Illinois
60
www.stateparks.com
Cave-In-Rock State Park '' © Tracy Barnett
Great camping - Weldon springs is great had no idea how many trails and things to do there.The camp sites are alittle close but very clean and quite.Would recomend to all 
Great Place - Visually stunning! - Great place for day hikers of all levels. Pet friendly. Trails are very well marked. Trails are short. However, scenery is breathtaking and changes with each trail. Trails range form medium to hard. Best time to go is during the week when it may not be crowded.
Mountain Bike Only Trails - NOT - Someone posted that the park has Mountain Bike Only Trails, this is not true all trails in the park are multi-use for all users.
Great park, unhappy staff - Moraine Hills is a beautiful park. But the staff have been rather unfriendly. In one case, a staff person was outright rude.
My wife and I have had many long walks there, but on one day we made the mistake of staying a few minutes after the closing time.
Despite our sincere apologies and the fact we had never done this before, he treated us as criminals and told us he reported our vehicle plates to the state police. If we did it again, we would have to call them and pay a fine to get out.
I fully understand the need to be out by closing time,and for staff to tell us not to do it again. but its not right to be so hostile and unprofessional towards taxpaying patrons for a first time offense which was a unintentional.
A favorite place - I marvel that we are blessed to live nearby this park. The person who said the overlooks were blocked by trees did not visit Lookout Point; a breathtaking view every time. Hiking, camping, or just a quick stop...we never tire of it. If you take children on some clifftop trail areas, be prepared to hold tight to their hands. Hesitant to post & encourage crowding the park, but that would be selfish! yearly trip.... if not more - A favorite place, and mandatory yearly treck during the fall... But going more often is always an enjoyable. power company cooling lake, no camping, - no camping, no hunting, no services, 1 outhouse closed due to funding!! - The only reason why the roads are closed is due to our own government and how it cannot fund beautiful state parks like this one! I love Argyle, and plan to get married here. Call ahead next time. our favorite park - very nice, well taking care of. wish it had more mature trees. staff very friendly and some sites have full hook ups.
RC flying - I fly RC all electric airplanes sometimes on the west end of the park. Nice quiet place with good tall grass to protect plane from a bad landing. Great place to hike, interesting flora - We had a beautiful day for a picnic and hiking. We also spent some time at the fish hatchery visitor center. We want to come back and see it in action. Practically had the place to ourselves and enjoyed the quiet and the butterflies. roads to lake closed - went to the park this morning-roads to the lake were closed. an 80 mile trip for nothing! Great place to camp. - I wanted to make a comment on the camping experince I had because I camp in a tent and most of the post here are in campers. The campgrounds were clean and well maintained. The showers were great, warm water and very clean. Now in the tent camping area ther were only a few sites that had a grill which caused a problem because I did not bring a grill and in September the local stores do not sell one. I asked the Ranger why they do not have any he said they are trying to get them but the state of IL will not give them any money. If you go to Ramsey Lake please bring a grill to cook on and a portable table because each camp site only has one picinic table and I like to put my screen tent over the picinic table and have another one to be able to cook on the stove outside the screened in tent. If you like a great place to relax and enjoy a beautiful campground then go to Ramsey Lake. But do not for get the grill. Most Colorful Season - Was there for the BAMBA Camp Out with friends hiked all day and slept as we have never in our lives from the wonderful clear air and pine trees surrounding the area. Cooked our meals and had a wonderful time telling stories as the sun set in the evening. Hated to leave such a wonderful area and look forward to returning with new friends and family, of course, other than Bill and The Chipmonks. AWESOME! - My boyfriend and I went overnight, it was awesome. We love the different camp areas we have to choose from and its just an awesome place. We will be returning in October. Great trails and lodge. - Food at the lodge is outstanding. Great walking trails for wildlife, birding, and plantlife. Equine Park Trails - I had a wonderful weekend at Jubilee, many trails to ride, we rode 3 hours easily our first afternoon. A lot of nice horse people all campers were friendly and many asked if we wanted to join them for a group ride. We did on our second day and rode for nearly 4 hours it was so enjoyable! We Will go back as much as possible! road washed out? - i walked where they say that is washed out and it is not gone there is alot of dabree around the road but to me it looks driveable but the other thing is there are lots of trees down across the roads i think that has alot to do with the closures great park but - the restaurant is way over-priced on their dinner menu. Will only go for lunch if we go back. Clean, quiet , friendly staff. - Enjoyed our weekend on a busy holiday. Could not have been cleaner and staff was exceptionally friendly and cordial. My husband ask why - Why I never mentioned this place. We went for a ride this past weekend and needed a place to walk our dog. We enjoied our day here! MY FAVORITE LAKE - MY FAVORITE IN MAZONIA HAS TO BE MONSTER FOR THERE EXCELLENT BASS FISHING. PONDEROSA COME IN THE SECOND LAKE TO FISHING. I FISH THE BANKS OF BOTH LAKES I USED A NIGHTCRAWLER AND A STRAIGHT HOOK ONE SINK. THE MONSTER LAKE IS GOOD APRIL-JULY. Family Fun for All - A well maintained park. A great day trip for the family. The marsh trail with the floating bridge is a unique highlight. We even stayed to see the wild turkeys come out. A hidden gem for family entertainment. 
summer solstice - went on a rainy solstice but still enjoyed the educational aspects of the speaker... much better comming for an event then just going and looking at the dirt mounds... put the history of the site in perspective.. Alive & well - I need to comment so that others do not avoid Ramsey Lake as we almost did due to a previous post. The overnight camping experience was very pleasant. Nice sites, fire pits, picnic tables. The park was well maintained & clean. We camped in an RV so made use of electric hookup & filled with water at a nearby water hookup...none at individual sites. It was quiet & peaceful to sit outside & enjoy the night noises. Few campers but a family with children were riding bikes & using the play area. Did not go to the lake so do not know if boat rental exists. Campground hosts were on duty. This is a campground, not an amusement park or a Jellystone. For $20 a night you get a pretty nice camping experience. FAVORITE STATE PARK - STAYED AT THE Hickory Point Campground FOR 2 DAYS.VERY QUITE,VERY CLEAN. PLAN TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME & RENT A CABIN. Clean, quiet with friendly staff - Spent four nights there everything was great with very clean facilities and friendly,accomidating staff. Very child and pet friendly place to stay. Road closed.... - Several years ago after a big storm, the main road that loops through the park was closed due to damage. I do not believe it was ever fixed. I believe that is what is meant by washed out. Otherwise a nice park. I think the only place not accessible was the walk in camping. camping - I great place to camp by the lake and enjoy some relaxation. Park Rangers were out and about but no problems with them. Great place to take the family! Bird Watching - This is a great place for bird watching.We have been here several times and have never had a bad day. Not great for camping - Was really excited to check this place out, but ended up leaving to go to another camp ground. The campsites are right on top of each other. I am a tent camper and I have never in my life been at a campground that was so squished in with such little privacy. For tent campers, you get a gravel pad and thats it. And you are in the thick of the woods so you get a double whammy. No space and all the bugs. Also, the layout of the campground was confusing and the host site was very unfriendly. A Nice, Peaceful Campground - My girlfriend and I camped here last Halloween weekend. The park is very peaceful and quiet. Everything was very clean. Campsites are nice and shaded. Trees are everywhere. The hiking trails have good views and are of easy or medium difficulty. The river is very pretty as well. Photos of all the campsites can be found at http://applerivercanyon.webs.com/campgroundmap.html to help you make a decision about camping here. There are no showers here, but otherwise it is an excellent place to camp and get away. Beautiful scenery, yet so disappointed - We recently visited to ride the equestrian trail. When we got to the back of the park ( we drove about 1.5 miles back) there was a barricade across the road saying horse trails closed, leaving no room to turn the trailer around. No sign was visible from the road at the entrance at the visitors center, and the first sign pointing us in the direction of the trails did not tell us they were closed either. We were quite disappointed to have driven so far to have to turn around. I am wondering, are the horse trails even used anymore? There didnt seem to be any visible reason for it to be closed. :( great shotgun range!!! - Bring your own shells, shotguns, clays, thrower and lunch and have some great family fun.
Bring the Boy or Girl Scouts too. Nice Park - Nice park. Love the full hookups. Staff is nice and friendly. Park is well maintained. Attended the wingshooting clinic last year and very much enjoyed it. The only downside... Lack of trees = little shade. Will definitely return though. Run down Park Nothing there anymore - The park is run down, and lots of the BBQ pits are gone. The concession and boat rentals are not there. We came in from St Louis because we looked at the web site and thought we were going to have a good time but there is nothing there anymore. We made the best of a bad situation. We will not be back. our favorite campground! - we stayed for 5 days in sept. 2010 and loved every minute of it! everything was quiet and well organized. we are planning to return for a week this summer! - It was wonderful!!! But beware of racoons, at nighttime, when you are enjoying majestic flames and fairy crackles of the fire they are alert and in search of something to eat around or even in your own tent ;) Beautiful Park - The concession stand is open. Their number is 217-346-2170. One of my favorite parks! - Great park for hiking, bird watching and fishing! I go here at least once a week. Plus the Hunting and Fishing Days here is not to be missed...I go every year! Disappointed - Brought my puppy to the park to get some exercise and was accused of illegal activity by conservation police. Thanks for the hospitality. - concessions are no longer open.....boring unless you like to fish Good Primitive camping/hiking park - Many miles of hiking trails, can get to all areas via trails. A good place for canoeing, and small boat rental.
10 h.p. limit on the lake. Primitive tent camping has dedicated area. Good wide mowed strips along road therefore good for bicycling and visibility. Hiking trails are generally flat, rolling terrain.
A good place to get exercise and enjoy nature. Concession has good food.
LOTS OF PINE TREES, and fresh pine scent. if your physical, you are limited. - For those that like to drive in a trailer, plug in your electrical outlet, boat on the water and enjoy high tech modern camping this is a great park.
Not many pine trees!
If you like hiking trails, bicycling, primitive camping, and jogging, you will be disappointed.
The parks roads are dangerous to cycle on, trees/shrubs grow right up to the side of the pavement, many blind curves and many speeders. Many small unexciting hiking trails, only one really good long trail in the campground. Overall a great place to Picnic, camp and boat. A great recreation area.
Not many pine trees at this park. - - pure serenity - my husband and i loved this beautiful place somuch we got married right on the dck on pleasent view .. very beautiful one of our fav places in the world. impressive - the large sandstone bluffs and other sandstone rock formations are quite interesting to behold. from the trails that run along the edges of these bluffs the view is simply splendid. the park was overall amazing. tall grass prairie early spring and fall - This prairie grass park is one of the best—if not THE best—of its kind in the State of Illinois. Stands of tall grass species can be seen.
The Visitor Center has an elevated viewing area in back. Also, the trail located on the West side has a bench on a hill with a view.
There is a down side: the tick season during Summer—but no ticks well into May. Spring and Fall have good prairie walks on cool days. - Good fishing. Born in the area and have fished there for 50 years. Not kept up as well as other state facilities. Problems... - I was reading the comments on this page, and noticed the last comment before mine. I want to note that during rainy season it is of course possible that roads would be harder to travel (not sure what you mean by washed out though, to me that would mean you could not have actually drove on it, and you obviously did). We are talking campgrounds here, not in the middle of a city. I think it is always a good idea when traveling to call ahead (especially 50 miles)to make sure things are still as expected. As to the alcohol? All that information is on the website. I know that the staff is overworked, and probably not always as friendly as they could be. I think everyone has off days. I know I do. I have always enjoyed my time at the park. good but needs improving - My family and I have been camping at Forbes for 20 years. The campground is a great atmosphere and have had a lot of great times there. Although recently the prices have taken a dramatic increase. The prices have almost doubled from what they use to be. I recommend it to anyone looking for that quiet atmosphere. Since they have made improvements to the shower house and bathroom facilities the need for more water hook ups are needed . Some camp sites you can reach the water hookup some you cant unless you take extra hose. I read a review of the camp ground hosts being rude and crude.....I have to agree I know hosts are not all the same year round and they change throughout the year and not all are this way, I have had only one complaint due to a camp ground host. The hosts we had the pleasure to speak with during our time there was exceptionally rude. I can only guess to the reason why. But I have to bank on our young apearance being the reason for the rude greeting. Wish I had taken his and her name. Although we had a bad experience My wife and I plan to return and hope we do not have the same experience as before. Hope everyone has as good of a time as we have had over the years. Do not feed the bears! - Other than not being allowed to feed the bears, This place just pretty much all around kicks ass.
Bring a radio controlled plane as they have a nice air strip and field dedicated to the R/C sport. I have never flown their though but the facilities are very nice.
We were feeding deer at our campsite. They would walk right up to us and eat bread out of our hands.
The campsites are very nice and there is a lot of wooded area. That alone is a huge plus to my family as we are all nudists. It allows us to enjoy being outdoors and live our lifestyle and we have never had any problems with feeling like our privacy was being invaded by others.
The park has many many species of birds. Bird watching in this park is amazing.
- we live close to the park so we visit it regular. Alot of family memories. Great for family picnics. Love the paddle boats and beautifal views when visiting. good for tent campers - I really ejoyed the separate tent site from the tralers campers. It also has a pretty view of the lake Beautiful Park - Large campsites, beautiful area of Illinois. Wonderful walking trails lead you to some fantastic nature sightings. I love Forbes - Forbes is a great family place to go. The park has all paved roads great for walking a bike rideing. The bathrooms are very clean all the time. Always very friendly people! All around fun and beautiful place! It is a great park for the hole family - Ihave been travling 100 miles or more for over 30 yrs just to fish and enjoy the park. It is a great place to relax and enjoy nature. Beautiful - We hiked the park and stayed at a cabin (Cedar Rock Cabins) about a mile down the road. The park was as beautiful as the cabin. The hot tub felt good on our old bones. We got up rested the next morning ready to go again! We will be back! Gotta stop here - Stopped here on a river trip from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi River (abt 1000 miles) Good company, clean showers, food, ships store. The city not very receptive to boating visitors though. A geologic laboratory! - This park is on the largest anticline in the state! A great place for geologists, fisherman, and peace of mind. Amazing! - me and my family went there for a day this fall it was bueatiful and very neat. the picnic areas are great and we are planing many more trips to this park even tho we live very near there. the water was also great it seeemed clean and safe for the kids i will hightly recemend this to any family looking to take that weekend of. Pretty Cool ! - Visited November 21, 2010.
While the park appears to be abandoned and the building showing decay, the reason my family visited was to see the RIVERS. It was very impressive to actually stand on a point of land and watch the Ohio and the Mississippi waters merge together. Standing on the very tip of Illinois, you look to your left accross the great Ohio River into Kentucky, you look to your right across the Mighty Mississippi into Missouri. How cool is that. I would recommend this place to anyone interested in geography. This park is NOT abandoned. - I have talked to the park maintenance supervisor and he assured me that the park is being maintained and mowed. Funding is down (like everywhere) so consequently the park is not receiving maintenence as often as in years past. Bald eagles seen! - We saw five bald eagles circling up high, right above our car, on November 26, 2010. Incredible, unforgettable! Great Place to Hike - This is a beautiful place with many hiking trails. I love to run around. A Place to remember - My fiancé proposed to me in a cave next to the waterfall. Even though the water fall was not active it was still beautiful and PERFECT. This park is very clean and the hiking is fun, some challenging parts but exciting and beautiful. Great to take the kids there too!
Great place to hunt phasents...... - They run a fantastic pheasant hunting area during the fall. Great staff and fantastic cover for the hunt. It is a release area, but the hunt is almost identical to the real wild hunt experience. One of Illinois finest resources - The Canal is pure pleasure to hike, bike, fish or just visit for a peacful afternoon. It has it all if you like a no frills experience. Enjoy and respect what it has to offer - Clean. If each visitor would bring a single piece of trash out of the park, most would come out empty handed. a hidden gem - We love the trails and the waterfall. We especially like the bluff at sunset Beautiful Fall Leave Color! - Visited the park over the Columbus Day weekend and the colors were just beautiful! This park has 2 very friendly and helpful campground host that do a terrific job with a park so packed! Sites are all nice and a great view of the river with barges and boats going by. We stayed in the Great Falls campground. There is also a cabin that can be rented which sits with a great view of the river. We would visit again and again! a sportsmens paradise - The best place in the world to go duckhunting. Great for the whole family - We love coming out because the lots are a good size and when with a large group we have room to set up yard games. Can also keep an eye on kids at the site on top with the circle and the playground. Great place for FALL colors!! - Had a great time at the park.. nice park for hiking in colorful FALL season. Our favorite IL state park. - We are second generation campers here. Our Children and Grandchildren also enjoy this park. Needs maintenance - I have stayed several times, but see this place needs improvements. Whoever maintains and supervises, needs to work abit harder.
Dirty campsits, litter near sites, Piles of campfire ash piled near sites. Dirty dipers in womans bath room. 2barking dog rule not enforced. $20 is too much to pay. They need clean... a wonderful place to be - loved it going back again, a great place to hike beautiful place Poor Experience - Camping spots by river are extremely close together and filled with large 50 foot RVs. Barge and railroad traffic is loud. Campground hosts were extremely unfriendly. The wooded sites which are not shown on the DNR State Park Map are much nicer and spread apart. Would not recommend this place. My favorite camping location - I love this park for camping with my family and also just me and my husband. I insist on going here at least once a year. What a great place for horse back riding - This park is a hidden wonder, the primitave camping is great and the trails for horseback riding is fantastic. What a view from horseback..... well run park - we found this park to be very clean and well run. we are making plans to return to the park in oct. Great Park - Needs a swimming area an beach Excellent place to camp - We stayed one night at the campground and will keep this place in mind & go back! Beautiful area & excellent campground. Awesome fishing - These small but very deep lakes have some seriously big fish in them. Great for canoe fishing. very remote feeling and easy to access . come during the week and you will likely have the entire place to yourself. The crew that maintains this area does a great job despite the horrific lack of respect and funding for nature the state of Illinois has. The place is run down and often used as a garbage dump by some visitors but still worth a visit.
Wild turkeys every where !!!!!! - My kids ages 11,12,8 had so much fun and they loved the wild turkeys that seemed to be every where and they love swimming and going out on a kayak for the first time and they had no problem the park was wonderful we keep going back again and again . Would have been nice... - ...if the states website had mentioned that one of the main roads was washed out and there was no way to get to the campsites that we wanted to get to. It was annoying to find that all out AFTER we had driven almost 50 miles to get there. Also, they dont allow swimming and it is a no alcohol zone. My favorite field trip I ever took. - I came here in the 7th grade for a 3 day field trip. I had so much fun, I saw a white tailed buck deer while we were walking through the woods to go down to the rock river, loved the statue. and loved all the other areas of Lorado Taft. I loved the arts and crafts area. I am hoping to bring my niece and nephew here sometime so they can see what I got to see when I was in the 7th grade. I think the park is so huge and so much fun. I loved staying in the cabins when I was in the 7th grade, I stayed in the Grover. So nice in the cabin but takes a long time for it too cool down in there. have to open every window in the cabin to cool it down. The should install some ceiling fans in the cabin to help cool the cabin down faster and to put blinds on the windows too, just to keep the heat of the sun out of the cabin too. I came here in 1996. a great place to ride your horse - My husband and I love to spend the day at Le-Aqua-Na riding our horses on your great trails. The parking facility for trailers is excellent, there is water, bathrooms and shade. Trails are well maintained too. Great Place - Wonderful place to see wildlife. We watched a doe with her 2 fawns. Also saw an albino deer. They certainly could use some funding!! - Could be something far better!
with some help. Too expensive - Given the fact that the hook up is electric only and the fishing is almost non-existent its is definetly not worth the $20 fee!
The camp hostest is something else... probably one of the rudest people you will find in the area. If you do visit, please do not let her leave you with the impression that all locals act like her. Excellent Mountain Bikes Trails added! - They have added about 8 miles of mountain bike trails, 5 of it sweet single track, to their current system of hike and horse trails. Biking is in the south section only. Careful as some trails are for hikers or horses only. Amamzing - I live right by the park and go there every so often, there is always new stuff to do and see, best park ever! Worth the drive!!! - My family and I have camped in many campgrounds including Prophetstown in Indiana and Yellowstone in Wyoming. Ramsey is one of our favorite spots and much closer to home. We only wish there was a beach. No place to swim is the only thing keeping RSP from getting 5 stars. We will definitely be back!! Best little park in IL - Great time camping camping-relaxing. Everything was great ,but I only two things could be improved another playground closer to the campsites and the most important is put those top of the line and best in two states grills at every site! For the minds eye. - My family and I make journeys here to enjoy the wandering trails,breezy scenic overlooks to wind whispered trees on star filled nights.we find it hard to leave,but we are eager to return. Fish, Snakes!, Turltes, Awesome Spot!!! - Love the park so much, I live in Rockford and the Harlem Rd entrance is only 2 miles from my front door! Love to fish there (both lakes are great), have caught numerous 20 inch plus Largemouths and the lake is overflowing with great sized bluegill, crappie, perch, smallmouths, northerns, muskies, walleye and every type of catfish. I also enjoy hunting for snakes, turtles, frogs and any other kind of reptile/amphibian i may find. The northern water snakes and the black rat snakes are big and mean but i have a great time catching them (both non-venomous BTW lol). I would recommend anyone from the area to visit this great family oriented large state park. Best around by far. I visit the park in the spring and summer at least three days a week and never ever have a bad time. Go there ASAP lol. Aweosme Park - they do have electric at the campgrounds, unless you camp at the primitive sites. They also have water at the majority of the pavillions and great shower facilities.
By far one of the greatest parks in Central Il for Trail running, hiking,biking and horseback. Memories - Fabulous place to take the ever growing family for pleasant times to remember. My extended family have had a picnic there every summer since 1990. We look forward to the scenery, the fishing and the camping. We always know that a good time will be had by all. We have even had family come in from Massachusetts to enjoy the area!!! What a difference a year makes - In one year the park has changed. The camp hosts are not friendly and the bathrooms are a mess. Fees are up and I am not sure what I paid for. Not the park I stayed at last year. Going to this park since I was a kid - This park never gets old. I enjoy coming to Rock Cut just to get away for awhile. I like the walking paths and the lake. The area that I also like is the dam. nice 1 hour walk in the forest - We visited in late June 2010 after big rain. Big Tree trail was slightly muddy, but ok. I enjoyed seeing the many species of trees labelled. Nice sunday morning walk. Abandoned - This park is totally abandoned and completely run down. The road is impassable due to flood damage once you get into the loop, and the area is overgrown. Very Pretty - Excellent place! Lots of trails in different types of areas. Through cool valleys, along the river, up on ridges. The brick pavilion is an awesome place for get-togethers. In fact, my husband and I were married there. over thirty years - This is the greatest park in ILL. we have camped this park for over thirty years is always quiet and clean tent camping was the best because of the solitude during the week now rv camping and is just as great and not very far from a store and pool. making plans to return - great park resturant and bait shop - resturant offers a full breakfast menu which is cooked all day we also have sandwiches and steaks on friday and saturday come check us out we are open wed-sun 6am-9pm bait hours are 7am-7pm thurs-sun wed 7am-12 4pm-7pm hope to see you there We go every year - Make sure to get reservations in January to ensure you get a spot if you are going in the summer. Also we like to stay on bluff side, not the marsh, less bugs and more sun. Nice Park - Great early Spring and Fall spots limited. Shade trees make it hot for late Summer camping. Park staff keep park mowed and well cared for. They do a great job. Lost Potential - The campground is well kept with large, open sites and clean restrooms. We went hoping to see the Mississippi river, but the campground is nowhere near the water. In fact, there is nothing much to see except trees. The overlooks were especially disappointing as they were nearly all overgrown with trees that blocked the views in all directions. We hiked the 1.5 miles up the High Point trail only to find a dilapidated shelter and overgrowth so thick that any view of the surrounding area below was impossible. The Marina across the road is a broken down disaster area. No swimming anywhere we could find. Overall - a letdown. one of our favorites - A small, very quiet (crowded on weekends) park sitting next to a small lake and near to the larger Kincaid lake.
Has pull-throughs and back-ins. We really enjoy the peace & quiet to rest from our travels.
nice campsites, nasty bathrooms - we camped at hickory point for 2 weeks and have never camped anywhere where the bathrooms were so nasty. The out-houses were even worse and went for days without toilet paper (until we asked the hosts to fill them) What are our camping fees paying for? We love to camp here. - We would camp here more often if they had power in the regular camping area. I think they would busy all the time if they put power in this area. runners dream - i ran rockcut for 20 years before i moved out west i ran it 5 days a week, was one of my great joys of life, just beautiful! First visit hope its not the last - On vacation from England son and daughter-in-law live in Chicago took me to the park we had a great day. Every where clean and peaceful even though there were plenty of families about it was very enjoyable day out. Our favorite park... - This park is sooo nice...lots of paths to walk on, nice beach, clean showers/bathrooms,
camping sites are nice and kept mowed and clean...kid and pet friendly We love this place - My son and i go here all the time. in the big lake there are BIG muskie tho they are hard to catch. also the bass and other fish are eiaser be prepared for anything - you might have a bass on your bait or a muskie Lots to do in a decent sized park - Took our Boy Scout Troop (9 boys) to Gebhard for the first time, and though it was smaller than I had thought it would be, we had lots to do. Hiked along the canal, fished in the 3 park ponds and the canal, played ball, had a cookout, and saw lots of interesting wild life. The kids had a great time and want to return again for another visit. Horse Trails Closed for Bicyclists - We have ridden these beautiful horse trails for twenty five years. They are being closed to horses and given to a bike group. Multi-use trails are supposed to be used by all - hikers, bikers, and horsemen. Never had any trouble before the bicyclists moved in and took over these trails. Need your help to get the horse trails back - PLEASE! Wagons or driving - I hear that this park is good for driving horses, does anyone have any input on this? Thank you Illini is a beautiful park! - So nice to sit and watch the barges and boats go by on the river. Sites are nice size. Campground host are very friendly and helpful. This is a beautiful park and we cannot wait to visit this park again! Once in a life time to take a hike - Out of this world Beautiful! My fave place in the world - I go there all the time, its wonderful! I got engaged by the waterfall and married on top of the bridge over top the same waterfall. Its absolutely gorgeous, if you havent been there you need to go! It is my favorite place - I love white pines state park there is much to do there, fish, explore, hike, wonderfull meals at the lodge, and just to relax and take it easy. why travel any farther. My Favorite Illinois State Park - Our family has been camping there for at least 35 years. Best park in Illinois.
Great Birding and fishing. Our favorite place to go. - My fiancee and her kids went several times last year and loved it. The campsites are nice and secluded. You feel like you are the only one there. There are lots of trails to follow and playgrounds to keep the kids busy. We did not have any problems with noice and we plan on going back several times this year. If you enjoy camping and like to be secluded this is the park for you. Our favorite campground in IL - This place is beautiful... nice campsites, hiking trails, and very clean. We visit at least 4-5 times a year. We have lots of good memories of Palisade Park. Call first if trails are open! - There are tons of horse trails, mostly unmarked so a gps may be helpful. You need to call first to make sure the equestrian campground/trails are open. They were closed the majority of last year due to rain. Campground has no electric, not sure why someone would think it is better than the other campgrounds. Great historical site - Have been stopping there for years in my travels from Tn to Wa. Most of the time I am the only one enjpying the barges and solitude. Love it!! Hope it is open 4/18/10 when I pass through again. Awesome Time... - Me my Daughter and my Wife went camping for the first time in our new pop-up. We decided to try Beaver Dam first. Everybody is so nice and my daughter met alot of new friends. We will be going back and most likely not even trying another camp ground out. Awesome - I love this park! Home - I am from Salem,IL I have been living in Dallas, TX now for 5 years. I miss the serenity and tranquility of nature, fishing, hunting and all around nature of Forbes SP, I hunted and fished many seasons there, but most of all I miss my home... Just a great place to be! - Very nice park. Tight if you have a big class A. Three main loops, one will not handle campers bigger than 20 ft. Wooded and peaceful. Farm land to the north and during late fall the farmer harvest is fields. Nice hiking trails, fair fishing, no gas boats on the lake. Turkey, deer, coyotes and all sorts of small, lovable animals. Only one shower house. Home Away from Home!! - My Father is sort of a camping addict. He got my wife and I started and we have all been camping from Northern Mich. to Southern IN. Yet when it comes to the nicest and cleanest camping experience of all, Ramsey takes first prize!! A true adventure - While they try to prevent erosion with some decking it is still a charm with rocks to cross over the stream. It still feels like a real hike. Fun for all. Great facility! - A beautiful, quiet area unmatched for quiet contemplation. Excellent wildlife viewing area: eagles, heron, bobcats, deer, and much more. GREAT deer hunting in area! I am a landowner bordering the park! We go there a lot! - We love the campground and the park itself. The only thing I might change is putting in a shower house. healthy blue catfish - I like to drift this lake for blues and flatheads good place to visit. needs work to acces - i cought my largest bass in 10 years here. the place needs lots of work, but i guess we will have to wait untill the state can pay its bills. outdoorsmans paradise - great fishing,hunting and good camping,My family likes going there. The staff there are very helpful an knowledgeable Love it - i go there all the time love to fish there
great for 5ks Best park around for walking or relaxin - Best kept up park in the area! Great facility, with all the natural beauty in site! This is a favorite spot of my entire family and many friends a beautiful place - Such a great place Shawnee Forest has it all - For nature and outdoor lovers this area is fantastic. Rock formations are everywhere, hiking is awesome. This is a hidden jewel for for visitors. Love, love, love this park. - Lots of ponds for fishing, very relaxed atmosphere, knowledgable and friendly visitors center folks. We travel from Chicago to come here and love the wildlife. Owl and coyote sounds at night. Very picturesque park and trails. Great proximity to other parks in So. Il. and Carbondale is close enough if you need to go into town for something while camping. Pack out what you pack in, inc. yourself - This park is an amazing place to hike and see nature, but please be careful. In the past few months more people are getting hurt, the canyons are deep and if you keep getting closer to edge to see whats down there, well you eventually will, possibly flat on your face. Many city and suburban folks come hiking and think this is a city park not so, and then our emer. personnel have to fish you out of a canyon. Please come and enjoy just be careful, and may i add take your water/ soda bottles, food wrappers, etc. with you there is no personnel time for cleaning the trails after you, you are youre own janitor. Adventures await you - this park is amazing,each season it has something new to offer,my family n I go every season and enjoy the beauty.the waters are not for swimming,but the creeks make good wadding to cool off on a hot summer day ,the water falls are amazing each season Great day eagle watching - Eagle watching trip. Was great! Very informative, and our guide drove around the back roads places that you never would think of being able to go, it made eagle watching so much fun. We seen so many eagles. Our group came from many states and I know that they will take the day back with them and spread what a wonderful time they had at Pere Marquette. A big THANKS to the wonderful staff. The most beautiful park in Illinois - I have made many trips to Matthiessen over the years and each time I find something new. The waterfalls are amazing. Great for Cross-Country Skiing - I live 10 minutes from Jubilee College State Park, but would rather drive 1 hour (each way) to cross-country ski at Johnson Sauk Trail Park. You obviously have to break your own trail (this is Illinois), but the loops are nice with great scenery! Real Chicago History - If you are a history buff and want to know how the Chigago area got its start this is the place to go. A good place for biking and hiking and nature viewing. The beavers, geese and ducks have come back! Nice clean park. - Has a good restaurant. Good catfishing
Beautiful Park - We had a great experience at this park. I had one run in with the Rangers. We had two sites because we had 5 people. They made us move at least one tent to our second empty site.
Otherwise, it was a great trip and an excellent park with great facilities. leave notthing but footprints - A great place to spend a day!Slow down and take in all the beauty and try the trails! They are great. My favorite place to horseback ride. - Beautiful, varied terrain. Well maintained. Great Place to Relax - Illini is only 45 minutes from our home and a great place to relax and do nothing. We spend the weekend there as often as possible (going today).
I agree with Kenard Doll, four hosts are a bit much and they do take up prime campsites. Two would be adequate in my opinion.
Fall colors were gorgeous - Here is my article I wrote inspired by my visit to the park last week.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-10429-Chicago-Adventure-Travel-Examiner~y2009m10d22-Mississippi-Palisades-State-Park-fall-foliage-in-full-splendor Great Park - Nice camping spots, quiet, and close to town for anything you might need. Only problem is that the shower rooms need much repair as in other state parks. Host is friendly and helpful if needed. great place to ride your horse - I had a great time riding the trails here.I wish I lived closer to the park. I would ride every day perfect for picnics - great park for get to get together. love it Trail Runners Paradice - Kennekuk Road Runners put the park on the map by making and keeping the trails open for walkers, joggers, hikers and runners. KRR has been wonderful for this beautiful park. See it for yourself and bring a friend or the family. Thankyou for making the trails available for everyone. And for hosting great trail racing. An unknown piece of history to many - Beatiful View - We visited Casle Rock in the fall and stopped at the lookout points on the east side of Rte 2. The views were wonderful with the beautiful fall colors. Just be prepared to walk up a lot of steps, but the view was worth it. A favorite - Camping areas are nice - lots of room between sites. Lots of sites. Clean restrooms. NIce fall / Spring Camping - Great Park - campsites are a little close. It can be crowded Memorial Day to Labor Day. Great place before & after. NIce hiking trails and great views across the lake in the fall. Very Cool Wnd Turbines - NIce clean Illinois Park Near Bloomington. Fish were not biting when we visited but it is close to the wind farm which is surreal at times. Best Trails / Great Food at Lodge - Great trails & food at the lodge. A great serene get away. Go during peach season and enjoy the surrounding orchards. Great peaches in this area. The hiking is gerat but the humidity & heat can be tough. Something for everyone here! - Whether you want to enjoy the nature trail, walk/bike the I&M Canal Towpath, camp, paddle the Canal or fish the many ponds/canal, Gebhard Woods is a definitely fun for all! Guided horse back rides/ AWESOME! - We have rode at this facility for 2 years now and find it amazing every time. It is a beautiful way to see the shorelines of the lake. We definately will be going back again and again. A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT EVERY YEAR - I HAVE BEEEN GOING TO THE ENCAMPMENT SINCE I WAS A CHILD IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND NOW I TAKE MY CHILDREN I AM GLAD WE HAVE THINGS LIKE THIS IN OUR AREA. THEY DO A GREAT JOB EVERY YEAR. A+++++++++++++++ beautiful campground - This place is so quiet and private. The campground is nicely laid out. No two sites are quite the same. Clean restrooms and showers and a friendly staff. The park is very clean a beautiful park and its close to I-70 - A real Gem, this park has two seperate campgrounds, one that has beautiful sites overlooking the lake and ravines and another area that is flat and easy to manuver large rigs. A very quiet and beautiful park with a friendly staff and a restaurant with views of the lake Great place to get away from it all. - We camp at many campgrounds throughout the state of Illinois, and Stephen Forbes is one of our favorites. Besides the great fauna, the fishing is spectacular (Mostly by boat). The campground is great, and kept very clean. The hosts are wonderful. I would recommend this park to anyone. A great family park. - This state park has it all. Camping, hunting, walking trails. This is what a state park should be. Well maintained and user friendly. WORKERS NEED BIG PAT ON BACK - I remember several years ago Argyle Lake State Park had three (3) full time workers and 3 or 4 seasonal workers plus the teen program.. Now they only have ONE(1) full timer, three(3) seasonal and one(1) Partimer. They also have the Government Program for Teens Helpers as before. This Year the workers Cut Trees, Clean the Bathouse & tiolets, pick-up trash and garbage, weed eat, mow weeds, plant flowers, Cut Brush and clean it up, clean the Horsetrails, and the list go on & On... I think the Site Superindent do a good job at managing the park plus the bookwork He has to do. I am so glad people can enjoy the beautiful sites, the deer, and all of Gods Little Critters. I think these people need a GREAT BIG PAT on the BACK, and a Thank-You from the people. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !!!!! Nice sites but noisy - The tent sites were nicely sized and private, with good tree cover between sites. The campground was, however, quite noisy late into the night, in particular with many dogs barking at all hours and loud music playing until late. I would go again, but pack earplugs. awsome fishing and great wildlife - my husband and i have enjoyed the camping alone and last time we went we had five dogs and two kids with use staff is awsome great family camping, we are comming this weekend again alone look forward too seeing all the wonderful staff people this park was all around great fun - So i went to this park with my 3 year old twins girlfriend and 3 other friend one who loves to bike single track as well as my self and we both loved the trails. the fishing good my kids caught thier first fish here. Nice people all around so if you go here be nice. the only thing that i would change about this place would be to have a better camping store, with more stuff for while you were camping they would make a lot of money. but other than that it was awsome hummingbirds - Carol Thompson gave wonderful information and insights about the hummingbirds as we enjoyed watching them feed on the jewelweed flowers. Thanks to those who publicized the gathering of so many birds, and to Carol for her cheerful expertise! Great place to enjoy nature - A great place to spend time with family and friends and definitely get your exercise!Very safe enviroment,as long as you wear gym shoes =)and follow the trails. Grew up at this park - The Park has always been beautiful and the camp grounds are always clean. I always feel safe when I am at the park late at night. My family has had many reunions there that have always been enjoyable. - really large lake with two peires A great little park - Beaver Dam has seperate tent and RV campgrounds that are well shaded and nice. Park has a small fishing lake with boat rentals. An adjacent restaurant is very good. Playground is nice, bathrooms well kept. Overall is a nice and smaller state park. Best place to relax - My husband and I have been coming here for the past 4 years and love it! Its quiet, the sites are private, large and wooded, the staff is friendly, and the even when the park is full on weekends, most everyone there is respectful of others. However in the past month (since it was aired on the WGN) I have found that there are quiet a few adventure seekers who are also less than courteous to others and the park its self. There have been people there with large rafts and ATVs. The park has no such places to use these things and the campers who have been bringing them have been disrespecting the park and its guests. Some sites have become mud pits, bathrooms have been trashed, dogs are left unleashed and not monitored (I was followed to the bathroom by one) and garbage has been left in many places (sites, trails, fishing spots. etc.) Hopefully after this year, those that saw it on the news will have realized that this park is not the adventure camp they were looking for and leave the place for those that love and respect it.
This place is for you if you are looking for:
-Rustic and quiet camping and the feeling like you are all alone in the woods.
-Trails that can be traveled in about an hour and at times can be difficult for the novice but enjoyable
-A place to take amazing photos that you would not expect to find in Illinois
-A quiet fishing place for both bobber and bottom fishing and fly fishing.
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Not for you if you are looking for:
-Amenities... Pit toilets only, no sinks or showers (wells only)
-Rafting adventures
-ATV or offroading trails East Moline Campers - Great park. First time there. Nice secret so close to the Quad Cities. Very clean and quiet. Roomy campsites. Illinois got this one right. A great example of a true prairie! - This is an example of what a true prairie should be. This is a must see prairie. A great place for the family and for the nature photographer. BEST LITTLE EQUESTRIAN PARK AROUND - WE HAVE CAMPED THERE WITH OUR HORSES NOW FOR CLOSE TO 10 YEARS - LOVE THE EQUESTRIAN CAMPGROUND, ALWAYS KEPT UP, CLEAN, MANAGED WELL, TRAILS GREAT, CREEK IS WONDERFUL, AND THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TAKE CARE OF THIS PLACE FOR US, INCLUDES, KURT, ELMER, CHUCK AND THE BOYS THAT HELP OUT. WE HOPE THE PARK STAYS OPEN FOREVER AS IT IS LIKE HOME AWAY FROM HOME TO US. WE HAVE MET MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE THRU THE YEARS THERE AND HOPE TO CONTINUE BRINGING OUR HORSES OUT THERE AND CAMPING FOR A LONG TIME. Disabled Vietnam Veteran - How much for is the camping fee for a disabled Vietnam Veteran/100% service connected
spades_champ67@yahoo.com A great place - I would really hate to see this park closed when it offers so much to so many. GREAT IN THE FALL SEASON - LOVE TO HUNT THE GRAY SQUIRRELS THERE IS A, NICE CONCESSION STAND BY THE LAKE , One of our favorite parks - a very nice and beautiful park. My parents were from the Ramsey area many years ago. I was doing some research on my family and we drove through this park and went camping there for a week the middle of July. We would definitely camp there again. It is nice and clean and a good place to ride our bikes. Keep up the good work! A Great Experience - We camped here with our two young children and dog for 3 days, The park is beautiful and quiet. The sites are secluded with tons of privacy. We enjoyed playing in the river and looking for fossils! I would highly recommend this park. great - The best fishing place ever We love it here - I always enjoy a nice weekend here. It is away from the crowded streets of the city and the scenery is wonderful. It is a great spacious area to relax. a great place to spend a day - a great place to get away from the city - great view of the counrty and wildlife Lincoln Trails - Very lovely place. Haunted Cemetary. (if you believe) Very peaceful. Nice place to have a birthday party in the summer. Good place to take your kids fishing at the river. No canoe/kayack access unless the river is low enough, but the access is past the park going south, and on the right hand side before the bridge you will see a trail that goes right down to the river. If the river is low enough, you can sit right in the middle of it and enjoy some basking in the sun Very beautiful peaceful park - My best friend, our kids, and I just got back from camping over the weekend. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we stayed another night. There are many trails to walk and a beach the kids can swim at. It cost $1/person to swim but it is worth it. Primitive camping was $6/night and each site has a picnic bench, grill, and fire pit. I would recommend this park to anyone who wants a relaxing break from reality. :) We love it there - It is the quietest camping area we have been in. Everything is very clean. For a weekend get away it is really great. Our kids just love it. We go at list 4 or 5 times a year.
Prime Destination!! - Clean, quiet, friendly, safe, I could keep going!!! Boat ramp nice, ample parking, hiking trails nice, shady camping, and plenty of picnic areas. Great place to run, walk, take your dogs, take your strollers, or just take a slow drive. A great place to relax and get away - This park my family has been going to since my kids were small and my husbands been going there since he was a child. We love to go there because of how quiet and the sites are very secluded and most are good size Our favorite camp site camp - My husband and I have been going up to the campground for about 18 years now with our two youngest children. This year my daughter Megan and her husband Jason are starting their own tradition by taking their young son Tyler up also
we love the area and the local people are wonderful. We hope to continue our yearly tradition for years to come. LOVE LOVE IT - I have been coming here since I was little. I got married at this pard and now take my kids. We love camping at catfish bay(tent camping) and our kids have a blast. We love it. Everybody should go. If you like to have more amenities you can camp where the campers are then you can have showers and everything but you dont have as much privacy. Great family place and very nice people. oh we also love the beach. Family Favorite Park - We go camping several times a year at Kickapoo. It is a clean and beautiful park full of wildlife. We enjoy taking our kids on a canoe or tube ride on the river. Great place to have a family getaway! Clearly a gem in central Illinois - As nice a park and lake as it gets. Easy access to fish, camp, and walk. a great place to camp and relax - we go to illini state park when we can get away. my comment or problem is , other years there has always been 2 campground hosts, and they do a wonderful job. this year for reasons unknown to me there is 4 hosts . the problem i have with 4 hosts presant is that 2 extra host take up 2 campsites that could be rented out resulting in lost revenue at a time when all agencies are in need of money. with only 1 host on duty at a time the off duty hosts are gone for days at a time leaving there camper on site resulting in not being to rent out those 2 sites.
take the money lost from 2 sites and take that times the days the camp ground is open and you have a lot of lost money . and by the way those 2 extra host are on prime camp sites. Nice Park and Lake - Camp Host at the time was a bit confused on fees and did not mention senior rate it was discovered by customer when reading rules that host had left on the table, Bathrooms were not very clean but minimally ok, Camp grounds were very clean and well kept. would definately return. Beautiful park, lots of wildlife - a fishermens paridise - one time I caught a 6 pound bass in this lake and the campground was really nice and we it has a play ground for the kids and sewer at every spot and water and electricity at every spot and only $10.00 a night and a shower house and a contest every week to win a new boat or 6 weeks free camping peaceful park - a friend of the family invited us to come along for the 4th of july weekend first i did not know what to expect but the i found out that the park is small but very attractive peaceful the river is very clean and the park staff gave us a good service i will hihgly recomend this park to any one who want to get away from the city Love this place! Grew up here. - All my childhood memories were left here along with all my families. Now i bring my nieces and newphews to camp here. I plan to bring my children to camp here. Great views very relaxing and clean. Will go back every summer god willing! Car breaks and new friends are found - Car broke down and hosts Dave and Debbie took great care for us and checked on us continuously and even called to see if we made it home. Delbert a camper knew we did not have a car to get supplies and it was very hot. When we got back to camp that afternoon we found ice and drinks in our cooler. He also called us many times a day to make sure we did not need a ride some place. We were taken care of by complete strangers that treated us like thier family. Great Place to camp and meet new friends you never knew you had. great outdoor family fun - such a pretty and peaceful place to take the children to camp fish and play a great place to met new and old friends thecafe is good just a wonderful place to go Great outdoors along the River - I have been going here for 20+ years. I introduced my wife and kids to the Park and area 5 years ago. Good biking, hiking, scenery and camping. The lodge is a nice get away and its neat to see the Eagles in winter. Beach fees - The admission fees for the swim beach have been raised to $3.00 this year (2009). Nice place - good fishing also - Cost of camping - $20.00 per night are over nighter - park was very clean & well maintained and mike was very helpful pointing things out for me and my son. Kara Patterson - Absolutely beautiful Terrific trails and terrible ticks - The trails were well marked and just plain awesome. They were great for backpacking.
Be prepared to deal with tons and tons of ticks. Great Park - I go here to fish a lot! Clean and very nice relaxing place to go! Wish you all had a camp site (at least tents and pavilions with grills) All night fishing would be GREAT TOO!!!! good fishin alota walkin - if you dont mind walking and are a good patient fisherman then a good place. good walleye in mc. master. good bass in most lakes. from good eaters to good fighters. decent bluegills and nice redears.later in the summer the bass and gills hang off the moss in the deeps and on cool evenings come in shallow. crappie are nice and post spawners will be in the moss. alota nice 10 inchers. catfish at nights comn into the shallows. Childhood Memories - Ive been coming here since i was 5. My Dad was the first one to bring me and i just love to visit when i can. One Of Our Families Fav. Parks - This park is one of the best you`ve ever been to. I`ve gone there ever since I was a kid.They Had a HUGE success with the Kickapoo Clean Up Day.Over 500 of Danvilles Citizens showed up to help the park.I Highly recomend Kickapoo State Park to anyone who loves camping and the outdoors. Favorite camping site - This is a special and unique park. The park is surounded by lime stone bluffs and has ample and well maintainted camping grounds.
Trails within the park of wide variety and several of the trails sport stepping stones to cross streams. Even to get to the camping site you drive through a small ford in a river.
Lastly, at the main lodge they have a great and inexpensive buffet. - The camp host in Plum Grove has the messiest site ever! There are tarps and junk all around the trailer. It looks like they lived there year round. It is really disgraceful! There should be more swings and playground equipment for children. The things there are old and in disrepair. Too bad - I love this park and have camped there for 40+ years. - First Time Campers!!!! - My family bought a camper and had our first experience at this park. Wow! It was amazing. We camped 4th of July 2008, and all of the fellow campers were helpful and kind. The hosts were also extremely helpful to us newbies. We had so much fun with the lake, playground, horserides, and biking, that we are going to be camping there many more times this year, and years to come!!! Beautiful place with lots of room to play!! Noise level was under control and no obscene campers! We would definitely recommend this campground to anyone. Life time experience for children - Took children, scouts and adults through cave a number of times. All had fun and want to go back. Would recommend to anyone. More scenic than Starved Rock - We came for Starved Rock and decided to stop by. Boy, we are glad we did. We spent the better part of two days exploring and admiring the park. The water falls were beautiful and accessible. The trails were scenic and peaceful. Some trails were quite muddy, so bring proper foot attire as well as bug repellant. Splendid - This is a great park to go to and enjoy a day, sunny or not. The trails are kept nicely, and there are plenty of opportunities to explore off the beaten path. Bring your suit, there is a lot of opprtunity for water fun.
This park is the best on an uncrowded day, allowing you to breath freely. Wonderful trails - We take our kids there a couple of times a year and they love the trails and wildlife to be seen. Awesome Horse Trails! - Fantastic horse trails and park - a definite must-visit. Amazing well-kept, generally double-wide sand trails with gorgeous timber and hills, and even Cacti!
One of our favorite places to ride -- trails well marked (color-coded) of varying lengths, with easy access day parking and overnight camping. Heaven on Earth - Siloam Springs is by far, the best State Park I have ever been to. Its captivating, private, beautiful and a bit of magic I believe. The lake is the clearest I have ever peered into. Its like liquid glass. The history of the place echoes through the hills and ravines, springs and streams. I am one of the lucky ones who live nearby in Quincy, so I go every chance I can get. Its my slice of Heaven right here on Earth. When you have a down day, the hills embrace you, and the streams softly talk to you till you remember that in the grand scheme of things, life is beautiful. Great For Families - My family and I have been going to this park for over twenty years, and it is always clean and inviting. There are many trails and activities for younger children, as well as adults. Different picnic areas allow for abundant space for family gatherings and birthday parties. I would reccomend a visit to anyone! a beautiful park to hike with your famil - have been hiking starved rock for many years with my kids and grandkids,nieces and nephews..trails are marked,and scenery is amazing.i find it unbelievable how many kids from close by have never been there to enjoy it.i take as many as are willing to go..so parents ,slow down ,get your kids together and teach ,show and enjoy nature with them..you will not be sorry ,lol,so go ,go ,go great park - i have camped for 50 yrs this is one of the best., Great Park - Great park, probably one of my favorite in Illinois. The fishing can be slow at times though. A nice, small state park - We visited the park yesterday and found it to be a nice, but pretty small, park. Very quiet (during the week, at least), with just four miles of fairly easy hiking trails. The statue is impressive, but not too many other things to see or do in the park. Not a bad day trip if you want a quick escape to the country. ted nugent - this is the best place to bow fish The best Park in the area for Camping. - Camp there a lot with a 5th Wheel great park and very clean glad it is open again I am A Disabled Vietnam Veteran - I Camp at Red Hills State Park A Lot.
I will Be Parked in The Handi Capped Parking.Driving A Old Brougham RV.Stop In And Say Hello family traditions and memories -
we been coming here since i
was a kid.
Now,I bring my daughter.
A great place to relax and enjoy nature.
The staff is very friendly and accomodating. Do you have Pasque Flowers at MHSP? - If so, when can I expect them to bloom? what it needs - Red HIlls State Park has a very nice camping facility...but I think they need to put in a swimming area... I go every year - I go at least once a month. It is less than 5 miles from my house and it is very reasonable priced. What I like most is the no alcohol. People who camp here, are here for the camping not the Partying best time camping/fishing - been camp for yearsat moraine view,my grandparentscamp for many years,he passed there boat down to my famly and now we fish and camp there in my grandparents behalf our freinds camp beside us we fish and have a realy good time there. the park is clean the bathhouseis nice and clean,play ground is nice. if you want have a good time camping go to MORAINE VIEW by leroy VERY GOOD!! - Been going their camping for the past 40yrs.
Fishing is veru good they have a resturant right there on the lake and the park staff is great also. Best Camping In Illinois - Me and my friends go at least twice a year. Awesome time! my favorite plave to camp 100% for shure - theres plenty to do there good fishing (as of the last time i was there) exelent campgrounds and plenty of room for great hiking Fantastic - We were there most of last summer and thought this park was great. excellent park to go to - very clean and quiet - Nice for biking - A nice 10 mile biking trail runs parallel to the river for a gorgeous ride. Long stretches are level and suitable for beginners. Beautiful trees, lots of shade, pretty bluffs along the river. Many nice, clean picnic areas and playgrounds, cute little nature center. A low-key and generally uncrowded place that offers a lot to the laid-back nature lover. Equestrian, cross-country ski, and snowmobiling trails available. The river is easily boatable, but NOT swimmable due to dangerous and unpredictable currents and drop offs. Campgrounds are pretty, clean, wooded, and well-maintained. best campground in illinois - This park is vry nice and if you think $18 a night is high and there is not a shower house I have news for you I think I would want to travel 20 miles and not have a shower house and pay $18 a night then drive 60 mile to some park that have concreat spots and 6 lb bass great - been there milions of times Spend Time Here! - Jubilee State Park has an excellent network of mountain bike only trails which are well maintained by PAMBA - the Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association. It also has a huge network of equestrian and hiking trails. The park is actually huge and there are lots of areas to explore. There are well maintained if somewhat horse - overused trails throughout the whole park. The campground is nice, but the horse campground is even nicer. One of our favorite parks - My husband and 6 of his friends just finished their last hunt at Moraine View before its closing 11/30/08. They all loved it and hope if would remain open. A Camping Pleasure - My husband & I camped here for the 1st time this year and it was a very enjoyable visit. Nice paved roads for bicyling, nice walking trails, level sites and lovely lake for fishing or boating. Look forward to camping there again ! A big muddy hole!!! - It was a great place to fish,since it was the only lake to fish in lawrence county,until the state drained the lake and killed every thing in it.
Will take years to have good fishing again. beautiful area in a flat state - This park is very nice. The campground has nice restrooms/showers, paved roads and many level sites for motorhomes. Nice tent areas also. Deer are abundant. But we need help keeping it open. Our Governor whom is exactly like our previous Governor wants to close this park and several others in downstate Il. Lets hope he changes his tiny mind. - I just have to echo the sentiments above about what a loss it will be when the governor closes this park in November. There are far better ways to save the state a dime, even if they may be politically inconvenient. Beautiful fall view. - Great Park ! ! !Keep It ! ! - Wonderful educational tool.Every year its on my list of places to visit.My Father Dorsey C. Bohannon first took me here when I was a child,its got better ever since! Thanks to the park staff for a GREAT VISIT EVERY TIME ! ! Our family loves this place - My wife and i went here one time by accident when we first met. Years later i proposed here. We now have a 1yr old and october 09 we will be there with her. We love this place. beautiful - i love the lake, the view i love everything about this park. all around family fun park - Great place to go to take children to learn about nature. Has a wonderful resteraunt. The people at the park are very friendly. the nicest park ever - this camp ground is a very nice place to stay.the camp host iv very nice and never puts you down.they have a playground!concreat spots to stay in some are gravel.sweet lake! just stay here and the price a night is $18.00 ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES - WE ALWAYS HAVE A GREAT TIME HERE , AND THE PERSONNEL ARE ABSOLUTLEY GREAT ALSO. WE RETURN AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE........ Help Save This Park - This a beautiful park. We will be heading there this weekend, possibly for the last time. A wonderful park for all ages will be sadly missed when the extremely selfish governor closes the gates November 1. Please go to www.saveourparks.com to voice your opinion. One of my favorite horsebackriding area. - Beautiful Park - This is a wonderful park for family hiking and camping. Please call our governor and tell him to sign the bill to save this park or it will be closing November 1st. Gov. Blagojevich phone # 1-217-524-4049. Save our Parks. sign the petition@ www.gopetition.com A great place to ride a bike - This is a great place to ride a bike or hike. The trails curve around the moraine hills so every hill and low area provides a fresh vista. Lots of wildlife, birds, fox, squirrels, to punctuate the travel. This is a clean, well kept park. Our number one place to ride horses - We thoroughly enjoy this park. We ride horses at a lot of places and this is always the one that we come to the most. The trails are always well maintained and everyone is very helpful and friendly. Thank you for making our trailriding so pleasant. The Best Camping - The camping is wonderful, so quiet and the people are respectable and the bathrooms are clean I love this place photos - a great place for taking nature photos as i do for state parks in illinois and add them to illinois state parks website photos - great place to take nature photos as i do my photos of wolf creek has been seen all over the world Hunters Paradise - One of the best parks and one of the best state parks to hunt around IL Great floodplain forest - This is a favorite spot for me to bring students, as the floodplain forest is so well developed (and preserved), and then there is a steep transition to upland oak/hickory forest for comparison. Illini State Park - It is a great place to camp if you intend to bike on the I & M Bike Trail. The sounds of the boats going by on the river is very relaxing. our favorite place to ride - we love the horse trails with first discovering this park 30 years ago. the scent of the pines while riding or camping is just wonderful. our granddaughter now rides with me so 3 generations of our family have enjoyed the trails. we hope/pray this park and the trails will never be closed. Illinois best kept secret - An excellent park for hunting!! lots of deer and turkey that are well managed. troughy bucks can be harvested by the more experienced hunter. plenty of additional wildlife to see while hunting also. friendly people, very clean park. A great place to take the first time hunter and have success. Park rangers are courtious and professional. Camping and trails are also a great experience throughout the year. this is by far the best state park I have been to. A must see for any outdoorsman. Spectacular - One of my favoriate places to visit. Its natural beauty is second to none. - There is now a concession stand and boat rental by the boat ramp!
Great biking area - with no people!!!!!! - Excellent day use area for hiking, picnics and biking. Favorite park - Wonderful Park that the Governor wants to close as of November 1 2008. What a sad day that will be. We will lose so much for our family and friends. Let Kickapoo know how important their park is to you, your family and friends. They are trying to find a way to keep it open. We want to spend many more years camping there. STAY ON THE TRAIL!!! - Just recently we have been hearing about Starved Rock not being safe. This park is a great park, and there are so many railings and trails that the beauty of the park is suffering for it. The people getting hurt at this park are not staying on the trails. Please do not let people who do not obey the postings destroy this wonderful place. The point of starved rock is to be around nature and enjoy scenery- you can do that on the trails. Starved Rock is a good and safe place to go- for now. Please stay on the trail so that some of the beauty is allowed to remain. Great place for familes and pets. - Playgroune, campling, boat ram, icecream stand, waliking trail, benches to sit and watch the boats on the river. It has the nicest pavillion with a fire place at both ends. We love it. We love our park!!!!!!!!!! - moraine view is one of the best parks we visit during the summer.the staff is very nice and the hosts are very infomative about current events and about activites going on in the area. This park is a big part of the community of leroy and should always be open. Many childhood memories - I am 57 years old and spent many happy days and nights visiting this wonderful park with my family and friend! We live/ed in Aurora, IL and White Pines is the place of some of my favorite family memories.
I visited it again in mid-August and am hoping to have a family gettogether there soon! Great Park - This is a great park. I live not far from it. My kids enjoy going there to the parks and to hike and fish.. Our park is closing though. :( Help us keep it open.. Contact Blagojevich
217-782-6830.
HELP US VOICE OUT TO KEEP OUR PARK OPEN!!
Great Camping - What a wonderful state park! Campsites had plenty of space between them, the park was kept in pristine condition, staff was very friendly. A great experience with plenty to do nearby. quite place to escape - we come down every year and enjoy the beautiful sencery of your great park and enjoy hitting the lake to do some serious fishing and watching the sunset over the water. the land is so pretty and enjoyable we hate to leave it when it is time to go and we always look forward to coming back every year My Favorite Camping Park - Gorgeous, clean, relaxing and amazing. I love coming here and we do every year two or more times as possible. The town is cute, friendly and fun. Hidden gem - This is a hidden gem state park. The hikes in the canyon are interesting and you are rewarded with 4 waterfalls. Our family enjoyed it very much. Very nice park!!!! - We had a great back to nature experience. The camp sites were well maintained. The camp host was very pleasant. It was what I had expected out of a camping trip!!! The cost was very reasonable compared to other camp grounds. No hidden costs !!!! Thanks so much for taking such good care of this park. A peaceful retreat - On the deck, watching the barges, day and night - about as peaceful as it gets. I highly recommend it as an excellent place to unwind. BEST PARK AROUND - THIS PARK HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SEE FROM FISHING TO SNAKE HUNTING . YOU MAY WANT TO ASK THE RANGER IS NEAR BY IS A BIG HUMONGOUS TREE YOU MAY NEED BINOCULARS TO SEE THE BALD EAGLE . I WAS THERE IN 03 04 - I loved our cabin in the wooded area. I would have prefered being more secluded however. Park ranger bothered us late at night for talking to loudly....said neighbors complained. Awesome in beauty - This park has been a LONG tradition of our family; my grandparents ran the store inside the park for many years in the 1930-50s-Paul and Missouri Morse. The park is relatively untouched since the 1960s and is a sight to behold along w/ the sights at Garden of the Gods and other parks in the area. You guys do great work - Is there someway of moving an old CCC shelter to the Buffalo Rock entrance across the street or to the Boyce Drive entrance? The poor thing is on the north side of the canal about 1/2 mile past campground C. It is restorable in my opinion. It would look super in either location. One of our favorite places to go - We were just there over the weekend and we loved it. Very wooded area that gave some privacy between campsites. We had so much fun there nice lake. You can go fishing, boating, cycling, picnicing or for trails. Though trails are rated difficult and they truely are. Great for families! We are definetly going back. Our first camping experience - This was our first time camping and it was so memorable. We had so much fun, great trails great location. We stayed in the little hill and no one else was around us. Bathrooms were very close and very clean. Great place for kids. Perfect way to start our new favorite thing. Nice Park! - Great palce to hike see the Fall Colors and just get away from the city!! - the lodge would not guarantee what size bed or what kind of room not at all friendly nor helpful.8/6/08 Very shady and paved roads - Campsites on the river are beautiful, they also hve 50amp hook-up which we need. Enjoyed very much Lots of wildlife to enjoy while on trail - Horseback trail ride only a couple of hours between two thunderstorms. Loved it, so much wildlife and beautiful trails along side of the the lake. Will be back with more friends to enjoy the full lenght of the trail as soon as possible. Great Park - Fox Ridge is in my back yard. I have many fond memories of going to the park as a child. I took my girls to the park often and walked the trails. I now take my grandkids. I love to go down by the river and look at all the different rocks. The kids love the mussel sheels. Great place to picnic if you bring sandwiches or use the park grills. A geart place to get away from it all. OSAGE CAMPGROUND LOT 4# - VERY NICE CAMPGROUND AND VERY QUIET BATHROOMS WERE CLEAN,SHOWER WATER VERY HOT!I WOULD COME BACK GREAT FOR THE FAMILY .ONLY PROBLEM WITH TOILET PAPER IN STALLS IT DOES NOT ROLL AT ALL !BRING YOUR OWN Love the park - We love the park and camping. They DO NOT take reservations anymore and the is a challenge with high gas prices. I hope they change their mind soon. Beautiful Camping Spot - - Wonderful Time with family - We had a great time camping the weekend prior to and the week of July 4th. In fact, we initially were going to camp for only the weekend and then extended our stay for the rest of the week. We had a great Tent Camp Site - and wonderful fishing! - Incredible horseback riding trails - The trails are incredibly beautiful for horseback riding! A Great Experience - We were visiting my brother in IL. We met some of his buddies at the Paisades to climb one Sunday and what an experience. A beautiful place. Awesome, Historical, Breathtaking! - On Tuesday, 7/8/08, my daughter, granddaughter and I had the opportunity to view the confluence of the great Ohio River and the mighty Mississippi River. It is absolutely breathtaking! Fort Defiance State Park is the only place this is possible. To think that the same charting done by Lewis and Clark is still being used today is mind boggling! The size of these two rivers is massive! Be sure top see it. Wonderful campground hosts - We were warmly greeted by Jim and Carol and
Mona and her husband. They became like family to us as we visited Chippewa many times last year...
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!! NICE PLACE - I HAVE MOVED TO FLORIDA , BUT WENT BACK TO THE AREA, IT IS WONDERFUL Riding Trails - Absolutely beautiful riding trails, but your horse has got to be fit. Neglected Lincoln Site - After a bitter winter Abraham canoed from here to New Salem on the Sangamon River, which cuts through this site. His family went further south. It is pretty but neglected. Kayak access is a little difficult. No camping facilities. Restrooms are OK. Worth exploring. May be improved in the future. Quiet, secluded. enjoyable bike ride - Great ride in Rock Island County. Beautiful and peaceful. nice family park - I love this park - The hosts are excellent and the people are very friendly. It is very chld friendy. Nice during week, busy summer weekends - The campground was pleasant and quiet during the week. Over the weekend as the campground was almost full, the bathhouse facilities were not as clean and the campground noise level was higher. The campground hosts were pleasant, helpful and very much present on the site. The campground only has electric hookups on the sites. Water spigots are available but are few and far between. Two dump stations are available. The water which may have been potable was far from clear. The campsites are nicely spaced among large mature trees. The playground was a nice playground though close to the bathhouse. The campground is a popular site with families for tent camping. The campground is far enough from major roads to be a quiet and pleasant camping experience. MY FAVORITE CAMPING SPOT - I ABSOULTLY LOVE CAVE IN ROCK STATE PARK. IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND QUITE. IT IS A PLEASURE TO STROLL AROUND THE LITTLE TOWN AND EAT AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT. I TRY TO COME BACK EVERY YEAR. A great park for interesting hikes - A comfortable lodge provides easy access to surrounding hiking trails. Our favorite park - This one has everything. The only drawback a few years ago was the sulfur smell in the water. However, after going there this year, the water did not have that same smell. Beautiful lake, good campsites, great playground, hiking trails and friendly people. Really like the place Chain Of Lakes State Park - I really enjoy going camping here. It is a very friendly campground. I like to sit up and wait for the rangers on horseback to go by. My nieces have always enjoyed waiting up with me. On the holiday weekends they also have hay rides for registered campers. Our Family Tradition - My husband, my father, my two daughters and I just returned from a week long camping trip at Siloam Springs. We have made it one of our family traditions. Great fishing, great trails make it easy to forget the outside world. The staff is incredibly friendly. Relaxing Retreat - I live in Decatur and i love to come here for a weekend and sometimes a week. It is very relaxing and not far from Wolf Creek so that we can swim. thats where we always go - i love camping. only place we go is forbes we like the invirorment its always friendly and cosey. we always feel at home when were there. i was looking up your web site and you dont have the cost up on it its been 3 years scents i been there. so i would like to now what each night would be for tent and pull trail. we would be using tent for now but will go back to pull camper. so i would now the price for both please. it would be informationable. this summer will be are first camping out in tent in 3 years and not sure of price on it. so please email me back thanks jo ferrell Pretty and Quite - This is a pretty park. Plan on waking to many types of bird songs new to you. Never crowded, we often feel we have the park is to ourselves. Clean and Tidy - Clean, quiet park, great for families! The campground could use a little expansion as it fills up quickly. Lake is good for kayaking, but where did the swans go? A great place to camp. - My husband and I spent the Memorial day weekend there and we were highly impressed with the sites and the ammenities. The concession stand food is excellent and there is plenty to do. Boating, hiking, fishing and plenty of relaxation. The staff was extra nice and very helpful. My childhood playground - I played here as a child and visit when I come back from Washington. Around Easter when the redbuds are blooming, it is so beautiful. We used to pick persimmons in the fall.
Wonderful memories! Fantastic trip for kods - This is a great place for our class trip. It accomodates plenty with the bathrooms nearby. Perfect for us. - Problems for hikers - Camping facilities are excellent. Challenging for hikers, but we like it that way. (We are a Boy Scout Troop). The trail map furnished by the state is dangerous. Trail markings on the state map have been changed. Johnson Hill Bridge was removed several years ago, so the Out and Back Trail is useless. Check web site for Kickapoo Mountain Bike Club for trail map of northeastern part of the Park. Beautiful - I got engaged at the beautiful waterfall we hiked to! A great park to visit and revisit Excellent family camping and facilities - Great stop for Motorcycle trips, very clean restrooms
Beautiful God given view - My family and I have visited this park for many years and it never seizes to amaze me the beautiful view when you get to the top by the statue. No shower house - If we have to pay $18. dollers a night then they should have a shower house. - it was amazing Our hangout for 30 years - We have made Ramsey our meeting place for the last 30 years. My dad started me when I was 7, and now we continue it with my kids. The fishing used to be excellent and is still good. Excellent staff andver helpful. Clean park. My only drawback is the concession stand was never rebuilt after it burned several years ago. You have to drive a couple of miles for groceries and tackle. Boat rental is done at the park office now. Well kept and clean - Didnt see much wild life but it was a holiday weekend and there were alot of people there. If I was an animal, I would hide too. Cave-in-rock - wonderful place!!! go there every chance! Best of the best parks - My grandfather took my uncles and father to White Pines, my father took my brothers and me here, and I plan on taking my children to White Pines. The ground here is like sleeping on air and the smells of white pines lull you to sleep. On Sunday mornings you wish it was Friday because you don’t want to leave. The bathrooms are always spotless and the rangers are like a next door neighbor. I love this place!!!! THANK YOU WHITE PINES!!! - THE MOST FUN EVER - my family and I go to Rock Cut every year and we enjoy it very much. there is soo much to do in soo very little time. also on many occasions you can wake up in the morning and walk outside of your camper or tent and see a wild turkey!! what an amazing site. i think you should try camping there and you will see how much fun it is!!! Great place to fish!! - Natural setting plus handicap access also. You can cook in some areas. All kinds of fish just waiting on you!!! A great time! - Had a great time at Moraine View. Very nice, well maintained, and friendly. Will return to camp and recommend to friends two stars?? - How can this park be sooo great, yet only get 2 stars? We drove through the park on advice of campers who said this was their favorite spot in Illinois. We plan on heading back this spring with kayaks and bikes. It certainly looked like 5 stars to us! A Real Suprise - We were pleasantly suprised with the park. It has very large campsites and a lot of great hiking trails. It is very well kept and not overcrowded like a lot of parks. An A+ park in all regards. One of our favorite Parks - They have the Trace Inn Restaurant located in the park. Really a nice place to dine. Awesome Campground! - Was our frist time camping and we really enjoyed it! The camping sites are alittle private as ther are trees blcking your site from the next! Large Campsites / Friendly People - One of the most beautiful parks in Northern Illinois/has something for everyone--fishing,variety of birds,playground,nature paths,entertainment,and swimming in season GREAT!!! - Great park, beautiful surroundings, friendly rangers, highly recommeded for the family or group of friends. The cows next to the Prophets site can make a lot of noise and be a disturbance but overall great time!! camp ground host - can not fine camp gound host half the time I love this park!! It is the best!!! - I took my grandson to see this park last summer. I wanted him to see, learn the history of, and enjoy this wonderful park. It is a place I have loved all my life. It is a special place, and will remain so. No Bait - If you plan on fishing in this area make sure you bring your own bait. They do not sale bait any where in Nauvoo. This has to be the cleaniest park I have ever seen. Great For Families - My husband and I really enjoyed this park for our walks together. I liked the fact that when you go farther back into the park, by the lake, you can walk all the way under Lily Lake Road and over to the McHenry Dam area for more trails. great place to camp - I think the people that live in indiana and come to camp should be able to reserve the site,with out drivng there a week ahead of time just to put a tent on the site. We love the campgrounds but with the cost of fuel. Come on guys A jewel in the middle of vast farmland - Fox Ridge is a jewel in the middle of vast farmlard. A great place to get away for a day by yourself or with your family. One of our favorite parks - Great Bass, Trout & Catfish fishing - Small lake, Boats with trolling motors only, well stocked. Nice camping spaces & Picnicking, camp store open in spring & summer. Like stepping back in time. - If you are looking for a hike in a natural park this is where to go. Also has good fishing. long time favorite place - have been a fan of this park for 45-years. used to have to drive through the corn to get to the lake. cafe and showers are a nice touch. plan on trying out new camper 1 -st week of may. wash board paths - the park bike trail by Tiskilwa, has become very un pleasant to ride on recently, due to I assume park service use a vehicle that cause it to be like a wash board. I usually try to ride with a friend side by side and and it is now hard to do that. your help in changing that soon would be greatly appreciated, Wonderful place to wander - I have hunted turkeys at Sandridge and have also just walked trying to be lost. It is quiet, natural, one of my favorite places to be. What God has provided for us there!! Simply a fantastic park. - I have been going to Ramsey State Park for several years as well as camping at other parks throughout the state of Illinois and I would have to rate RSP at the top of the list. Very reasonable rates, friendly, great fishing, beutiful scenery, lots of activities and very clean shower house. Ramsey State Park is like a throw back from years gone by. Everyone who camps there have a very friendly attitude and a calming demeaner. | Hickory Hideaway - Shannon, IL Cottages and Cabins More than just lodging, it's home to 12 cabins located on 10 wooded acres just minutes from Lake Carroll approximately 30 minutes from beautiful state parks such as Mississippi Palisades, Lake Le-Aqua- Na, White Pines Forest, Rock Cut, Morrison-Rockwood. A romantic whirlpool cabin with fireplace or country kitchenette can accommodate everything from intimate parties to family reunions. Enjoy our friendly atmosphere beside the bonfire or in our 8-person hot tub.  Web Site: http://www.hickoryhideaway.com/ |
 | BeachWatch LLC - Loves Park, IL Water Sports Olson Beach located by Rock Cut State Park is a 250 yard long swimming beach located in Rock Cut State Park. General admission is $3. Admission for children under 48 is $2. Boat rentals are $5 for half an hour. Concessions and sand volleyball courts are available. Swim Lessons and Junior Life guarding classes are also available. Olson Beach is open noon to 7pm daily from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day for the summer swim season. So come let BeachWatch LLC host your water activities in Olson Beach at Rock Cut State Park. For more information call 815-978-5560. Web Site: http://www.beachwatch.net |
 | Shambolee Golf Course - Petersburg, IL Golf 18 Hole Shambolee Golf Club's new management team is excited about giving you a great public golf experience. The club has great amenities including a driving range, putting green, full-service bar, and stocked pro shop. Web Site: http://shamboleegolfclub.com |
