- Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area
The best camping in Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area, IL
The best camping in Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area, IL
Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area adventure.
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Read millions of real reviews from campers like you—so you know what to expect.Stories from the community
David
November 2025
23 ft travel trailer
Camp Lakewood was perfect for the few nights I stayed there. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Plus, it was really nice to have Fatso's Pizza just a 30 second walk away. The pizza there was excellent!
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Scott
October 2025
Tent
Tent camping here is great. The folks I met were all very friendly and helpful. The place is an operational farm with chickens, geese, horses and lots of cats. Directions were clear and straight forward. You are very close to the small town of Eldorado Illinois and they have a great pizza place, mimmos and the Mexican restaurant in town I was told is very good. Very unique experience camping on active farm. Enjoyed it very much.
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Jenna
September 2025
Tent
With pets
Trent was an excellent communicator and host. This site is beautiful, safe, quiet, and convenient to 70. We will be back next year.
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Jenna
September 2025
Tent
We loved staying at the Positive Outlook site. It was beautiful and felt so welcoming with the lights and snacks. We plan to camp here again! Great communication from Trent.
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Waylon
September 2025
32 ft Class A
With pets
Camp Lakewood is a small and quiet campground. Just minutes off I-70. Our site (22) backed right up to the lake. Very friendly staff and Fatso's (on location pizza, wings, ice cream, and more) has some of the best pizza we've ever had! We will definitely visit again!
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Jane
August 2025
15 ft pop-up camper
With pets
The site is pretty much what we expected as based on images from the website, but it was also much more. We had an unfortunate event or three prior to arriving, let the host know our pop up was not working properly but we had a tent. She was welcoming and friendly.
it is difficult to put into words the calm I felt sitting on the patio feeling the cool breeze off the pond and listening to the music of splashing water.
Another "wow" moment was the fact that the host had a family party on the private area across the pond and we really didn't hear much at all.
The bathroom/shower was clean and the water was hot.
the sites are new gravel, so keep toes and soles in mind. the play area and firepit seemed inviting. This place is highly recommended.
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Renée
August 2025
Tent
With pets
Brady’s place was just right for a one-night stopover on my cross-country trip! There is soft grass for pitching a tent, and a graveled area if you have a trailer. Brady provides a small picnic table, a cooking table, and several chairs, all under a spacious canopy for protection from rain (or hot sun!). There are also lights, an electric outlet, and a hose for fresh water. The outdoor shower is wonderful! There’s also a comfy swinging bench for watching the sun set over the small pond.
My only caveat is that the area is pretty close to the road, with no barrier. There wasn’t a lot of traffic and little to none at night (so noise wasn’t an issue), but you do have to keep an eye on kids or your dog so they don’t run into the road.
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Madeline
August 2025
22 ft Class B
With pets
We absolutely loved this spot and wish we could’ve stayed longer to enjoy this calm, quaint HipCamp! The hot shower was a huge bonus!
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Amy Jo
August 2025
31 ft travel trailer
Beautiful spot, thoughtful owner. Really the best spot we’ve ever been. Caught lots of bass, there’s a little place down the road that serves chicken wings and drinks!
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Amanda
August 2025
34 ft fifth wheel
Place was amazing. It was easy to find and pull into. Crystal was very attentive to made sure we had contact if we needed anything right away. It was very pretty and peaceful. Bonus, all the other campers staying there were super friendly! Would definitely go back if in the area again.
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Karen
August 2025
16 ft Class B
This was a great spot to stay for the night. Peaceful setting and easy access from I-70 while traveling cross country. Brady greeted us and ensured we had everything we needed for a peaceful night.
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John
August 2025
Tent
This is a great place to stay! Quite and well kept.
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Greg
August 2025
Tent
Brady has a fantastic place on a beautiful pond with all the extras that you could ever ask for. This was the best night. I have spent using Hipp camp. He even had two ply in the Porta John. I mean who does that? This place was awesome. I would go out of my way to come back here and stay longer
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John
July 2025
Tent
Great place to stay. Quite and clean. Well set up campsite. Communication with Brady was great. I let him know I was arriving late and he met me to show me the place at 11:00 pm. Very pleasant person. Staying again on my return trip home.
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Sally
July 2025
25 ft Class C
With kids
What an amazing place!! So idyllic , peaceful , quiet.. and everything we needed & more for our stay . We’ve had 3 long days of travel from Colorado with grandkids & dogs. We sure appreciated this wonderful place . The host was super communicative & extra helpful with any of our questions . The outdoor shower was perfect .. especially because it’s been hot & humid . The grandkids loved hanging out by the pond & exploring. We also think we learned about a new toad ( the Wood houses toad .. it kinda screams at night) fun for kids, adults & dogs for sure!!!❣️
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Bess
July 2025
Tent
With pets
It was very nice. The shower was wonderful. Brady was nice. It wasn’t for a light sleeper in a tent. Trains, frogs, and trucks were frequently heard. But the set up is superb!
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Andrea
June 2025
Tent
With pets
Really well set up and just beautiful at night. Trent was great and guided us for the best place to camp in the heat. Would stay again!
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Caitlin
June 2025
Tent
With pets
An idyllic little spot on a pond, equipped with a nice shower and a lit up table area. It was perfect after a long day’s drive.
The sounds of all the pond creatures were nice to fall asleep to.
A dreamy peaceful camp :)
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Jean Marie
June 2025
20 ft travel trailer
With kids
We made a last minute reservation at Quiet Countryside Camping for a few days when the campground we were staying at flooded. Brady greeted us when we arrived and then gave us our space. The campsite had everything you could need: bathroom, hot shower, fun lighting, Adirondack chairs, fishing poles, bug spray, firewood... seriously everything. We loved the covered picnic table area and my kids had a ton of fun fishing in the pond. We visited the nearby lake beach one day and had a great time. The nights were quiet with fireflies and bullfrogs. We were there during the week so a decent amount of truck traffic during the day. I'm assuming the weekends are quieter. Campsite is set back from the road and feels private. Everything worked out great for our family!
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Robert
June 2025
21 ft campervan
Very nice campground, great playground for the kids and very clean facilities!
Would definitely return!
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Other options near Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area
The best camping in Sam Dale Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area, IL guide
Overview
About
At Sam Dale Lake, drink in all the beauty found in the gently rolling hills, lush woods, and shimmering waters. This place is certainly not short of recreational adventures, offering a bit of fishing, picnicking, and all around camp vibes. You may run into the critters that call this place home—owls, turkey, beaver, and deer that roam about the timber and brushy fields like they own the place (well, they kinda do). Undoubtedly, the best part about this place is the 194 acre lake that boasts 5 miles of sandy shoreline trials. There are also a few secluded ponds scattered about that are prime for fishing and relaxing. The camp sites here are nicely tucked away in a wooded and much more secluded section of the park, giving you the natural privacy you are in need of without taking you too far away from all the lakeside action.
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