Great find and well maintained by the state. Great views! Kayaked on the Mississippi River which…read morewas great but came with some current struggles. The boat launch is right across the road from MP. The hosts were nice. They are only checking in people from 12-4. Find your site and your tag is on the post. There are about 10 walk up sites you can get on FCFS basis. Some electric and some primitive sites. Make sure to select the correct one. Beautiful views are with the hike up the cliffs.

We had a family get together here today and rented the pavilion. For $50, you get a really nice…read morebuilding facility that has a fireplace and several large picnic tables. The public restrooms are in this building however, and you will have people coming and going during your event. It wasn't too busy today so not a problem. There is plenty of open grassy area to play, didn't get enough wind to be able to fly the kites, but we were close! But we definitely had a lot of room to kick the soccer ball, throw the football and run around. The grill worked great, it's 4 feet long and we were able to cook plenty of burgers and hotdog and such for the family. There's also a couple of electrical outlets so we were able to plug-in a couple crockpots for beans and such. There are quite a few mice living in this facility, so just be aware of that, but you are out in the country! There are many hikes and such that leave from this location so you could use this as homebase with other family members being able to go out and take a great hike as well. We had a great day and I have a feeling this is going to become a tradition PS. Bring the bug spray :)

Apple River Canyon (ARC) is my favorite campground in Illinois. No question. I'll start with a…read moreexcerpt from the Illinois DNR website: "Apple River Canyon State Park is in the hilly northwest corner of Illinois in Jo Daviess County near the Wisconsin border. Limestone bluffs, deep ravines, springs, streams and wildlife characterize this area. Once a part of a vast sea bottom that stretched from the Alleghenies to the Rockies, the scenic canyon area was formed by the action of the winding waters of the Apple River." My husband and I have been coming here since the late 90's. We love it here. Pros: + Only 2 1/2 hours from Chicago. + Did you read that paragraph above that I took from the website? It's BEAUTIFUL here. + 5 awesome hiking trails; some of them easier than others. + Hike (or drive) down to the river from your campsite. There's some good fishing. And our dogs love to swim in it. (Swimming for you is prohibited, however.) + 2 big loops in the campground. Most of them are nicely sized and thoughtfully spaced apart. + Only 15 minutes to Stockton (the closest town) for groceries and firewood. + Eight bucks per night for a non-electrical site. Cons: - I am not there right now. I am at my desk, rotting under flourescent lighting. This is the kind of place that, as soon as we arrive, I'm already saying, "I don't want to go home!" But I want to be completely honest - there are no showers here, and only pit toilets. There are, of course, 2 or 3 water stations in each loop (pump). So, if maintaining hygiene is the number one most important thing for you during a camping weekend, you may not find ARC as perfect as I do. Me? I try my best to make do. You're camping for God's sake! Shower when you go home! See you at Apple River Canyon!

My review may be a bit different than other people but during my time here I absolutely enjoy the…read moreviews but what I did not enjoy here were the amenities featured. The bathrooms here were absolutely in shambles and the maintenance at the park is pretty bad. Please be cautious that your GPS will not work in this area either. Poorly labeled trails as well where you can get lost.

Had a great weekend with friends. It was the perfect setting for a winter weekend away. The lodge…read morewas ideal with lots of space as well as cozy gathering rooms for hanging out. Keith and Lisa were fantastic hosts. Easy drive from the burbs. The warm country setting was the right break from the winter grind. I would absolutly recommend for a gathering of friends or a wedding in any season. We roamed the property and were impressed by all the venue options that they had to offer.

Unexpected beautiful setting near Dixon, Illinois. Five star lodge in terms of comfort, amenities…read more Lodge was transported from out West and it is incredible to think that happened. Owners/workers were incredibly accommodating, seeing to every need in a timely manner. Was amazing setting for our granddaughter's wedding. I kept thinking this place is designed to build relationships, experiences and memories, maybe perfect for a corporate retreat!

First camping trip in 40 years. Love the hook up. Able to stay cool…read more Hubby wishes pads were firmer. Good set up, kind owner/manager. We will be back with swimwear.

I highly recommend this camp! The new owners are working…read morehard and making lots of improvements!!

We've stayed there three times already in the 2026 camping season. Always have a great time. Super…read morefriendly staff makes checking in so easy. Our grandkids love it and have a blast every time. Fun activities for the kids and adults. Clean, well maintained sites and bathrooms/shower houses. We have two more stays already booked. Highly recommend this campground.

We have been coming to this campground for about 10 years. When we first started coming, there was…read morea walking path in the back along with a kangaroo crossing sign, my kids thought it was hilarious. I mean, how could we not have been hooked from the beginning?! This campground is peaceful and super clean. It's amazing the change it brings about to my youngest. She suffers from severe social anxiety, she doesn't even like going to the park across from our home but here all of that melts away. She loves it here and most important, she feels safe here. I recommend this campground to everyone that asks. The kangaroo sign is no longer there, but it doesn't matter because this place is Amazing!

The trails are phenomenal. Especially the equestrian trails. Love going out and riding in the…read morewoods. Need to get out and start hiking with the dogs

I was traveling back to California and was looking for a place to camp for the night so I yelped…read moreand up to a list of campgrounds in Eastern Iowa. One wasn't rated but that didn't scare me. I called and a nice person named Annette answered and said that yes they were open. I found the place with help from signs leading to the place. I was met and checked in with Annette. Found out that I would have a tent area to myself as it was during the week. I bought some firewood and Annette's husband John delivered it to my site, which was on the river. Very peaceful. They had the usual amenities I.E full hookups plus volleyball, horseshoe pits, showers, hiking and horse trails and a nice beach. John and Annette have a real nice place there. Go check it out.

Excellent campground! Fun tubing down the river! Lots of trees and that means shade, yet as much…read moresun as you want. There's a playground, beach, and lots to do. If you like hiking and relaxing with excellent tent sites and full RV hookups this is for you. We love this campground and look forward in coming back.

Please note that this is for my review of tubing experience. I did not camp. I went once last year…read moreas well as today. The recommendation would be to arrive around 10 am. as it does get crowded. Staff working are very friendly. Fill out the waiver and pay for tubes. At the time of review, the cash price for tubes is $20, and cooler tubes are $10. I believe there was a service charge for paying with credit card. Come with a group and tie your tubes together for a great time! The staff drive you and your tubes to the drop off point. It is about 3 to 4 hours to experience the tubing. Tips 1. Wear water shoes as some areas are rocky. 2. Don't dehydrate! Bring water. Alcohol is allowed in cans. Glass bottles are not allowed. They provide you with garbage bags. Don't be a jerk. Pick up all of your trash. At the end of the route, there are garbage cans for your garbage. 3. Reapply your sunscreen. 4. Our group likes to hit Subway before hitting the campground. Something about a sandwhich in the water hits the spot. 5. Bring a change of clothes, towels, shoes (leave in your car). They have shower areas which are very nice for a campground.

We had a reservation for this weekend and were SADLY disappointed. I try to give everyone the…read morebenefit of doubt however after two failed sites we left and went somewhere else. The first site that we originally purchased the electricity hook up was on a pole on the front of the campsite and our 25' cord wouldn't even come close to it. Also the water hookup was two sites over. I tried calling several times and no one answered so we had to drive our camper back up to store. We were then given a site back down where we originally were just 5 sites down. We drove back to where we came from and you can't read any of the markers because everything is so overgrown. After figuring it out some was already on that site all set up. We went back to the store and and told them we weren't staying...they obviously did not care. Pretty said because what you pay for is not worth it.