What an amazing place! How did I not ever know about this? It is free for entrance otherwise it's a…read morefive dollar visitor fee. If you wish to go to the main beach, that's an additional $12 if you are not a resident of Crystal Lake. The grounds are immaculate, very well maintained, and the bathrooms are clean. There are two lakes, multiple pavilions that you can rent ahead of time. Lots of picnic tables for you to sit down. Near the bar and grill while you can't go in the water, you can take your drink and sit on one of the cheers on the beach. You can watch people practice on their WaveRunner. Swing on the swings at the bar and listen to great music. I did not have any food here. I did have an amazing Mojito. The bartender was a young man looking to join the Barrington police force. Polite, kind and also had great customer service skills. The reason why I didn't give it five stars is that there are absolutely no markings anywhere as to what trail you are on, how long of a trail it is, and where there may be porta potties. There aren't any maps or QR codes and it was a bit confusing as I came upon several wise and the trail to decide which way to go as I had limited time there. Given the fact that everything is so nicely taken care of I don't know how they can't have at least some markings on the trails that they have there. One of the workers sent me direction and it literally just took me to a pavilion. They have kayaks, canoes, paddle boats and SUP boards. They also offer lessons for SUP depending on the day. Lots of people fishing. Amazing Place! Please add signage for the trails! The pop and water machine near the beach entrance did not work. Hopefully those are checked daily to repair.

First time here, and came with our 3 year old. Boy oh boy did we have fun!…read more Beach was beautiful. Very clean, everyone there was respectful and our son had fun playing with some other kids. Water... cold. Expected. Lol. But nothing you wouldn't get used too. Typical "pool / beach" food is available. Not the cheapest... so be ready, lol. But all is okay. Haha. There is feet washing stations and a really nice playground! We had an absolute blast and will absolutely be back!!!

Located about 2.5 hrs from Chicago, Lake Carroll has it all. I don't think there's a better place…read moreto own lakefront property. The amenities are endless. The gorgeous private lake, golf course, indoor pool, snow tubing hill with a tow rope to drag you and your tube up the hill, the lodge, and equestrian center. It's year around fun no matter what your interests are. It's very small town for Chicagoans, but the friendliness and sense of community almost feels movie-like. I really love this place.

Lake Carroll recently added weed killer to the lake due to excessive weeds. For well over a week…read morenow I have been asking for a status as members of the family were planning on swimming at the beach this weekend. I have emailed them multiple times and received no response. Multiple members of the board are on the emails and all do not feel it necessary to extend the common courtesy of an answer... STAY AWAY!!! NEGATIVE STARS FOR LAKE CARROLL MANAGEMENT IF POSSIBLE!!!

Me and my wife recently stopped here to go on a little walk in the area. This place is perfect for…read moreall sorts of outdoor activities since there's a beach nearby and plenty of trails though I recommend and not walk through them when it's wet outside because they are very muddy and nothing is paved. Plenty of dogs are running off leash as well which isn't an issue. Please check to make sure you know what time the park closes because they will close on you as well. Highly recommend stopping here

Decided to take a drive from Evanston on a beautiful Spring day (70 degrees in Evanston, but 80…read moredegrees in Rockford - it was balmy!) I had found this place searching online for nearby state parks that weren't TOO far of a drive and still had ample hiking trails. The park was easy to find, had plenty of parking and lots of paved and dirt trails for both hiking and biking. Picnic areas scattered throughout and a nice large lake for fishing/boating/canoeing (there were prices posted in the concessions area for renting a boat with motor for the day as well if you don't have your own to bring with you!) Small selection of snacks and beverages (non-alcoholic) were available for purchase, however they did not have any paper maps (there were boards posted by trail entrances and we did take photos of those). It looks like there is a restaurant next to the concessions area that opens after Memorial Day weekend for the season. We saw and heard many different birds while hiking and it was very peaceful (and not very crowded, as we were here on a Tuesday). My husband particularly enjoyed seeing the turkeys roaming around

Hidden gem in LITH!! Peaceful, lovely scenic trails. It's a beautiful walk. The pavilion is great…read morefor a packed lunch or hanging out with a good book.

This place is a true hidden gem. You would never know it existed if not for stopping in and taking…read morea walk down a trail. The kids and I love to take in a trail and go amateur bird watching. My son loves fishing and he's participated in a few fishing derbies here as well as caught a few on a couple of quick trips out. The little ponds have all sorts of fish, but we've only really seen the bluegill and the sunfish. The trails on the west side entrance are grassy paths with various states of brush and shrub. There are even some stone formations for sitting or for the kids to play on. I've seen people jog and walk their dogs at safe distances, though now and again some inconsiderate patrons leave animal waste on the trails. I haven't been on the east side trails in a while, but from what I remember, they are more hilly. If you are in the area, you have to stop by... it's a natural wonder!

Going against the grain here a bit…read more Pros: -Place is clean. Very clean. Even the water looks clean. -Decent life guard coverage provides adequate safety -Plenty of picnic tables, space, and even some spots to get out of the sun if you need it Cons: -Yeah definitely not cheap. May not be practical for the family outings. Definitely more geared towards grown ups Bottom Line: -If you're going to worry about the nickle and dimes, then yes I'd recommend other options. I think people that come here pay their own way and just want to chill. I'm by no means wealthy, but I could really care less about the price when I can just as easily waste more money on God knows what... (drinking, video games, gambling, televangelists....)

On Thursday August 21, 2025, I made a road trip from Chicago to Pearl Lake Beach. It was good…read moretiming because there were only about two dozen visitors there, due to the local schools being open for the first day of the school year. This was the first time that I have been here since 1992 when I was scuba diving, and this lake is definitely known for scuba divers. The manager Ginger and her staff (Sophia, Parker, Kameron) were just magnificent. I told them that I was hearing-impaired, so they assisted with filling out the computer waiver. They showed me where I can go to lay out on the beach and where the handicapped parking was located at (only three spots). When I arrived, the water was slightly chilly, due to the weather being 75 degrees and an overcast day, I laid out a blanket, fell asleep. It was a magnificent siesta but the sun came out around noon while I was sleeping and caused sun burn on my legs and neck. Lesson learned- bring sun screen next time. Pearl Beach Lake is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and currently there is a $25 per person fee. Be warned- I was told that on hot summer weekends there could be as many as 2,000 people a day visiting this beach. Week day visits are probably less crowded...Five stars!

I have been going to Paradise Park campground every summer for the last 7 years. I organize a…read morelarge group and we all stay and camp for a few days. The facility is great with a beach, park and 2 fishing ponds. The convenient store is small but has the most important thing when camping ICE! They have convenient bathrooms and showers. The staff is very nice and have always been very accomidating to our large group. I have already booked our trip for this year and as long as nothing changes we are already planning to return for many years to come.

Was a seasonal camper for 6 years. Camp on the higher ground if possible as heavy rains easily…read moreflood the lower campgrounds. There is a HUGE Yellow Jacket Wasp population necessitating yearly wasp and hornet killer treatments of your camper if you plan on being seasonal. Many activities for families with younger children; my teenagers were bored out of their minds. Tubing on the river is a better option than the man made lake and beach that is taken over by the wasps in late summer through closing season. Convenience store is a huge plus and serves food. Park is well kept up overall though public restrooms need a good facelift. Seasonal pricing is a bit on the high side IMHO. Staff is nice.

Good playgrounds but not great for anyone with special needs bathrooms aren't accessibleread more

Woodhaven Lakes recently celebrated their 50th anniversary & we have been owners here for almost 20…read moreyears. It's our "happy place" for fresh air and R & R. We appreciate the planned activities but also the quiet time in nature. Disc Golf has recently been added and enjoyed by our son and his family. This weekend is the annual "Main Event" and there will be a Venetian Boat Parade & fireworks over Woodhaven Lake.

We had a family reunion here on one of the hottest, stickiest days of the summer. It was one of…read morethose days when an afternoon picnic outside doesn't sound the most appealing and you ask yourself what your family would think of you if you show up in a swimming suit, carrying a bucket of ice water. The shelter we reserved is on the northeast side of the lake (though I question how this qualifies as a lake - more like a pond in my mind) and with a hillside just to the east of it, the shelter was as good as air-conditioned! Hallelujah! There was a cool breeze thanks to the lake and since the shelter was shaded for half of the day, it wasn't until 3pm when the space finally started feeling too warm. The proximity of the shelter was also great as the Monticello Public Pool is right across the road and the kids were able to go enjoy a pool day once they were finished chasing toads around the pond (sorry Freddie the Toady Toad. Also, sorry the kids couldn't decide on a better name).

Vince was really easy to work with. We had to reschedule our day on the lake due to some…read morescheduling conflicts, and Vince was very accommodating. We finally made it to the lake, and he even upgraded the boat for free. The boat was amazing, and our entire family loved our first tubing experience. An amazing experience all around. We will be back for sure!

Excellent service, we were able to rent a boat last minute, reasonably priced. Highly recommended!read more

Some friends and I were in the Rockford area looking to rent skiis. Unfortunately, we arrived too…read morelate in the day to rent. I appreciated that the staff was honest with us instead of taking the sale and having us be unhappy. It also helped that they had the most adorable dog in the world. Stop by!

If you are in the Rockford area and looking to buy or rent some adventure gear, this is the best…read moreplace around! Some friends and I recently took a trip to stay at a cabin in the Rockford area. We had planned to go cross country skiing and found that Rocktown Adventures rents xc skis in the winter. What we had not planned on was how slow we would be at finally leaving the cabin to go pick up the skis. Since they unfortunately don't do reservations for the skis, we called ahead to make sure they had some before heading over. By the time we got there it was already around 3 pm and unbeknownst to us, they close at 5 pm on the weekends. We got started with the rental process only to realize we would have very little time to ski before sundown. After explaining a couple options we had for still getting out on the skis, the staff member ultimately told us it probably wouldn't be worth our money given our time constraints. Instead of staying quiet, taking our money, and letting us have a very short ski trip, the staff member suggested the option that was best for us! He then told us that if we were ever back in town to just give them a call and if they had skis available he'd have them ready for us when we arrived. Not only is the staff knowledgeable and caring but they have an incredible selection of gear. We didn't end up spending any money there, and that is exactly why this was a five star experience!