"Campgrounds at our
state parks, recreation areas, and state fish and wildlife areas are
popular destinations for families, hikers, hunters and anglers,"
said Sam Flood, acting director of the Department of Natural
Resources. "By taking reservations at the start of the new year, we
ensure there is a campsite waiting for our visitors when they're
ready for a vacation or a few days in the outdoors." Reservations
can be made by mail only beginning Jan. 2.
Beginning Feb. 1, telephone and in-person reservations can
be made using Visa and MasterCard at the following sites:
Chain O'Lakes, Fox Ridge, Jim Edgar Panther Creek, Pere Marquette,
Ramsey Lake, Rock Cut, Shabbona and Sangchris Lake. In-person
reservations will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reservations are not accepted via electronic mail at any site.
A daily lottery will be conducted for mail-in reservations. Up to
six mail-in reservations per envelope, per person will be accepted
for campsites or shelters. Camping groups may mail more than six
reservations per envelope as long as no more than six are for one
individual.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2007/Jan/02/images/ads/current/ccaonline%20broadband%20ad.png)
In addition to regular camping fees and utility fees payable upon
arrival at the site, regular campsites and group campsites require a
$5 reservation fee per site at the time the reservation is made. All
sites taking reservations will require the first night's camping and
utility fee plus a $5 reservation fee.
Payment of the first night's camping and utility fees guarantees
that the reservation will be held until 3 p.m. the following day.
Shelter reservation fees are $25. Once a reservation is confirmed,
the reservation fee is nonrefundable unless the Department of
Natural Resources closes an area due to storm damage or other
reasons.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2007/Jan/02/images/ads/current/lpl%20small.gif)
Campsites can be reserved for a maximum of 14 nights per 30-day
period, and reservations must be made at least seven days before the
campsite is needed. Reserved campsites will be held until 3 p.m. the
following day, after which time the site will be offered to other
campers on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations for the
Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends require a
minimum three-day reservation.
Campsite reservations will be available at the following state
parks:
,
8763 E. Canyon Road, Apple River, IL 61001 (youth group camping
only
Argyle Lake,
640 Argyle Road, Colchester, IL 62326
Beaver Dam,
14548 Beaver Dam Lane, Plainview, IL 62685 (cabins and youth
group camping only)
Big River,
R.R. 1, Box 118, Keithsburg, IL 61442
Chain
O'Lakes, 8916 Wilmot Road, Spring Grove, IL 60081
Clinton
Lake State Recreation Area, R.R. 1, Box 4, DeWitt, IL
61735
Delabar
State Park, R.R. 2, Box 27, Oquawka, IL 61469
Eagle Creek,
P.O. Box 16, Findlay, IL 62534
Eldon
Hazlet, 20100 Hazlet Park Road, Carlyle, IL 62231
Fox Ridge,
18175 State Park Road, Charleston, IL 61920
Hidden
Springs, R.R. 1, Box 200, Strasburg, IL 62465
Illini,
2660 East 2350th Road, Marseilles, IL 61341
Illinois
Beach, Lake Front, Zion, IL 60099
Jim Edgar
Panther Creek, 10149 County Highway 11, Chandlerville,
IL 62627 (cabins and group camp only)
Kankakee
River State Park, P.O. Box 37, Bourbonnais, IL 60914
Kickapoo,
10906 Kickapoo Park Road, Oakwood, IL 61858
Lake
Le-Aqua-Na, 8542 North Lake Road, Lena, IL 61048
[to top of second column] |
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2007/Jan/02/images/ads/current/bennett%20fm%20large%20display%20ad%20-%20opening%20.gif)
-
Moraine
View, R.R. 2, Box 110, LeRoy, IL 61752
-
Pere
Marquette, P.O. Box 158, Grafton, IL 62037
-
Ramsey Lake,
P.O. Box 97, Ramsey, IL 62080
-
Rock Cut,
7318 Harlem Road, Loves Park, IL 61111
-
Sam Dale,
R.R. 1, Box 101 Johnsonville, IL 62850
-
Sangchris
Lake, 9898 Cascade Road, Rochester, IL 62563
-
Shabbona
Lake, 4201 Shabbona Grove Road, Shabbona, IL 60550
-
Starved
Rock, P.O. Box 509, Utica, IL 61373
-
Trail of
Tears, 3240 State Forest Road, Jonesboro, IL 62952
(Reservations not accepted until April 16.)
-
Walnut
Point, 2331 East County Road, 370 N., Oakland, IL 61943
-
Weldon
Springs, 1159 500 N., R.R. 2, Box 87, Clinton, IL 61727
-
Wolf Creek,
R.R. 1, Box 99, Windsor, IL 61957
Shelter reservations will be available at the following sites:
Apple River Canyon, Argyle Lake State Park, Big
River State Forest, Castle Rock State Park, Delabar State Park,
Franklin Creek State Natural Area, Hennepin Canal Parkway State
Park, Illini State Park, Jubilee College State Park, Lake
Le-Aqua-Na State Park, Mississippi Palisades State Park,
Morrison-Rockwood State Park, Prophetstown State Park, Rock Cut
State Park, Shabbona Lake State Park and White Pines Forest
State Park.
Northeast
Illinois -- Buffalo Rock State Park, Chain O'Lakes
State Park, Gebhard Woods State Park, Goose Lake Prairie State
Natural Area, Kankakee River State Park, Moraine Hill State
Park, Silver Springs State Park and William W. Powers
Conservation Area.
East-central Illinois -- Clinton Lake State Recreation
Area, Eagle Creek State Park, Fox Ridge State Park, Hidden
Springs State Forest, Kickapoo State Park, Lincoln Trail
Homestead State Park, Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area,
Moraine View State Park, Spitler Woods State Natural Area,
Walnut Point State Park, Weldon Springs State Park, and Wolf
Creek State Park.
![](../images/ads/current/meier%20bcard%20ad.gif)
-
West-central Illinois -- Beaver Dam State Park, Coffeen
Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Eldon Hazlet State Park,
Frank Holten State Park, Horseshoe Lake State Park in Madison
County, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area,
Pere Marquette State Park, Randolph County Conservation Area,
Sand Ridge State Forest, Sangchris Lake State Park, Washington
County Conservation Area, and Weinberg-King State Park.
-
Southern
Illinois -- Dixon Springs, Ferne Clyffe State Park,
Fort Massac State Park, Giant City State Park, Horseshoe Lake
Conservation Area in Alexander County, Lake Murphysboro State
Park, Ramsey Lake State Park, Red Hills State Park, Sam Dale
State Park, Sam Parr State Park, Stephen A. Forbes State Park,
Trail of Tears State Forest and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park.
The Department of Natural Resources also has openings for
campground hosts at many state-run campgrounds. Hosts are paid $1
per day and receive free camping for the length of their stay. Hosts
are expected to check campers in and out and help answer general
questions from campers. For more information on the host program,
call Barb Foster at 217-785-8129.
[Illinois
Department of Natural Resources news release] |