97% (522) • 11 campsites
Top-rated campgrounds near Elburn
East Woods on the IL River
1. East Woods on the IL River
97%
(324)
40mi from Elburn · 3 sites · Tents, RVs
This 25 acre parcel was once owned by a sand mining company. There are mounds and valleys all along the Illinois River. We purchased the property in 1987, and cut in the road. The city of Ottawa recently annexed the property into the Ottawa city limits. It's like owning our own wild park.
Pets
Campfires
from
$36
/ night
The Vaudeville Urban Farm Fun!
2. The Vaudeville Urban Farm Fun!
93%
(315)
38mi from Elburn · 8 sites · Tents, RVs
Twenty years of growing this farm... Not what grows here but the farm itself! Stone and brick pulled from the ground till we found the beautiful earth beneath and built an incredible community around it. Or rather, it grew itself from the energy that surrounds it. It's a special spot where you may happen upon a fire in the sugar shack while we boil city collected sap into maple syrup or have an open jam night with world class jazz musicians. Enjoy the morning serenade of our rooster! Really, just come and be here. Though we think we're pretty cool, a few things to note that you may not think are so cool: There is a train that runs directly behind the farm. Light sleepers, may want to bring ear plugs. We try to accommodate parking your car on site but it's weather and situation conditional. Assume the possibility that you may need to park on the street.
Bring your tent to The Vaudeville! (RVs, campers, trailers, vans please see the ** at the bottom). Our urban farm is smack in the middle of Chicago only a 10 minute bike or train ride from Downtown, Lake Michigan, The Mag Mile and all Chicago has to offer! Bike the Lake Shore Trail, walk the 606, kayak the Chicago River, catch a blues show or Hawks game or just relax with the goats and chickens in the 9,000 square foot farm that we absolutely love to share with fellow campers!
** We have stopped hosting RVs, campers/vans, pull behinds and larger vehicles because we are finding it difficult to get them in the entrance gate but if you feel amazingly capable with your backing in skills in your rig and you're super patient, laid back and extra cool, let us know and we may be able to make it work!! :)
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
from
$48
/ night
Paradise Quarry
3. Paradise Quarry
97%
(52)
5.4mi from Elburn · 1 site · Tent, RV
Welcome to our beautiful property! This is a very special place, located an hour from Chicago and only minutes from the west suburbs, you will be transported to another time! This has to be the best “swimming/ fishing hole” in Chicagoland and you can have it all to yourself.
The property features 20 acres of woods, prairie and an 8 acre lake!!! The lake is crystal clear because it’s so deep (reportedly 125 ft) and is sandy on the bottom. We created a massive beach area with many camping spots to choose from. The kids will love exploring the trails on foot and on bike. Everyone will love lounging under the umbrellas on the comfy chaise lounges and enjoying the views.
You won’t want to leave, but if you need to restock, there a gas station 1/4 mile away and full service grocery store and restaurant under a mile away. We even get pizza delivered! There’s a nice driveway of gravel that leads to a nice open field for RV campers. Tent campers can continue to the beach and set up in style.
The property was once an active quarry and was then basically abandoned for 40-50 years. Nature took over over, Trees matured, the stocked lake grew some massive fish. A few years ago we started camping out there and just loved it. We’ve worked hard to make it amazing and we want to share it with you.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
from
$108
/ night
Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area
4. Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area
100%
(4)
92 sites · Shabbona, Illinois
Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road (otherwise known as Route 30) about an hour west of Chicago and find yourself amidst 1,550 acres of rolling prairie! Shabbona Lake encompasses a unique mix of habitats, providing superb outdoor recreation in an untarnished environment. There’s prairie restoration areas where you can spy a variety of native wildflowers and grasses. Spot your feathered friends on their vacation in the 15-acre migratory waterfowl seasonal nesting area.And for the fishers: the park concession stand sells bait and tackle and rents boats, so you can take a spin and cast a line on the 318.8-acre lake. Tent, RV and cabin camping is available, as well as endless picnicking opportunities. FYI: no booze is allowed in the park, so maybe save your famous margs for another occasion.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area
5. Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area
22 sites · Channahon, Illinois
Experience an echo of the expansive natural prairies of an Illinois past when you come to Des Plaines Fish & Wildlife Area. The tranquil vibes of the park will refresh your soul. The smooth flowing rivers and natural prairie lands stretch across the horizon—making that campfire glow all the more spectacular.
There is so much diversity at this park; woodland turns to farmland, prairie turns to swamp, calm waters turn to rushing rivers. This makes for an exceptional array of epic outdoor activities to partake in. We’re talking something for nature lovers and huntsmen alike. The fishing here is on point, with bass, walleye, northern pike, and catfish jumping at the bait on the banks of Miliken Lake and Kankakee River. Explore the acres of naturally preserved beauty, embrace the lush water sources, and just have a hell of a good time all around at this park.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Private Lake Mary Channel Camping
6. Private Lake Mary Channel Camping
100%
(6)
46mi from Elburn · 1 site · Tent
Tent Camping Site on Lake Mary’s Channel. Private place to pitch a couple tents, hammocks, enjoy a campfire, and most importantly enjoy access to Lake Mary & Lake Elizabeth via a short channel which is only steps from the door of your tent!
The channel is shallow, while you cannot swim from the campsite to the lake you can easily launch kayaks and after 850ft of paddling you are out on Lake Mary!
15minute safe sidewalk or quiet neighborhood road walk to Lance Park from camping site. The park also has ample parking. Drive time from camping site to the park is only 2minutes! Lance Park has a wonderful pubic beach swimming area. The water quality of Lake Mary is amazing with great clarity and no algae or seaweed growth. It also has a public boat launch. The park also hosts the “AquaNut” Water Show every Wednesday and Saturday nights in the summer!
Lance Park also has a clean and very large handicap accessible porta potty that can be used 24/7.
Twin Lakes has a cute Main Street with lots of fun to be had. There are also several restaurant/bars on Lake Mary or Lake Elizabeth.
Lake Elizabeth can be accessed by a small waterway that connects the lakes. Kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes can easily float under a lower foot and car bridge. Larger and taller motorized boats cannot move between lakes.
This camping site offers such a fun and inexpensive way to get outdoors this summer!
Pets
Campfires
from
$49
/ night
Chain O'Lakes State Park IL
7. Chain O'Lakes State Park IL
100%
(2)
185 sites · Channel Lake, Illinois
Explore these connecting lakes on the water or on land!
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
Rock Cut State Park
8. Rock Cut State Park
100%
(6)
266 sites · Loves Park, Illinois
Four seasons of fun await at this rock-cut wilderness within day-trip distance of Chicago.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
97% (522) • 11 campsites
Top-rated campgrounds near Elburn
East Woods on the IL River
1. East Woods on the IL River
97%
(324)
40mi from Elburn · 3 sites · Tents, RVs
This 25 acre parcel was once owned by a sand mining company. There are mounds and valleys all along the Illinois River. We purchased the property in 1987, and cut in the road. The city of Ottawa recently annexed the property into the Ottawa city limits. It's like owning our own wild park.
Pets
Campfires
from
$36
/ night
The Vaudeville Urban Farm Fun!
2. The Vaudeville Urban Farm Fun!
93%
(315)
38mi from Elburn · 8 sites · Tents, RVs
Twenty years of growing this farm... Not what grows here but the farm itself! Stone and brick pulled from the ground till we found the beautiful earth beneath and built an incredible community around it. Or rather, it grew itself from the energy that surrounds it. It's a special spot where you may happen upon a fire in the sugar shack while we boil city collected sap into maple syrup or have an open jam night with world class jazz musicians. Enjoy the morning serenade of our rooster! Really, just come and be here. Though we think we're pretty cool, a few things to note that you may not think are so cool: There is a train that runs directly behind the farm. Light sleepers, may want to bring ear plugs. We try to accommodate parking your car on site but it's weather and situation conditional. Assume the possibility that you may need to park on the street.
Bring your tent to The Vaudeville! (RVs, campers, trailers, vans please see the ** at the bottom). Our urban farm is smack in the middle of Chicago only a 10 minute bike or train ride from Downtown, Lake Michigan, The Mag Mile and all Chicago has to offer! Bike the Lake Shore Trail, walk the 606, kayak the Chicago River, catch a blues show or Hawks game or just relax with the goats and chickens in the 9,000 square foot farm that we absolutely love to share with fellow campers!
** We have stopped hosting RVs, campers/vans, pull behinds and larger vehicles because we are finding it difficult to get them in the entrance gate but if you feel amazingly capable with your backing in skills in your rig and you're super patient, laid back and extra cool, let us know and we may be able to make it work!! :)
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
from
$48
/ night
Paradise Quarry
3. Paradise Quarry
97%
(52)
5.4mi from Elburn · 1 site · Tent, RV
Welcome to our beautiful property! This is a very special place, located an hour from Chicago and only minutes from the west suburbs, you will be transported to another time! This has to be the best “swimming/ fishing hole” in Chicagoland and you can have it all to yourself.
The property features 20 acres of woods, prairie and an 8 acre lake!!! The lake is crystal clear because it’s so deep (reportedly 125 ft) and is sandy on the bottom. We created a massive beach area with many camping spots to choose from. The kids will love exploring the trails on foot and on bike. Everyone will love lounging under the umbrellas on the comfy chaise lounges and enjoying the views.
You won’t want to leave, but if you need to restock, there a gas station 1/4 mile away and full service grocery store and restaurant under a mile away. We even get pizza delivered! There’s a nice driveway of gravel that leads to a nice open field for RV campers. Tent campers can continue to the beach and set up in style.
The property was once an active quarry and was then basically abandoned for 40-50 years. Nature took over over, Trees matured, the stocked lake grew some massive fish. A few years ago we started camping out there and just loved it. We’ve worked hard to make it amazing and we want to share it with you.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
from
$108
/ night
Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area
4. Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area
100%
(4)
92 sites · Shabbona, Illinois
Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road (otherwise known as Route 30) about an hour west of Chicago and find yourself amidst 1,550 acres of rolling prairie! Shabbona Lake encompasses a unique mix of habitats, providing superb outdoor recreation in an untarnished environment. There’s prairie restoration areas where you can spy a variety of native wildflowers and grasses. Spot your feathered friends on their vacation in the 15-acre migratory waterfowl seasonal nesting area.And for the fishers: the park concession stand sells bait and tackle and rents boats, so you can take a spin and cast a line on the 318.8-acre lake. Tent, RV and cabin camping is available, as well as endless picnicking opportunities. FYI: no booze is allowed in the park, so maybe save your famous margs for another occasion.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area
5. Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area
22 sites · Channahon, Illinois
Experience an echo of the expansive natural prairies of an Illinois past when you come to Des Plaines Fish & Wildlife Area. The tranquil vibes of the park will refresh your soul. The smooth flowing rivers and natural prairie lands stretch across the horizon—making that campfire glow all the more spectacular.
There is so much diversity at this park; woodland turns to farmland, prairie turns to swamp, calm waters turn to rushing rivers. This makes for an exceptional array of epic outdoor activities to partake in. We’re talking something for nature lovers and huntsmen alike. The fishing here is on point, with bass, walleye, northern pike, and catfish jumping at the bait on the banks of Miliken Lake and Kankakee River. Explore the acres of naturally preserved beauty, embrace the lush water sources, and just have a hell of a good time all around at this park.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Private Lake Mary Channel Camping
6. Private Lake Mary Channel Camping
100%
(6)
46mi from Elburn · 1 site · Tent
Tent Camping Site on Lake Mary’s Channel. Private place to pitch a couple tents, hammocks, enjoy a campfire, and most importantly enjoy access to Lake Mary & Lake Elizabeth via a short channel which is only steps from the door of your tent!
The channel is shallow, while you cannot swim from the campsite to the lake you can easily launch kayaks and after 850ft of paddling you are out on Lake Mary!
15minute safe sidewalk or quiet neighborhood road walk to Lance Park from camping site. The park also has ample parking. Drive time from camping site to the park is only 2minutes! Lance Park has a wonderful pubic beach swimming area. The water quality of Lake Mary is amazing with great clarity and no algae or seaweed growth. It also has a public boat launch. The park also hosts the “AquaNut” Water Show every Wednesday and Saturday nights in the summer!
Lance Park also has a clean and very large handicap accessible porta potty that can be used 24/7.
Twin Lakes has a cute Main Street with lots of fun to be had. There are also several restaurant/bars on Lake Mary or Lake Elizabeth.
Lake Elizabeth can be accessed by a small waterway that connects the lakes. Kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes can easily float under a lower foot and car bridge. Larger and taller motorized boats cannot move between lakes.
This camping site offers such a fun and inexpensive way to get outdoors this summer!
Pets
Campfires
from
$49
/ night
Chain O'Lakes State Park IL
7. Chain O'Lakes State Park IL
100%
(2)
185 sites · Channel Lake, Illinois
Explore these connecting lakes on the water or on land!
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
Rock Cut State Park
8. Rock Cut State Park
100%
(6)
266 sites · Loves Park, Illinois
Four seasons of fun await at this rock-cut wilderness within day-trip distance of Chicago.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community
Tom
November 2025
Tent
This trip was much colder than our typical trips to Katie's land, but we still had such a nice time!
See more
A
Andy
October 2025
Tent
It was secluded, quiet and nice. Owner was kind and very responsive!
See more
M
Mark
October 2025
Tent
I drove down a path, leading to the campsite. There are a lot of deep ruts along the way. Small, low profile vehicles might not make it! My SUV did. It is very secluded, in the woods, next to the Illinois River, only about 100 yards away. I had a great experience. And would do it again.
See more
Sherri
October 2025
Tent
With pets
Such a beautiful piece of land! We really enjoyed our stay. Mornings and evenings are magical by the water watching the birds.
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M
Mary Jo
October 2025
21 ft campervan
Nicky's urban farm was truly an oasis and refuge in the big city. After spending the day in Chicago, to come just 6 miles away and have grass, trees, goats, and chickens, potential for a fire in a fire pit, and calm, was priceless. Nicky and her partner are super friendly and helpful. The train does come behind her property, but they are quieter and fewer at night and did not disturb us. A wonderful stay!
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D
Daddy
October 2025
Tent
With pets
Ms. B’s, Quarry is a beautiful private property. Easy to find the property. Very close to town and yet has the feel of being secluded. On an A,B,C grade scale I give it a solid “A”. I would book Ms. B’s property again in the future. I left some fire wood for the next hip campers. Ms. B is good on responding back to messages. Our dogs absolutely loved it. Please clean up after yourself & respect this paradise as we have! Truly this place is worth every penny spent. Also as anything there could be improvements, but really it’s perfectly beautiful as is and the ports potty was extremely clean!
See moreR
Ruben
October 2025
Tent
Great little hidden gem just outside downtown! The space is gated, peaceful, and perfect for posting up , my small tent fit like a dream. Nicole was super kind and accommodating, and the Green Line’s only a 5 minute walk (if that). Oh, and there are goats. Actual, adorable goats. Baaah. 10/10 would camp again.
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M
Megan
October 2025
Tent
With kids
My family and I had an awesome time camping at Steve’s thoughtfully laid out campground. The ground was soft and level so the tents were super comfy. Lots of seating on stumps surrounding a clean fire pit. Watching the moon reflect on the water was magical!
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D
David
October 2025
21 ft travel trailer
We picked this site because it was private with only one site and a small lake. The weather perfect! We would go back again. A small draw back that should be fixed is the gate. As stated in other reviews, it is very hard to open! Very hard. Also out of now where three people showed up to fill in a hole. We were not expecting visitors. A little earlier an we all would have been very embarrassed
See moreM
Malaika
September 2025
Tent
Steve’s campsite was a lovely quiet spot that was private enough that we felt comfortable sleeping in the tent without the cover up. It was really peaceful and the trees covering the spot made it very secluded despite being in a neighborhood! Steve was very responsive and attentive as a host. 11/10 would stay there again!
See moreJ
Jersey
September 2025
Tent
sweet host & adorable animals! camping here was such a unique experience :)
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jim
September 2025
Tent
With pets
Very nice location in the city. Nicky was super nice and accommodating.
See moreD
Dominick
September 2025
Tent
Nicky was an amazing host with an awesome spot for relaxing and conversing. It was a very welcoming environment and met my needs perfectly. I will be back!
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J
Josh
September 2025
Tent
With kids
Great spot, plenty of room and we caught some fish!
See moreC
Clark
September 2025
Tent
Had a great time camping here - enjoyed the views and the paddle boards. Great spot for a campfire and plenty of places to sit! Anyone who complains of bugs… it’s the great outdoors get over yourself!
See moreD
Dakota
September 2025
Tent
Won’t find a spot better than this close to the city. Accommodating and fun place to stay. Would recommend to anyone
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M
Michael
September 2025
16 ft car
A wonderful, special place. the metro and fraight lines run behind the property. The trains run on limited hours. They run very little on sun. It the city.
See moreA
Annie
September 2025
Tent
Perfect!! exactly what we were looking for. Nicky Was so accommodating and helpful upon arrival and we hit it off with the other camper and have a new friend now! I’ll definitely plan to stay in the future!
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Krista
September 2025
Tent
With kids
We’ve stayed two years in a row, and will most likely make this place a tradition! It’s perfect for a weekend camp get away.
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Y
Yasmine
August 2025
Tent
This spot is perfect for a one tent camp. You could tell the owner put a lot of work into this spot. The two dogs we brought did really well off leash and loved diving off the docks at Lake Mary.
Check out Cup of Joe in town for good coffee. Make sure to bring your kayaks ( we did not ) as the little creek does take you straight to the lake.
Lastly this spot is hidden within a neighborhood just as an fyi, but I definitely think it’s worth trying out.
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