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Hunting Closures this fall: November 18-21 & December 1-5
Starved Rock State Park on the Illinois River bluff in La Salle County is one of Illinois' most beautiful destinations. Camping near Starved rock features 18 canyons w/ vertical walls of moss-covered stone formed by glacial meltwater that slice dramatically through tree-covered sandstone bluffs. More than 13 miles of trails allow access to waterfalls, fed season runoff or natural springs, sandstone overhangs, and spectacular overlooks. Lush vegetation supports abundant wildlife, while oak, cedar and pine grow on drier, sandy bluff tops. Camping near Starved Rock offers recreational opportunities abound, from hiking to camping to fishing, boating and hunting. Special events are scheduled throughout the year. The Starved Rock Visitor Center is open year-round, and the 1930s-era stone and log Starved Rock Lodge offers luxury lodging, cabin rooms, and fine dining. Starved Rock State Park in Illinois is a dream destination for a midwest nature getaway.
From I-39 southbound: South to I-80 east (exit #59). Go 2 miles to exit #81 (Rt. 178, Utica). Go south (right) 3 miles on Rt. 178 and follow the signs into the Park. From I-39 northbound: North to Exit #48 (Tonica exit). Go east (right) for approximately 5 miles to the T-intersection, which is Rt. 178. Go north (left) for approximately 5 miles and follow the signs into the Park. From I-80 Eastbound and Westbound: Get off at exit #81 (Rt.178, Utica). Go south 3 miles on Rt. 178 and follow the signs into the Park. From the Chicago area: Take I-294 or I-355 south to I-55. Take I-55 south to I-80. Go west on I-80, 45 miles to Exit #81 (Rt. 178, Utica). Go south (left) 3 miles on Rt. 178 and follow the signs into the park.
Reservations can be made 3 days to 6 months in advance through https://camp.exploremoreil.com/ unless you are requesting a Youth Group Camp -site whereas you will need to contact the park at 1-815-667-4726 and dial 0 for assistance. • Walk-Ins are welcome and can pay by envelope/ drop box or at the Campground Booth. Sites are not “first come, first serve sites” reservations are highly recommended. The campground reaches full capacity every May-October. • Cancellation Policy: Reservations must be cancelled 3 days in advance to receive a full refund. The reservation fee will not be refunded nor can it be transferred. • There is a non-refundable transaction fee of $5 plus a 2.2% (credit card) or $1 (e-check) convenience fee. • A minimum 2 night reservation is required for Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Fourth of July (when it falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday). • You must be 18 years old or older to camp unless accompanied by a parent/guardian. • There is a maximum of 1 family (2 parents with their minor children) or four adults per site with 2 tents. • Youth Group Area is strictly for Youth Group Organizations! NOT families or Adult groups. Min of 10 persons/max of 25 per site. $2/per person/per night or $20 minimum per night (10 person minimum)
Disregard any negative reviews. If you’re looking for a continental breakfast there’s lodging down the highway.
This place has everything you need for a day or two in the woods. “Mack” checked me in and was accommodating and super friendly as well as the rest of the staff I met.
Showers work, running water and electricity. What more do you want! Super close to the hiking that you’ll probably come down here for.
Our stay was cut short without us even asking for a refund, because we could not cope with the dusty roads and had enough. I couldn't sit outside because every time a car came by our site the dust covered us up. Even a work camper flew down the road on a utility vehicle creating a huge cloud of dust. The roads and parking sites are powered dust the same texture of flour. No gravel, just powered dust. Worst experience I've ever had in a campground. On top of that a contractor mowed grass that didn't need mowing. More huge clouds dust. My car and motorhome was nice and clean. Just driving in slowly created a coat of dust over everything. After two days our car and motorhome was filthy. I didn't dare open my windows. The excuse was "it hasn't rained in a while." Stay away unless you don't mind breathing dust and dirt. If the owner would spread a little gravel over the powdered dust this could be a good campground. Too bad.
We camped at Starved Rock State Park Campground for the Thanksgiving weekend. When I made reservations, it said the East Loop was closed for the season. When we got there, there was one other camper in the West Loop. The East Loop had about twenty campers in it.
The two loops have different characters. The West Loop is wide open. A couple would be hard to back in to. The majority of the East Loop is in the trees, and quite a few of the sites would be hard to back in to.
There aren't any trails in the campground area. They save those for the State Park area 😉
Dumpsters are near the entrance to each loop. Would be nice if they were more towards the middle of the loop.
The weirdest thing about this campground is the tire shredders going into the dump station. I get it, they don't want people to ba k out of the dump station, but it's not very wide open, and I could see how it'd be easy to get your rig stuck, and not being able to back out would really limit your iptions on what you could do.
The bathrooms could be updated. There are only two shower houses, one in each loop. Each only has two showers, one toilet and one urinal. I can't imagine that's enough in summer when the ampgrounds are full. It'd be great if the shower houses were in the middle of the loop, I stead of at the entrance to each loop.
Woke up to 4" of snow on the ground
Our campground host Andy was amazing and it was nice feeling he was looking out for us (2 younger women) while camping. He recommended a great site. Bathrooms were clean and functional. We had a great time!
Very nice campground. The only limitation is that water fill stations with a suitable hydrant is very limited to basically on hydrant at the entrance to the campground. Other water sources were push button and wouldn’t be capable of filling ones RV fresh water tank. Our sight was nice and shaded and had lots of privacy from our neighbors.
