Campgrounds and RV parks near Lake of the Woods, IL

The forest preserve is the main draw. Lake of the Woods County Park is a 900-acre preserve that features an 18-hole regulation golf course, a 9-hole par 3 course and practice range, fishing, boating, hiking, picnicking, cross-country skiing, sledding, the Hi-Tower bell carillon and observation area, a 3.3 mile bicycle and pedestrian path, the Museum of the Grand Prairie, and the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens. Families can combine a museum visit with a walk around the lake and the iconic red covered bridge. For bigger water and boat launches, head to Clinton Lake or Moraine View. Clinton Lake State Recreation Area covers 9,300 acres with picnicking, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, and water skiing, plus fall foliage and winter ice fishing and snowmobiling on the frozen lake. Moraine View adds a sandy swimming beach, horseback riding on the Timberline Ridge Trail, and a concession stand near the boat dock with boat rentals and bait.

Central Illinois has a humid continental climate with strong seasonal swings. The average date of the last spring frost is April 15, and the average date of the first fall frost is October 17. That window effectively defines the comfortable RV season, with the busiest weekends running from Memorial Day through Labor Day. State-park campgrounds run on a seasonal service schedule. At Clinton Lake, the campground is open year-round with the exception of the full week prior to the first firearm deer season, when no entry is allowed in the Mascoutin area for a special firearm deer hunt, and showers and potable water are available from mid-April to November, weather depending. At Moraine View, the shower buildings are closed by November 1 and reopen May 1, with dates shifting for weather. Plan winter trips around dry-camping conditions and freeze risk. Fall brings cooler nights and strong color along the Sangamon River corridor and Clinton Lake shoreline. Winter is quieter and colder, with occasional snow cover suitable for cross-country skiing and sledding at the forest preserve.

Expect a mix of developed private parks and traditional state-recreation-area loops. At Moraine View, there are 137 Class A trailer campsites with electricity and a sanitary station, water is available in several locations in the campground, and the Gander Bay campground contains 102 sites, which can be reserved, with a boat launch and dock in that area. The Catfish Bay camp area and Tall Timber backpack trail provide 32 primitive Class D sites, and Timberline Ridge horse camp has 30 Class A sites complete with water, electricity, and hitching racks. At Clinton Lake, there are 17 Class AA campsites, 277 Class A campsites, 9 Class B/S campsites, and 5 Class C campsites, with most adaptable to tents, trailers, or motor homes. Camping loops H, I, J and K are alcohol-free and portions of the Class AA, A and B/S and the group camp are handicap-accessible. Cell coverage is generally reliable across the area, and grocery and fuel stops are close in Mahomet, Le Roy, and Clinton.