Best Places to Go Winter Camping in Illinois

Forget the buzz of summer campgrounds! Winter camping in Illinois offers a serene, relaxing escape that everyone needs this time of the year.

Winter Fun in Illinois

As I was scrolling through Facebook the other day I saw this question pop up from Only In Illinois:

To no surprise, many of the commenters didn't understand the assignment and mentioned places like Florida, Jamaica, etc...but this question caught my curiosity;

Best place for winter camping?

Winter camping? Surely these folks are talking about camping in an RV, and not traditional tent camping in the dead of winter, right?!?

Since I am far from a camp-loving girl, the idea of winter camping is something I've never considered before, but it turns out a lot of people do it all the time and LOVE it. (and yes, some people do this winter camping in TENTS! YIKES!)

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Best Places for Winter Camping in Illinois

During my search for the best places to go winter camping in Illinois I came across a website called Hike 360 VR.

This website features videos of hiking and camping experiences in all seasons from all over the Midwest, and I quickly discovered that winter camping in Illinois delivers some pretty appealing benefits including:

Beautiful winter views.
No crowds of people.
Lots of wildlife.
NO MOSQUITOS AND FLIES.

While winter camping may be a far more chill experience, it can require more planning. Making sure you have appropriate cold-weather gear and know to layer clothing effectively is a must, so is being prepared for early nightfall. You also need to research which parks throughout Illinois offer year-round camping and what amenities will be open for you to use there. (A lot of campgrounds shut down water and shower facilities during the winter).

If you think you've got what it takes to go winter camping, here are 4 great campgrounds to try it in Illinois according to Hike 360:

1. Rock Cut State Park in Loves Park, IL

2. Lowden State Park in Oregon, IL

3. Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby, IL

4. Illini State Park in Marseilles, IL

During the winter months, all of these campgrounds only have certain sections open for camping on a walk-up/first come, first basis. It's probably a good idea to contact the campground you are interested in BEFORE you head out there...just in case.