The Best Camping in Illinois: 20 Spots You'll Want to Return to Year After Year

“Summer” and “camping” go together like PB and J. But if you live in Chicago, you're lucky if you can catch a glimpse of the stars on any given night, let alone secure pristine outdoor space to sleep beneath them. Fortunately, you don’t have to go *too* far to get a taste of wilderness—the Prairie State is rife with spots to pitch your tent or park your RV. Here, the best camping in Illinois where you can hike, fish, canoe, ride a horse or simply lay back and feast your eyes on all those stars.

What you bring camping will largely depend on how you’re planning to do it. If you’re roughing it with a tent and a sleeping bag, for instance, you’re probably going to want to bring along a sweater, some water, a flashlight (and extra batteries) or a solar-powered light, sunscreen, a First Aid kid and a tent repair kit—i.e. the necessities you can carry on your back.

If you're posting up with a monstrous RV, however, you'll have plenty of room for all of the above plus your toiletries, spare clothing, water wings for your kids—you name it. Which brings us to our next topic: camp classifications.

Before you choose a camping locale, you’ll want to figure out what kind of campsite you’re looking for. Most sites in Illinois don’t require a permit unless you’re going with a group of 20 or more (at which point you'll need an activity permit) and use a standardized camp classification system, so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting. We've outlined them for you below.

• Class A: A class A site will have just about everything you need in the wild (and then some), including showers, electricity and vehicular access.
• Class AA: With a class AA site, you’ll get all of the above, plus sewer access.
• Class B/E: At a class B/E site, you’ll be able to drive to your site, where electricity will waiting for you.
• Class B/S: This offers the basics, which, in this case, means showers and vehicular access (no electricity, though).
• Class C: You’ll be able to drive to your campsite at a class C site, but you won’t have a whole lot of amenities (that includes showers or power).
• Class D: The most rugged of the bunch, a class D campsite is about as barebones as it gets: tent camping only with no vehicular access, so you’ll have to hike to get to your sleeping spot.
• Class E: Class E sites are strictly for equestrians.

You may also see references to premium class A (Class AP), B/E ( B/E P) and B/S (B/S P) sites, which means they consistently operate at capacity. (Read: They’re busy AF).

No matter which type you're looking for, you're likely to find it our list of sites for the best camping in Illinois below.

• Why We Recommend It: Charming cabins, incredible hiking views
• Distance: 1 hour, 55 minutes
• Class: B/S
• Reservations: Yes
• Attractions: Bonfires, hiking, picnicking, bird-watching, cross-country skiing
• Dates: Year-round

Think sleeping on the ground is for the birds (er, squirrels)? Us too, TBH. White Pines offers a slightly elevated camping experience courtesy of the cutest little log cabins you ever did see. Built in the 1930s, they’re plenty rustic, yet equipped with a gas fireplace, queen beds, a mini fridge and yes, even AC, so you can take in the great outdoors in modern comfort. In the morning, you can hit one of seven different trails (several of which will take you high into the moss-covered cliffs), and by lunch, you can have a quaint little picnic in one of the spacious fields. Conditions permitting, you may even be able to drive over several shallow fords for an extra magical touch.

$258 to $298 per night, 815-946-3717, 6712 W. Pines Rd., Mt. Morris, IL, 61054; whitepinesinn.com

• Why We Recommend It: Luxury camping at its finest
• Distance: 1 hour, 46 minutes
• Class: A-Premium
• Reservations: Yes
• Attractions: Hiking, biking, lawn games, fishing, canoeing
• Dates: April to November

Some of us just weren’t meant to be one with nature—at least not in the traditional sense. And that’s OK! In fact, that’s exactly who Camp Aramoni—the “first and only boutique campground” in the state—was made for. Here, you’ll stay in one of 11 safari-style tents that have everything you could ever want, including AC, heat, a mini fridge and a comfy bed with luxury linens, plus breakfast, dinner and gourmet S’mores for your own personal bonfire. There are private hiking trails, so you won’t be bothered while you’re taking in nature, fishing and canoeing, and plenty of wildlife to behold, including turkeys, deer, birds and turtles. And if you get tired after all your busy activities? You can opt to ride in a free golf shuttle back to your nature-inspired suite.

$450 to $550 per night, 815-224-7333, 818 N. 229 Rd. Tonica, IL, 61370; camparamoni.com

• Why We Recommend It: Relaxing on the lake
• Distance: 2 hours, 33 minutes
• Class: Varies
• Reservations: Yes
• Attractions: Fishing, ice fishing, biking, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, bird-watching, boating
• Dates: Year-round

Sakoty Lakes, on the other hand, offers the best of both worlds. You can go traditional in your RV or opt to stay in one of the facility’s glamping tents for a more upscale vibe. Boasting some of the clearest, cleanest water on Earth, this is a big spot for fishing (and ice fishing come wintertime), but there’s tons more to do if that’s not your bag—“bored” is simply not in the vocabulary here. Head out in a kayak or canoe, soak up some rays on the beach or marvel at the wildlife around you—many a bald and golden eagle have been known to fly over these parts.

$66 to $629 per night, 309-570-1111, 1583 Spring Bay Rd., Spring Bay, IL, 61611; sankotylakes.com

• Why We Recommend It: Horse camp, waterfalls, wading pools and cliffs galore
• Distance: 1 hour, 50 minutes
• Class: E
• Reservations: No
• Attractions: Horseback riding, fishing, hiking, picnicking
• Dates: May 1 to October 31

Horseback riders will have free reign to camp at one of the most beautiful spots in the state—Mathiessen Park. For $10 per night, you and your horse can post up at one of just 14 campsites with a picnic table and a grill. There’s no electricity, so you’ll need to bring a generator if you want to use it, but you’ll have full access to restrooms, water hydrants and a mounting station. While we haven’t been by horse, walking into Matthiessen State Park sort of feels like walking into an enchanted forest, between the moss-covered cliffs, the waterfalls that flow down into wading pools and the high, overarching bluffs (can you say FernGully?), so we can only imagine how gorgeous the multi-use trails are from atop your steed.

$10, 815-667-4868, 2500 IL-78, Oglesby, IL, 61348; www2.illinois.gov