Illinois' Best-Kept Camping Secret Is This Lakeside Spot With More Than 250 Glorious Campsites
By Melissa Mahoney|Published August 14, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
We all know that Illinois has some freezing cold winters, so when the warmer months roll around, we want to spend as much time as possible outdoors. For many, that means heading out to one of the many lakes for swimming, boating, and fishing and maybe do some camping as well. At Illinois’ Rock Cut State Park, there are plenty of campsites that are right on the lake. If you didn’t know about the awesome camping here before, now you do.
Rock Cut State Park is a 3,092-acre park located in the north-central part of the state in Winnebago County. With seasonal hunting, fishing, trails, wildlife, horseback riding, boating, camping, and more, this is an ideal place to come and connect with nature.
There are 40 miles of hiking trails, 25 miles of equestrian trails, and 26 miles of trails for mountain biking. You can also bring your boat to use on one of the lakes or rent one from Rock State Park Concession located right at the park. They have kayaks, canoes, fishing boats, paddleboats, and paddleboards available.
This park has not one, but TWO lakes: the 162-acre Pierce Lake and the 50-acre Olson Lake. Each one provides exceptional fishing, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, and boating.
There are also plenty of campsites to go around here at Rock Cut State Park. In all, there are 210 Class A Premium campsites, 60 Class B/S Premium campsites, a rustic cabin, shelters, and a youth group camp.
There are 60 campsites that sit lakeside giving some of the best views at the park. These particular sites don't have electricity, but you are right there on the shores of the lake and that's pretty awesome!
Camping at Rock Cut State Park is available year-round. However, only electricity is available at each site from November through April; there is no dump station or water available during that time. For more information on Rock Cut State Park visit the webpage. To book your camping spot, head to the ExploreMoreIL website.
If you enjoy camping, check out our article on the 15 Best Camping Spots in Illinois. Is your favorite campground on the list? Let us know your favorite place to camp (or glamp) in the comments.
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