By:
Submission
Rock River Valley is home to 385 acres of paradisiacal forest, perfect for weekend getaways and family recreation. White Pines Forest State Park offers a serene backdrop for an ideal camping trip, smack dab in the heart of the vast rolling forest and dramatic Illinois bluffs. Featuring modern camp facilities, as well as up-to-date lodging, it’s easy to see why one might consider taking a voyage here. Not only are the amenities plentiful, the local geography is pretty stunning too. Gentle creek beds run against rich earthy banks through the park’s mossy cliffs and dangling vines. During the spring, wildflowers become plentiful, as trout lily, bloodroot, spring beauty, hepatica, and more all blossom into full bloom.
One of the most notable features of the park is a concrete ford which spans across the creeks. This enables drivers to pull directly up to the creek bed, and drive through the various streams. There’s even an accessible path leading straight to the bank for those interested in checking out the wildlife or taking advantage of the fishing nearby.
It goes without saying that picnicking is extremely popular here. In fact, there are over 100 campsites that feature their own picnic area, as well as various benches and clearings placed strategically throughout the park.
Thanks to the variety of campsite options, it’s really easy to find camping here at any time of year. White Pines is unique in that it boasts Class B/S Campsites vehicle access and spacious shower/flush buildings nearby. There are also 3 electric sites, however they are non-reservable. Likewise, group campgrounds cannot be reserved so be sure to wake up early for priority camping!
Nice trails through woods and along creeks. On some trails you can cross the creek a few times. Good scenic overlooks. The gift shop is really nice.
The cabin is so cute. It feels homey and is comfortable. The fireplace was wonderful, and boy, does it heat up the room. The grounds are beautiful and hiking friendly. The restaurant has really good food. We will definitely be going back again.
The park itself is a solid 5 stars. The trails are beautiful and the grounds are kept clean. A day trip here for nature hiking is highly recommended.
I have some bad news about the cabins, though. They look adorable and have a very cozy feel to them inside, too. As far as creature comforts go, these little cabins are packed with an impressive array. Gas fireplace, spacious bathroom, television, fridge, coffee maker, etc. We were underwhelmed, however, with the overall experience during our overnight stay. The fireplace in our cabin didn't work and the shower head was more like a leaky hose nozzle. We attempted to have a relaxing evening around the outside fire pit while looking at the stars, but that turned out to be impossible. A wedding party kept pumping out loud music and drunken voices deep into the night well beyond the 10pm "quiet hours" restriction. In addition to the noise, the wedding guests filled the entire area with smoke from cigars, cigarettes, and marijuana as they wandered around the cabins. At checkout time, the staff was far too hecticly busy to hear any of these concerns. We really want to give the cabi s another shot, but next time we'll know to ask about scheduled events and the functionality of amenities prior to booking. I recommend you do the same.
For the tree lovers out there. This is a very special place. One of the only old growth Eastern White Pine forests around. The pine trees are huge and beautiful along with many deciduous trees like oak and maples. Great place to explore trails in a day. The lodge also is an impressive WPA created log building. Cabins looked really comfy too.
