sorority house, absolutely. If you know what you're doing, just go it alone. You'll probably enjoy it more. Edit: If the tour guide had concerns for group safety, he could have said so. Although ramming my kayak with his seems to be a bit of a conflict as far as my safety goes. It was an unprofessional approach when he could have simply explained why he needed me to slow down