Swimming

Sun Retreats Rock River

142 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 $49/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

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.

Jellystone Park™ Monticello

188 RV Sites, 8 Cabins, 9 Tent Sites

Jellystone Park Monticello in Iowa offers 188 RV sites, eight cabins, and nine tent sites on the Maquoketa River, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted up to 120 feet. Premium riverside, full hookup, and electric-only categories join a splash pad, disc golf course, and beach in Jones County. One hundred eighty-eight sites span 20/30-amp electric back-in, 20/30/50-amp electric back-in, 30/50-amp full hookup back-in, 30/50-amp full hookup pull-through, and premium riverside categories, sized to 120 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The 120-foot capacity is exceptional, and the electric-only tier gives self-contained rigs a lower rate. Accessible sites are available. Eight cabins and nine tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Day use runs $10 per person, with WIBIT passes $20 Sunday through Friday. A splash pad, outdoor pool, and inflatable water toys anchor the summer, with the river and lake supporting boat rentals, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and a beach. A disc golf course, jumping pillow, basketball, gem mining, golf cart rentals, a playground, on-site dining, and a bar fill the rest, with live music and planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. Monticello sits between Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, near Maquoketa Caves State Park. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $31/night

Coconut Cove RV Resort

52 RV Sites, 10 Cabins, 4 Glamping Sites

Coconut Cove RV Resort in Hazel Green, Wisconsin, offers 52 RV sites, 10 cabins, and four glamping sites on a lakefront property in the Driftless Area, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 72 feet. Five categories include deluxe waterfront back-ins, alongside a water park, jumping pillow, bar, and live music. Fifty-two sites span standard, premium, and deluxe back-ins, deluxe waterfront back-ins, and premium pull-throughs, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 72 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Ten cabins and four glamping sites round out the accommodations. A general store, laundry, RV storage, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Two wristbands are included with each reservation for the pool, sandy beach, and beach playground; additional wristband access is required beyond that. The amenity scope is exceptional for the region. A water park, outdoor pool, sandy beach, and jumping pillow anchor the summer, with a lake supporting boating, kayaking, paddle boats, paddle boarding, and fishing, plus kayak and boat rentals on site. A clubhouse, recreation center, arcade, bar, on-site dining, and snack bar cover meals and evenings, with live music through the season, golf cart rentals, a playground, pavilion, and dog park besides. Pets are welcome. Hazel Green sits in Grant County near the Mississippi's Wisconsin shore, in the unglaciated Driftless hill country. Dubuque, Iowa and Galena, Illinois are both close. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $50/night

Pecatonica River Trails Park

30 RV Sites

At 400 Washington Street in Darlington, Wisconsin—in Lafayette County in the rolling driftless landscape of southwest Wisconsin where the glaciers of the last ice age missed the Driftless Area's ancient terrain and left the Mississippi River tributary valleys in a ridge-and-coulee topography that the Cheese Country ATV Trail and the surrounding Lafayette County trail network has made the most specifically mapped ATV recreation landscape in southern Wisconsin—Pecatonica River Trails Park provides 32 electric campsites along the Pecatonica River with direct access to both the Cheese Country ATV Trail and the Darlington ATV Club's local trail system, a canoe launch, a handicapped-accessible fishing pier, restrooms and showers, a dump station, a playground, and a lighted walking path in the Lafayette County park configuration that trail users and river paddlers find the most practically positioned camping option in the immediate Darlington trail corridor. The direct Cheese Country ATV Trail access and the Pecatonica River canoe launch at the same property define what makes this park specifically useful for the multi-recreation visitor. Thirty-two total campsites include 8 electric sites in a grove of walnut trees with 30-amp service and 22 open electric sites with 50-amp service, plus 2 non-electric sites. Each site provides the open space for the RV plus the tow vehicle and the ATV or UTV trailer that the park's trail-access orientation specifically accommodates with the additional ATV day-use parking for trail users not camping overnight. Restrooms and shower facilities serve the hygiene infrastructure. A dump station handles the black-water disposal need for the RV camping population. A handicapped-accessible fishing pier on the Pecatonica River provides the bank and pier fishing access to the river's bass, catfish, and rough fish population without requiring boat launch access. A canoe launch serves the paddling guest with the flat-water access to the Pecatonica's southwest Wisconsin corridor. A playground and lighted walking path complete the non-ATV recreation options. The park operates on a first-come, first-served basis with self-registration, reflecting Lafayette County's practical management of a rural park resource without reservation system overhead. Maximum stay is 14 nights in any 21-day period. The Cheese Country ATV Trail—accessible directly from the campground—is one of the most celebrated multi-use recreational trail systems in Wisconsin, covering 47 miles through Lafayette and Iowa Counties on converted railroad right-of-way that the trail authority paved and graded for ATV, UTV, bicycle, and snowmobile use through the driftless southwest Wisconsin landscape. The trail passes through the small communities of Blanchardville, Mineral Point, and Calamine, with the trail-access restaurants and bars in each community providing the mid-ride destination that organizes the all-day trail itinerary into an out-and-back or loop structure around a midpoint lunch stop. Darlington's Lafayette County Courthouse Square and the surrounding small-town Wisconsin commercial character represent the driftless region's agricultural community heritage, with the Pecatonica River's historic mill sites and the county's dairy farming landscape providing the context for a region that the Cheese Country trail name accurately describes as the productive agricultural center of Wisconsin's southwest quadrant. Pecatonica River Trails Park is open seasonally through the ATV trail season and into the hunting and late-season outdoor recreation calendar. Summer represents the peak ATV and paddling season. Fall brings the hunting activity and the driftless landscape's hardwood foliage color in the ridge-and-valley terrain that the glaciers' absence left in a more topographically dramatic state than the glaciated plains to the east. Arrive early for peak summer ATV weekends when the walk-in sites fill by midday, launch the canoe at the Pecatonica, and let the Cheese Country Trail earn the southwest Wisconsin ATV reputation that 47 miles of converted rail corridor makes available from the park's Washington Street gate.

from $25/night

Lake Joy Campground

30 RV Sites, 57 Tent Sites

In the gently rolling hill country of southwestern Wisconsin, Lake Joy Campground occupies the shoreline of a pristine, spring-fed lake near the town of Belmont. Sixty acres of clear water define the experience here, and the campground has been built around that lake in every meaningful way—from the swimming beach and boat rentals to the fishing access and lakeside campsites that let you fall asleep to the sound of water. It's the kind of place where the agenda writes itself: swim until lunch, take a kayak out in the afternoon, and watch the stars come out from a lakeside fire after dinner. The lake anchors virtually everything on offer at Lake Joy. A sandy swimming beach gives families a safe and inviting place to splash around, while rentals for rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and pedal boats open up the entire lake to exploration. Anglers will appreciate that no fishing license is required for the campground's water—just bait a hook and work the edges for bass and panfish. Three separate playgrounds keep younger campers occupied between swims, and basketball and volleyball courts provide higher-energy options for those who can't stay still. An arcade and game room offer a welcome indoor fallback when the weather doesn't cooperate. The natural character of the lake is one of its strongest selling points. The spring-fed water stays unusually clear through even the hottest summer weeks, and the lake attracts herons, kingfishers, and occasional deer that wander to the shoreline at dusk. Surrounding the campground, the soft hills and open meadows of southwestern Wisconsin's Driftless Area create a landscape that feels both intimate and unhurried. Campsites are positioned to capture lake views, and the overall pace of the grounds encourages the kind of day where your phone stays in the camper. The Belmont area puts some of Wisconsin's most distinctive countryside within easy reach. Governor Dodge State Park, one of the state's largest, offers more than five thousand acres of oak forest along with swimming beaches and rugged trail networks. The historic mining town of Mineral Point—restored by Cornish immigrants and now home to galleries, excellent restaurants, and working artists' studios—makes for a compelling afternoon excursion. Cave of the Mounds, a nationally designated Natural Landmark with impressive underground formations, is worth a half-day detour. ATV and UTV riders will find roughly 140 miles of trail riding terrain winding through the surrounding region. Lake Joy is a warm-weather campground that earns its reputation through sheer lakefront simplicity. Summer weekends fill up quickly, particularly for waterfront sites and the most popular cabin units, so planning ahead pays off. Whether you're coming for a fishing-focused long weekend, a family vacation, or a week of slow mornings on the water, the campground delivers the full Wisconsin lake experience without a lot of fuss. Reach out early for peak summer dates, pick a site with a view, and let the spring-fed lake set the pace for your stay.

from $40/night

Whitetail Bluff Campground

46 RV Sites, 5 Cabins

On the bluffs above the Mississippi River in Grant County, Wisconsin, Whitetail Bluff Campground and Resort occupies one of the most visually commanding positions of any campground on the upper Mississippi corridor—elevated above the river, with hiking trails that lead to views across the valley floor and the bluffs of the Iowa shore beyond. The combination of a well-equipped family resort operation and direct access to the Mississippi River's natural and recreational resources makes Whitetail Bluff an especially well-positioned destination for families and couples who want both camp-resort amenities and a genuinely spectacular natural setting. In the Grant County bluff country, the scenery earns its billing. The campground's 47 sites include 32 full hookup configurations, five electric-only sites, and 10 primitive tent sites, with deluxe and sleeping cabin rentals available for guests who prefer enclosed accommodation. A zero-depth beach-entry swimming pool is the warm-weather gathering point, complemented by a swimming pond with large inflatable attractions that give the aquatic recreation a different character for different moods. A jumping pillow, playground, basketball court, volleyball court, and pedal carts provide land-based activity options. The family-friendly clubhouse with its restaurant, bar, and game room functions as the campground's social hub, with live music programming through the summer season adding an entertainment dimension. Laundry, a dump station, WiFi, and a camp store handle the practical needs of an extended stay. The bluff-top setting translates directly into hiking trail quality. Trails from the campground wind through the forested blufftops and descend to river-level terrain, providing views of the Mississippi that reward the elevation change with the kind of panoramic river-valley perspective that explains why this stretch of the Great River Road is consistently ranked among the most beautiful drives in America. Wildlife is abundant—bald eagles, great blue herons, white-tailed deer, and wild turkeys are daily presences in the bluff-and-floodplain ecosystem—and the river itself is an enduring backdrop to every activity. The Grant County region extends the experience beyond the campground property. Kayak, tube, and canoe rentals on the Grant River provide additional paddling access to the river system just downstream from the Mississippi confluence. The Potosi Brewing Company—one of Wisconsin's most celebrated craft breweries, occupying a beautifully restored historic building in the river town of Potosi—is a short drive for guests who appreciate a well-made beer in a genuinely historic setting. The Dickeyville Grotto, one of Wisconsin's most distinctive folk art sites, provides a remarkable roadside attraction of national significance. Wyalusing State Park, a few miles away, adds state park hiking and camping infrastructure to the region. Whitetail Bluff Campground operates through the Wisconsin camping season from spring through fall. Summer weekends fill the campground quickly, with live music weekends and holiday weekends booking fastest. Fall foliage on the Mississippi bluffs is among the most spectacular in the upper Midwest—the combination of river valley hardwoods and the bluff-top perspective produces color displays that bring leaf-peepers specifically to the Grant County corridor each October. Book early for fall weekends and summer holidays, pack the kayak gear, and let the Mississippi River bluff country deliver what it promises.

NorthWoods RV Resort

100 RV Sites

NorthWoods RV Resort in Garden Prairie, Illinois, offers 100 full-hookup premium pull-through RV sites on the Kishwaukee River with 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet. An outdoor pool, spa, clubhouse, game room, and jumping pillow serve a riverside retreat between Chicago and Rockford. One hundred sites are premium pull-through throughout, carrying water, sewer, and electric on 50-amp, sized to 50 feet. A single-category, all-pull-through layout means no backing at any site and no guessing about what you are booking — every guest gets the same premium spec. Service is 50-amp, so bring an adapter if your rig runs 30. A laundry and propane fills handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and spa anchor the property, with inflatable water toys and a jumping pillow for children. A clubhouse, game room, billiards, basketball, horseshoes, playground, and snack bar fill the grounds, with fishing on the river and planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. The Kishwaukee's wooded riparian corridor is the property's defining feature — a tree-canopied river environment that sets it apart from the open farmland of most of Boone County, and a genuine escape from both the Chicago and Rockford metropolitan areas without a long drive from either. Summer is the season in northern Illinois, when the pool, the river, and the activity program are all running. Reserve well ahead for July and August weekends, with easier availability through the spring and fall shoulders.

from $55/night

Boulder Creek Campground

67 RV Sites

Boulder Creek Campground in Bagley, Wisconsin, offers 67 RV sites in a valley carved into the limestone and sandstone bluffs of the Great River Road corridor, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Water-and-electric and full-hookup categories join an outdoor pool, mini-golf, and a jumping pillow. Sixty-seven sites run in 20/30-amp water-and-electric, 50-amp water-and-electric pull-through, and 20/30-amp water-electric-and-sewer categories, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. Check the category carefully — not all sites carry sewer, and a dump station serves those that do not. Cabin rentals round out the accommodations. A general store, laundry, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, a jumping pillow, volleyball, basketball, and a playground filling the grounds. A restaurant and snack bar, game room, and a recreation program of children's activities, themed weekends, and wagon rides give the property genuine family resort energy — this campground has served Grant County's camping community for generations, and the programming reflects that. Pets are welcome. Bagley sits a mile south of the campground in the dramatic river bluff country of Grant County, where Wisconsin's most scenic roads hug the Mississippi on the way toward Prairie du Chien. The Great River Road corridor and the ancient bluffs frame the whole area. Summer is decisively the season along the Mississippi. Reserve well ahead for July and August.

Lantern DeForest RV Resort

64 RV Sites

Lantern DeForest RV Resort in Wisconsin offers 64 full-hookup pull-through RV sites eight miles north of Madison, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 83 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Premium and standard pull-through categories mean no backing at any site, with an outdoor pool, game room, sports courts, and walking trails. Sixty-four sites run in pull-through and premium pull-through categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 83 feet, with picnic tables. An all-pull-through layout at 83 feet is a genuinely practical combination — no backing after a long driving day, and room for the longest coaches with a tow. Cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and recycling handle the practical side. Mention a late checkout at check-in and staff will accommodate it where the site is not turning over. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a game room, sports courts, volleyball, horseshoes, walking trails, a playground, pavilion, dog park, and picnicking filling the grounds. A lake, river, golf course, and wine and beer tasting are all nearby. Pets are welcome. Madison is eight miles south, and it rewards the trip — the University of Wisconsin's flagship campus, the State Capitol, State Street's independent shops and restaurants, and a 17,000-acre urban lake system centered on Mendota and Monona make it one of the most livable mid-sized cities in the country. Summer and Badger football weekends drive demand. Reserve well ahead for both.

from $82/night

Skillet Creek Campground

56 RV Sites, 8 Cabins, 56 Tent Sites, 1 Onsite RV/Trailer

Skillet Creek Campground in Baraboo, Wisconsin, offers 57 RV sites, eight cabins, and 56 tent sites across 70 wooded acres, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 45 feet behind a gated entrance. Full-hookup, pull-through, water-and-electric, and waterfront daily categories join a water park, beach, jumping pillow, and creek. Fifty-seven sites span 20/30/50-amp daily full hookup, 20/30/50-amp daily pull-thru full hookup, 20/30/50-amp daily water-and-electric, and 20/30/50-amp waterfront categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric category does not carry sewer at the site. Accessible sites are available. Eight cabins and 56 tent sites make the tent inventory unusually deep. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. You can lock a specific site during booking — it shows as locked on the reservation grid. A water park and beach anchor the summer, with a lake, pond, and creek supporting boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. A jumping pillow, game room, gaga ball, sports courts, walking trails, hiking, biking, a playground, and dog park fill the rest, with live music and wine tasting nearby. Devil's Lake State Park is Wisconsin's most visited, and its north entrance is one mile away. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $19/night