Camping/Parking around Chicago

[Muskegon5]

We would like to make a quick trip to Chicago for a little spring shopping and want to enjoy the convenience of our motor-home vs a hotel. Can anyone recommend an RV Park near the Schaumburg Mall?
We would also like to spend some time downtown on Michigan Avenue but need to find a place to park our 45' MH and taxi to Michigan Ave. We were thinking of parking at either Navy Pier or the Museum. Any suggestions?

[dodge_guy]

Really!!!? Are you sure you were in Chicago? LOL

But seriously. Naperville is more than 15 min. From woodfield mall in Schaumburg. More like 40 minutes!

[Holly-n-Matt]

Great to hear!

[Muskegon5]

Thanks everyone for all of the ideas. We made the trip last weekend and had a great experience.

We went to Schaumburg Mall and then boondocked at the Cracker Barrel in Naperville 15 minutes away. The restaurant is located in a business park so it was very quiet on Saturday night and Sunday.

We purchased a parking pass online for the Adler lot at Soldier Field. No problems driving in on the interstate from Naperville and Lakeshore Drive was busy but not crazy as it was Sunday. Grabbed a taxi at the Aquarium and $7.00 later we were on Michigan Avenue.

It was so easy we vowed to make the trip again!

[JoeChiOhki]

kknowlton wrote:
I cannot even imagine trying to park an RV in the city, much less drive it in there. Closest CG to Schaumburg I think might be the Chicago/NW KOA out in Union. Do NOT drive in the city with anything more than the toad.

Been there, done that, drove through downtown, too, and a whole lot on Lake Shore Drive. My only beef is that the google navigator doesn't have a "Vehicle Height" feature, which would have made it alot easier.

Usually ended up parking out near soldier field at the parking lot for the park there.

[Holly-n-Matt]

I live across the street from the Paul Wolff campround - we were there last weekend. It is very close to the Metra, but it does not come to the Big Timber location on weekends. Also Paul Wolff does not accept reservations. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions and I'll be happy to try to help you out!

[camperpaul]

Milt wrote:

You could try Indiana Dunes S P or Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to
park and camp, there's a train station nearby that runs into the city.
There are two casinos in Gary that might allow you to park and again take the train into the city.
Milt

You would still have to drive over 100 miles to get to Woodfield Mall.

[Milt]

You don't want to take the MH into the museums or Navy pier.
They are on Lakeshore DR. I won't drive the truck on that street and that's where the museums and Navy pier are. In places it feels like a three lane road that was converted to four.
At best you could get to Science and Industry Museum Taking Stony Island Ave from the Chicago Skyway, but check with the museum as I think most of their parking is in an underground ramp.
You could try Indiana Dunes S P or Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to
park and camp, there's a train station nearby that runs into the city.
There are two casinos in Gary that might allow you to park and again take the train into the city. I've never been to the casinos so don't know how they're setup.
Good luck with your trip
Milt

[dodge_guy]

Also there is Sycamore RV Resort in Sycamore IL. it is farther out, but still close enough to drive.

[kohldad]

I'm not from Chicago and only visited while passing through on work about 20 years ago, so these are just thoughts and I'll let the locals decide how crazy I would be. Idea is only from looking at maps.

I would go in about 5am to beat the traffic and park at the mall. Either actually stay up or at least leave a light on and be ready for the security guard to knock on the door. If you tell them you are waiting on the stores to open and can name a few, I would think they wouldn't give you a problem. You can then do your shopping and take breaks back at the RV. Then either leave about 8pm after the traffic thins back out.

You could even leave the motorhome there for a few hours during the middle of the day while you run down to Michigan Ave. Just wouldn't have the cab pick me up from the motorhome.

[AJR]

A second vote for Paul Wolff campground. I use it every year as a base to visit the kids in Chicago.

[woodworker414]

A motothome in Chicago, OMG, good luck. We had to do some business downtown, we were staying at the sons house in Village of Mundelein, about an hour out. He suggested that we take a limo over a taxi, it would be cheaper and it was. Door to door service. Any time we head into the city,which is not often, I leave the driving to the son.
Woodfield Mall is a great place, have been there many times. I think about at that point there are 8 lanes going in each direction. Yea, it was fun pulling 5er through there at rush hour. Talk about white knouckles. But the secret, stay in one land and do the sppeed limit and let the travvic pass aroud you. Yea lots of fun there. Really great fun when raining or snowing. Of course doing the speed limit meant that I was the slowest one on the highway. But I felt a lot safer going that speed. Now the son lives about another hour further west out I90, so we don't have go throgh there anymore, YEAH!!!!!
Have a great time.As you already know lots of great places to eat, around the area.
As for as a cg, can't help you there since we always stay in the sons driveway, Electric, water, and a dump station, for free. Well not really seems like Dad is always picking up the tab when we go out to eat. But I would not pass it up, for any money.
Safe Travels.
Bill

[camperpaul]

The mall near Schaumburg is Woodfield Mall.

The closest campground is Paul Wolff in Elgin, about 15 miles west of Woodfield.

I do not recommend driving into Chicago.; instead, take the Metra commuter train from Elgin to Union Station and a taxi from there to Michigan Ave.

[cmcglamry]

I periodically have to go to Chicago for work. We stay outside of town on the west side in Sycamore. There is a place called Sycamore RV Resort there that was very nice.

It's about 30 to 40 minutes in to Schaumburg, but there really wasn't a good place closer.

[kknowlton]

I cannot even imagine trying to park an RV in the city, much less drive it in there. Closest CG to Schaumburg I think might be the Chicago/NW KOA out in Union. Do NOT drive in the city with anything more than the toad.