Pet Friendly

Sankoty Lakes

Sankoty Lakes Resort in East Peoria brings a genuinely exceptional resort experience to the Illinois River Valley — built on the crystal-clear waters of the Sankoty Aquifer, one of the deepest and cleanest natural water sources in the Midwest, where spring-fed lakes have the remarkable clarity of a mountain trout stream in the flatlands of central Illinois. Twenty minutes from Peoria and two and a half hours from Chicago, Sankoty Lakes offers resort-quality amenities and a natural setting that consistently surprises guests who didn't know this caliber of Illinois camping experience existed. Accommodations range from glamping safari tents and well-appointed RV sites to upscale lakeside cabins sleeping up to eight guests — each with fully equipped kitchens, decks, and outdoor fire pits — and the exclusive 1840 Ranch House, a private guest property suited for larger groups and special occasion gatherings. The Woolly Bugger, Sankoty's signature on-site restaurant and bar, provides full-service dining and evening atmosphere that sets this resort clearly apart from conventional campground food. A beach pavilion and bathhouse, outdoor fireplace, free bicycles for guest use, picnic spots, a 24-hour front desk, and a coffee shop deliver service quality alongside the outdoor recreation. Pets are welcome at Sankoty Lakes Resort. The Sankoty Aquifer lakes provide a water recreation environment of genuinely unusual quality — the kind of visibility that makes kayaking, canoeing, and swimming feel like engagement with a natural aquarium rather than typical Midwest lake recreation. A dedicated fly-fishing trout stream on the property adds a specialty fishing experience alongside the lakes' broader angling, birdwatching, and hiking trails that keep guests occupied from dawn into the evening hours. Peoria, 20 minutes from the resort, offers more cultural depth than its Midwest city reputation sometimes suggests. The Caterpillar Visitors Center chronicles the engineering achievements of one of the world's great manufacturing companies in an interactive exhibition that resonates well beyond industrial tourism. The Peoria Riverfront Museum combines natural history, art, and a giant-screen theater in a well-funded facility anchoring the riverfront. The Peoria Zoo and the Historic District's restaurants and live music venues fill an evening excursion with ease. Starved Rock State Park, roughly an hour east, provides the Illinois River's most dramatic canyon scenery with 18 canyons, waterfalls, and trails for a full day of hiking. Sankoty Lakes Resort operates through the Illinois camping and resort season, with summer representing peak demand for the lakes' swimming, kayaking, and fishing recreation. The Woolly Bugger restaurant and the resort's premium amenity level have created a devoted local following — Sankoty lakes guests often describe the resort as a destination in its own right rather than a base camp for elsewhere. Reserve early for summer weekends and cabins, which fill ahead of RV and glamping tent availability.

Lakeside Timbers RV Campground

126 RV Sites

Lakeside Timbers RV Campground in Neoga, Illinois, offers 126 full-hookup RV sites across 18 lakefront acres on Lake Mattoon, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 80 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Waterview, field view, and interior categories join a standard tier, with a marina, boat ramp, outdoor pool, and general store. One hundred twenty-six back-in sites run in 30/50-amp full-hookup, full-hookup field view, full-hookup interior, and full-hookup waterview categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Naming categories by outlook — water, field, or interior — tells you what you are booking, and 80 feet accommodates the longest coaches with a tow. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The store's provisions go well beyond standard camping supplies. A marina and boat ramp open the lake for boating, with an outdoor pool, game room, pavilion, dog park, swimming, and picnicking filling the rest. Wine and beer tasting is nearby. Pets are welcome. Lake Mattoon sits in the agricultural lake country of Cumberland County, where east-central Illinois's flatlands open onto one of the region's most productive recreational lakes. Effingham, Mattoon, and Charleston are all close, with I-57 and I-70 within a short drive. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand. Reserve well ahead for June through August weekends.

from $35/night

Camp Lakewood Campground

52 RV Sites, 3 Tent Sites

Camp Lakewood Campground in Effingham, Illinois, offers 52 RV sites and three tent sites within a mile of both I-70 and I-57, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 120 feet. Premium pull-through categories, including one with a patio, join full-hookup and water-and-electric back-in tiers, with an outdoor pool, boat ramp, and game room. Fifty-two sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 30/50-amp, back-in water-and-electric, premium pull-thru, premium pull-thru with patio, and pull-thru 30/50-amp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 120 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. One hundred twenty feet is among the most generous capacities anywhere and accommodates anything on the road. Confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric category does not carry sewer at the site. Three tent sites round out the lodging. A laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. If you arrive after the office closes with a reservation, your name will be on an envelope with your site details. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a boat ramp for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, and a game room, playground, and swimming filling the rest. Pets are welcome. Effingham is the crossroads city of downstate Illinois, where I-70 and I-57 meet — one of the most convenient overnight stops in the Midwest. Demand tracks interstate traffic rather than a season. Reserve ahead for holiday travel periods.

from $35/night

Hickory Grove Campground & RV Park

11 RV Sites

Hickory Grove Campground & RV Park in Sheffield, Illinois, offers 11 full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 90 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, in Bureau County's Illinois River valley. Back-in and pull-through categories join tent camping, cabins, walking trails, and a dog park. Eleven sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 90 feet. The 90-foot capacity is generous for a park this size and handles a long coach with a tow comfortably. Tent camping and cabins round out the accommodations. Clean restrooms, showers, and laundry handle the practical side. At 11 sites, reserve rather than counting on availability. Pets are welcome. A playground, dog park, and walking trails fill the grounds, with hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, horseshoes, and picnicking from the area. Boating and a state park are nearby. Sheffield sits in the rolling agricultural and woodland countryside of north-central Illinois, between the Hennepin and Walnut river communities in the Illinois River valley's northern corridor. The Illinois and Mississippi Canal State Trail runs nearby, and the Bureau County landscape carries good hunting and fishing alongside day-trip range across the region. The campground serves the Illinois season, with summer travel and fall hunting both drawing steadily. Spring and fall deliver the most comfortable conditions in the river valley. With 11 sites, reserve ahead for holiday weekends.

from $63 $55/night

Jellystone Park™ Pittsfield

90 RV Sites, 52 Cabins, 5 Tent Sites, 4 Glamping Sites, 6 Cottages

Jellystone Park Pittsfield in Illinois offers 90 RV sites, 52 cabins, five tent sites, and four glamping sites on a private lake, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 60 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Back-in and pull-through categories at both amperages join a splash pad, beach, jumping pillow, and boat rentals. Ninety sites run in back-in 30-amp, back-in 50/30-amp, and pull-through 50/30-amp categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Fifty-two cabins, five tent sites, and four glamping sites make the lodging inventory unusually deep. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Day passes run 11am to 6pm and include the jumping pillow, wibit, pool, slide, splash pad, paddle boards, and kayaks. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a private lake, beach, and boat rentals supporting swimming, boating, paddle boats, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, inflatable water toys, and fishing. A jumping pillow, arcade, game room, gem mining, sports courts, volleyball, gaga ball, horseshoes, golf cart rentals, walking trails, hiking, biking, a recreation center, playground, pavilion, dog park, bar, and snack bar fill the rest. Pike County sits where the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers define the western Illinois landscape. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $43/night

I-55 RV Park & Campground

20 RV Sites

I-55 RV Park & Campground in Edwardsville, Illinois, offers 20 full-hookup RV sites with water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp service, sized for rigs to 74 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, directly off I-55 at Exit 23. The combination of 74-foot capacity and immediate interstate access is the draw for travelers crossing the St. Louis metro. Twenty sites carry full hookups on 20, 30, and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 74 feet. Water, sewer, and electric run to every site. The big-rig-friendly layout means long coaches can arrive and depart without a difficult approach, and the pull-through sites let an overnight guest stop without unhitching — a practical advantage over St. Louis-area campgrounds at more complicated addresses. Pets are welcome. The park is deliberately simple, and the site itself is the amenity. There is no resort programming here; the value is a clean full-hookup site with easy on-and-off access and a quiet setting despite the highway proximity. That quiet is a design outcome rather than luck — the campground is laid out so the interstate noise and light stay off the sites. Guests wanting extensive amenities should look elsewhere; guests wanting a straightforward, well-run overnight with full hookups will find exactly that. Edwardsville sits on the Illinois side of the Mississippi in Madison County's Metro East, which gives guests the full St. Louis day-trip range without Missouri-side pricing and weekend availability pressure. Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most significant prehistoric archaeological site in North America, is five miles south. The Gateway Arch, the nationally ranked museums, Cardinals baseball, Blues hockey, St. Louis City soccer, World Wide Technology Raceway, and area college campuses are all within easy reach. The park operates year-round on the I-55 corridor. Event weekends in St. Louis and summer travel drive the heaviest demand — with 20 sites, reserve ahead when a major game or race is scheduled.

from $63/night

Terre Haute Campground

35 RV Sites, 7 Cabins, 5 Tent Sites

Terre Haute Campground in Terre Haute, Indiana, offers 35 RV sites, seven cabins, and five tent sites with 30 and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 89 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Every RV site is pull-through, including premium categories with patios, alongside an outdoor pool, fitness center, and clubhouse in Vigo County. Thirty-five pull-through sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30-amp, 50-amp, and 30/50-amp service, sized to 89 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Premium categories add a patio. Every site pulling through means no backing after a long day on I-70, and the 89-foot capacity handles large coaches with a tow. Seven cabins and five tent sites round out the accommodations. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, RV storage, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with WiFi throughout. Late arrivals are covered: if you have a reservation and arrive after the office closes, your name will be on an envelope by the front door. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a fitness center, clubhouse, and game room open through the season. Sports courts, basketball, horseshoes, walking trails, a playground, a dog park, and a community fire pit fill the grounds, with planned activities besides. Pets are welcome. Terre Haute sits on the Wabash River at the Illinois-Indiana border, on the US-40 and I-70 corridors. The Lincoln Heritage Trail and Indiana's covered bridge country are both within day-trip range. The campground serves both through-travelers and longer Wabash Valley stays. Summer is peak — reserve ahead.

from $40/night

Sun Retreats Rock River

44 RV Sites, 52 Tent Sites, 7 Cottages

Sun Retreats Rock River in Hillsdale, Illinois, offers 142 RV sites, seven cottages, and 52 tent sites on the Rock River, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 55 feet behind a gated entrance. Deluxe waterfront and 50-amp pull-through categories join a splash pad, beach, mini-golf, and fitness center on concrete pads with patios. One hundred forty-two sites span deluxe water-and-electric 30-amp, deluxe water-and-electric 50-amp, deluxe water-and-electric 50-amp pull-through, and deluxe waterfront categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 55 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Seasonal concrete-pad sites with patios are the property's signature. Seven cottages and 52 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, showers, firewood, RV storage, and boat storage handle the practical side. The property was formerly Sunset Lakes RV Resort. An outdoor pool and splash pad anchor the summer, with a lake, beach, and boat docks supporting boating, paddle boats, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Mini-golf, a fitness center, craft room, library, jumping pillow, gaga ball, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and corn hole fill the grounds, with walking trails, a playground, dog park, snack bar, and on-site dining besides. Pets are welcome. The Quad Cities sit 15 minutes south, with the Rock River's limestone bluffs framing the property. Summer is the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $45/night

Hickory Haven Campground

50 Tent Sites

Hickory Haven Campground near Keokuk, Iowa, offers full-hookup RV camping and 50 tent sites across 27 shaded acres, with EV charging, a general store, laundry, pond, walking trails, and pickleball. The property has built a devoted following since 1993 at the confluence of the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers. RV sites carry full hookups. Contact the campground to confirm amp service, length limits, and current category availability for your rig — the published site records are incomplete. Fifty tent sites make this substantially a tent property. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and EV charging handle the practical side — charging is still uncommon at campgrounds this size and worth knowing about if you tow with an electric vehicle. Ask about the Loyalty Club discount when you arrive. A pond supports fishing, with walking trails, hiking, a playground, pavilion, community fire pit, dog park, pickleball, corn hole, and genuinely good stargazing filling the rest. Planned activities run through the season. Pets are welcome. Twenty-seven shaded acres and more than thirty years under the same devoted following is the kind of continuity that says more than a feature list. Keokuk sits at Iowa's southeastern tip where the Des Moines River meets the Mississippi — one of the most historically significant confluences on the inland waterway. The Keokuk Lock and Dam is among the largest on the river, the eagle watching each January draws crowds, and the George M. Verity River Museum and the National Cemetery are both in town. Nauvoo, Illinois, and Mark Twain's Hannibal are within reach. Summer drives demand, with the January eagle season a distinct second wave. Reserve ahead for holiday weekends.

from $25/night

Kaskaskia River Camping & RV Park

34 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites

Kaskaskia River Camping and RV Park in New Athens, Illinois, offers 34 full-hookup RV sites and seven tent sites on the riverbank, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 90 feet. Back-in categories at four amp combinations join pull-in and pull-through tiers, with a pavilion and direct river access. Thirty-four sites span back-in 20/30/50-amp, back-in 20/50-amp, back-in 30/50-amp, back-in 50-amp, pull-in 20/30/50-amp, and pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric, sized to 90 feet. Listing the exact amp combination in every category removes any doubt about what you are plugging into, and 90 feet accommodates anything on the road with room to spare. Seven tent sites round out the lodging. A pavilion handles the practical side. The river carries the recreation, with boating, fishing, hiking, and biking all from the property. The amenity set is deliberately spare, which keeps rates low and suits a park built around the water rather than on-site programming. Pets are welcome. St. Clair County sits in the rolling agricultural country between East St. Louis and the old river towns of the American Bottom. The Kaskaskia is Illinois's second-longest river and runs navigable here, with a lock and dam system and good catfish and bass water. St. Louis is about 40 minutes northwest, which makes this a quiet base for the metro without metro pricing. Summer drives the heaviest demand, with spring and fall fishing strong and considerably easier availability. Reserve ahead for holiday weekends.

from $18/night

Lost Acres RV Park

72 RV Sites

Lost Acres RV Park in Monticello, Indiana, offers 72 full-hookup back-in RV sites within a half mile of Indiana Beach Amusement Park, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 40 feet. A renovated outdoor pool, mini-golf, disc golf course, craft room, and library sit under mature oaks in White County's lake district. Seventy-two back-in sites run in 30-amp and 50-amp categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric, sized to 40 feet. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The office is open 9am to 5pm daily. A renovated outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, a disc golf course, game room, arcade, clubhouse, craft room, library, billiards, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, corn hole, a pond for fishing, and a playground filling the grounds. Planned activities run through the season. The craft room and library are unusual finds at a park this size and give guests something to do on a rainy afternoon. Pets are welcome. The setting is distinctly Midwestern: wooded campsites under mature oaks, Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman a short walk away, and the rumble of Indiana Beach's roller coasters carrying across the water. The amusement park is a half mile off, which makes this practical for families who want to walk rather than drive and park. Summer is decisively the season, tracking the amusement park's operating calendar. Reserve well ahead for June through August weekends.

from $47/night

RJM One RV

4 RV Sites

RJM One RV in Wright City, Missouri, offers spacious back-in RV sites measuring 80 by 20 feet with 30 and 50-amp water and electric service, sized for rigs to 80 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Open all year on a quiet property along the I-70 corridor between St. Louis and Columbia, with a scenic pond and community fire pit. Back-in sites carry 30 and 50-amp electric and water hookups on fully rocked pads measuring 80 by 20 feet, with picnic tables and fire rings — note there are no sewer hookups at the sites, so plan tank capacity for a longer stay. The 80-foot length and rocked surface handle big rigs comfortably in any weather. This is an intentionally small park, so call ahead rather than counting on a space. Pets are welcome. A scenic pond and a community fire pit fill the grounds, with picnicking in the surrounding forest. The proposition is a clean, well-lit, thoughtfully managed overnight from attentive owners — the sort of experience the I-70 corridor's best small independent parks deliver more personally than their larger corporate counterparts, and the reason travelers pick this over a highway travel center. Wright City sits in Warren County on I-70, roughly midway between St. Louis and Columbia, which makes it a natural stop for anyone crossing Missouri. The park operates year-round, with summer travel driving the heaviest interstate traffic and the shoulder seasons offering easier availability. Given the small site count, reserve ahead for holiday weekends and any stay you cannot flex.

from $17/night