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TheGrouch
Explorer
May 17, 2017

RV park with pool, lake, woods within 2.5 hours of Chicago?

I'm looking for an RV park/campground within 2 to 2.5 hours of Chicago (SW burbs to be more precise) that we can set up shop for a month or so.

Requirements: Full hook ups, shaded lots, onsite pool or beach,

Nice to haves: MTB trails nearby, fishing nearby


My wife and I love Holiday Park campground in Traverse City. Being 6 hours away, we can't get there often, but it's become our model RV park.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
  • There are well over a hundred nice RV parks/Campgrounds in Southern West Michigan especially near the lakeshore area which would meet the OP's wants. Yes, they are popular too and fill up or are booked so reservations are very strongly recommended or a must. They are within 2 to 2-1/2 hours of Chicago with normal type driving but of course it depends on where in the Chicago area the OP lives. The Chicago area is a gigantic concentration of choked traffic much of every day because there's over 10 million people and 1-1/2 sides of the metro area is blocked by Lake Michigan.

    If the OP lives on the north side, it can easily take 1-1/2 to 2 hours of bumper to bumper stop and go driving just to get thru the Chicago area going east toward Southern Michigan. Vice versa if the op lives on the south side and goes north thru the Chicago area. Truck traffic is INSANE as it's the min east/west truck route across the USA for deliveries to over 100 million population! Chicago desperately needs another 1 or 2 major many lane interstates etc going across the south side east and west.

    Us living in West Michigan on the lakeshore, we always avoid the Chicago area like the plague when going SW or W when in or towing an RV as we'd done it way too many times (dozens+) before and it's NOT fun! Much more pleasant and often faster for us to go thru the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

    Therefore, you can't go Northeast, east, or southeast from Chicago unless you first go south around the bottom of the huge Lake Michigan and that creates a gridlock of a traffic jam with all the other vehicles and truck especially on Fridays and Sundays as so many are always leaving on Friday and return on Sunday.

    Not much of what the OP wants is 2 to 2-1/2 hours driving an RV west or south of Chicago and going north has Milwaukee and the other lakeshore cities with their residents wanting much of the same as the OP but not enough places for all of them RV to. Only the OP knows where in the Chicago area he lives and what that means. My Dad was born in Chicago and I have lots of family still living there we visit so I'm/we're no strangers to the Chicago area.

    RV'ing and camping is extremely popular in Michigan and is why there are several thousand CG's in the state. We are now in our 53rd year of RV'ing in the State of Michigan where we live.
  • Hmm. Posted yeasterdat but it's gone. Sunset lakes is real nice. So is Timber Lake Resort in Mt Carrol.
  • Never stayed at this park just outside of Niles, MI, but have driven passed it. Not a bad looking place. FHUs and reasonable rates (under $200 for the week).

    http://www.spauldinglake.com/

    Our neighbors take there travel trailer here with their two young children. Not too far from Lake Michigan. Plenty of fruit & veggie farms in the area. Near South Haven, MI

    http://koa.com/campgrounds/covert/

    This next park is just east of South Haven, MI. We've been by it several times while staying at the local state park. They are a bit pricy, but it's a new and expanding park.

    http://www.sunnybrookrvresort.com/
  • There should be a lot of campgrounds along the Lake MI shoreline in Michigan that would fit your criteria , or anywhere in S Michigan.
  • Sunset Lakes Resort Sunset Lakes Resort. 6 miles east of where I-80 and I-88 meet. Exit #6 off I-88.
    Woods at the south end along the Rock River. Pool. Fishing in 5 lakes on property. Nice!
  • There's not much in Illinois with woods and water, within 150 miles of SW side. Nor in Indiana. But you can probably find it in southern Wisconsin or Michigan. Start your search there.
  • There should be quite a few that will fit your requirements along 94 in WI.
  • The Good Sam mobile app is useful for getting a list of campgrounds withing a certain radius of your location and it also gives some info about amenities.
  • Don't think there is a pool, but we liked Shelbyville Lake near Sullivan IL (nearest town) (about 3 hours SW of Chicago) The campground where we stayed is Forest W "Bo" Wood Corps of Engineers Park. Full hookups, shaded sites, some waterfront. There is swimming on the lake but not sure if there is a beach in Bo Wood park. www.recreation.gov would provide more info or google map of Shelbyville Lake. There is a state park on the other side and several more campgrounds. PS.. you can also search on www.woodalls.com for Chicago and change radius to 200 miles. Lots of ways to search.

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