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Illinois offers dozens of beautiful campsites throughout the state, but nothing is quite as relaxing as a lakeside campsite. The following lakeside campgrounds offer sandy beaches and recreational activities such as swimming, hiking, boating, and more. A few of these campgrounds are located nearby or within state parks, as well, adding even more scenery and adventure to your trip. Here are our five favorites.
Experience over six miles of beautiful, unspoiled sandy shoreline around Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park. Located in northern Illinois, this unique natural setting features a diverse natural landscape, plentiful wildlife, and many recreational amenities including scuba diving, swimming, skiing, and fishing to name a few. They also offer 241 premium campsites with access to electricity, showers, and bathrooms.
Wolf Creek State Park is a gorgeous camping spot with many recreational activities including boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming. There is a developed swimming beach surrounded with beautiful scenery ideal for relaxing and spending time with family or friends. They also provide nearly 400 class A and C campsites and two family tent camping sites.
Kayak Morris Campground is known for their beach camping and kayak tours. This tent-only campground is only an hour away from Chicago’s suburbs and provides a relaxing, family-friendly environment with plenty of shaded picnic areas, kayak rentals, and a nearby boat launch.
For the perfect beach, look no further than Comlara Park. This natural water play park offers 2.5 acres of water for swimming and four acres of beautiful beach for volleyball, sunbathing, picnicking, and relaxation. The scenic campground offers 144 campsites including 94 electric sites, 23 non-electric sites, nearly 30 primitive sites, and a group tent area. Other nearby activities include hiking, boating, fishing, and more.
This peaceful campground offers plenty of shady spots, beautiful views, and shoreline fishing. They accommodate RVs up to 60 feet and offer full hook-ups along with a dump station. Although seven miles from the Illinois River, Condit’s Ranch features four lakes—one is designated for swimming and has a sandy beach. They also offer many amenities including a game room, recreation barn, playground, and camp store.
