Campgrounds and RV parks near Stonington, IL

Water recreation is the main draw. Hickory Point campground sits near the east boat dock on Sangchris Lake and offers boating, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking access. The park also carries more than 20 miles of trails used by hikers and horseback riders. At Ramsey Lake, rolling hills, timbered shoreline, and the lake itself support fishing and hunting along with quieter picnic spots. Historic Springfield is the obvious day-trip. The Lincoln Home National Historic Site offers guided tours of Abraham Lincoln's preserved home, and visitors can also tour the Old State Capitol and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The New Salem State Historic Site recreates the 1830s town where Lincoln lived and worked, with costumed guides on hand. Families with kids can add mini golf, a pool, and bike rentals at Springfield KOA Journey, or use the on-site amenities at Oak Terrace RV Resort.

The core camping window at the state parks runs spring through fall. Reservations at Sangchris Lake can be made online at ExploreMoreIL or by phone for the period from April 1 through October 31. Hickory Point remains open all year, while Deer Run closes from the second week of January through March 31. Water facilities, including the shower building, are closed from the Monday prior to Thanksgiving through March 31. Summer is peak season. Weekends around the Illinois State Fair in August draw a large influx of RVers to Springfield-area campgrounds, and lakefront sites at Sangchris and Ramsey book well ahead. Late spring brings the highest rainfall, with May and June typically the wettest months on the central Illinois climate record. Fall offers cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and hunting activity in the surrounding state land. Winter camping is possible at Hickory Point for self-contained rigs, but expect no running water and limited services on the state-park side.

State-park campgrounds run a tiered site system. Hickory Point at Sangchris Lake has 65 single-family campsites along the shore of Sangchris Lake, with 54 water and electric sites (many lakefront) and 11 tent-only sites. Amenities include drinking water, flush toilets, hot showers, and a dump station, along with a marina, boat ramp, playground, and volleyball court, and cell service is fair in the area. White Oak Campground is a Class A site at the southern end of Lake Ramsey with convenient access to a hiking trail, children's playground, and lake recreation; the trees offer a decent amount of shade, a soft drink vending machine sits near the bathrooms, and one cabin unit is available in addition to trailer sites. Private parks lean fuller-service. Oak Terrace RV Resort adds pool, restaurant, and recreation amenities on site. Springfield KOA Journey pull-through sites offer 50/30 amp, water and electric, no sewer at the site (a dump station is provided), 70 to 75 feet in length, a gravel RV pad, and a large grassy area.