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The Shabbona Lake SRA campground has available 150 Class A Premium campsites, with 90 campsites available for advanced reservation through www.reserveamerica.com. Additionally, 60 campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. All sites have electricity, picnic table, fire rings, and vehicle access. A sanitary dump station is available to all campers. One family is allowed per campsite, or four unrelated adults with up to two tents. Campers must be ready to camp upon arrival. The campground may be closed during the spring thaw due to road conditions. Alcohol is prohibited. To check on the status of the campground or for further information, call 815-824-2106 during the week or the campground check station at 815-824-2565 on weekends.
There is also a Campground Store on-site that offers firewood, groceries, snacks, ice cream, camping supplies, fishing tackle, and boat rentals.
Camp Cabin
Two rent-a-camp cabins are available at the park. The rustic cabins have two rooms and will accommodate a maximum of six people. They are located on the shore of Shabbona Lake. Electric baseboard heat allows year-round use of the cabins. No Pets are allowed in the cabins with the exception of service animals.
Youth Group
Shabbona Lake's Youth Group camping area will accommodate two groups of up to 50 campers each. Water and privies are available at the site, but there is no electricity.
Shabbona Lake State Park is easily accessible from the Chicago area via I-88. Take I-88 west to the Sugar Grove exit, which is approximately 2.5 miles west of the Aurora Toll Booth. Take US 30 west from Sugar Grove approximately 22 miles to Shabbona. Visitors from the Northeast or Southeast, take IL 47 to US 30 west to Shabbona. Visitors from the Southwest or Northwest, take I-39 to to US 30 (exit 87). Directional signs are on the exit ramps. Take US 30 east 7 miles to Shabbona. From the DeKalb area, take IL Rt 23 south to US 30, then take US 30 west to Shabbona. Signs in Shabbona will direct you to the park. The park entrance is on Preserve Road, approximately 1/2 mile south of Shabbona. Signs in Shabbona will direct you to the park.
We enjoyed our stay! Would recommend campsite #99. This campsite is right next to the shower house so you have access to running toilets! The rest of the bathrooms on site are out houses. A nice lake for fishing, boating, and kayaking but this is not a swimming lake. Each campsite does have electric as well.
We've been to Shabonna Lake several times, but in basing this review on the camping experience.
The site we had was very nice, with lots of grass. Many sites are not this way, having only gravel. So if you're tent camping, be aware of this. All sites have electric. The bathrooms don't have flushing toilets and are really unpleasant. Bring a bucket for nighttime, as there are no lights in the bathroom.
We had some loud campers several sites over, many kids yelling until 2am. Then there was a couple arguing at around 5am. I was surprised no one was coming around to check sites, noise, etc.
All in all we had a great time. There's a kids fishing pond and other activities for kids. People in the area are generally polite. We'll be back.
Nice campground with weird reservation policy. Can't use open camps on the day of arrival by the lake. We were told they had to be booked 3 days ahead. Makes no sense. Nice store.
We took a drive through Shabbona this Friday morning. We had not been there before & wanted to check out boating regulations, boat ramps, lake depth, etc. We went into the Bait Shop & the men were great answering our questions. I was surprised they sold live bait & also did boat rentals. He confirmed the HP limit was lifted in lieu of a slow wake regardless of your boat motor hp. Good to know! Also good to know is that they sell alcohol & other drinks as well. Overall the park/lake was beautiful & we definitely would come back to fish.
I had a fantastic experience at Shabbona Lake and Campground in Illinois. The lake is absolutely beautiful, and the picnic areas are perfect for a relaxing day out. The surrounding trees add to the natural charm of the place. A great spot for enjoying nature and spending quality time outdoors.🌳🐶🪷
