Conveniently nestled in the hills (a term not to be used loosely in the otherwise completely flat state of Illinois) butting up right against an angling elbow of the Rock River, Hononegah Forest Preserve, which is named after the Native American wife of one of the earliest European settlers to reach the state, is a real find for my primitive camping tribe of peeps. You’ll find sanctuary from the franchised camping outfits and the concrete paved RV parking lots here in one of the oldest forest preserves in all of Illinois on a patch of land that has much to offer those carrying a fishing pole, toting a kayak, packing 2 flints for a natural made fire and searching for a remote, undisturbed piece of land to call home for a night or two.
In all, there’s 57 campground sites here and all are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The bulk of the primitive campsites are located on the western side of the campground near the river’s edge, while those sites offering up electric and closer access to running water are located mostly on the eastern side, but co-mingled with primitive campsites. There’s a single bin of firewood that can be accessed at the southernmost area of the park, while you’ll find 3 sets of restrooms that are generally near the 3 shelters that exist and are located on the SE, NW and far NE (in the loop) of the campground. You’ll also find either a hand pump or running water near these 3 principle areas, although I would still recommend you bring your own water.
There’s more than 200 acres of land here to explore and a number of unencumbered trails to hike (about 3 miles worth in total), but the most noteworthy feature of this campground is the hand-built Rainbow bridge, which you’ll have to cross before reaching the campground and passing through a cool shaded Maple grove (BTW, there’s also plenty of white oaks and hickory trees for the arbor lovers amongst us!). These majestic woods also feature a single boat launch that is quite easy to maneuver. While the campground offers restroom facilities, the only disappointment I came across was the pit-like holes offered up as toilets and because this place is primitive, don’t expect any showers. There were, however, a number of oversized shelters that offered up electric outlets and a ton of community tables, scattered picnic tables, fire rings and several BBQ’s along with a few playgrounds for the kids, soccer fields as well as horseback trails.
Prices are quite affordable for camping at $8-$13, but you’ll have to tack on a cool $10 more if you’re not a resident. They have firewood for sale and you have to pay extra to dump garbage (major bummer!). Back to the campground itself – with 50+ sites, nearly all of them are flat, fairly spacious and (at least when we were there) completely vacated. Almost every site comes with its own picnic table, BBQ cover and fire rings (note: not every single site has their own amenities, so you’ll have to grease elbows with your neighbors if you arrive and discover you don’t have a picnic table or grill of your own). We were surprised to have the whole place to ourselves when camping there, but all in all, this place is quite an amazing place to explore – both yourself in the amazing privacy and solitude you will experience as well as the amazing nature and wildlife you’ll no doubt discover.
Insider’s tip? Here’s a few: (1) If you get tired of living on the reservation or want to experience some of the local environ, I highly recommend checking out Poison Ivy Pub (where they have sports pub fare and delightful Wisconsin exports like cheese curds and poutine (courtesy of our Canadian friends to the further north), traditional Italian, pizza, burgers and everything fried: chicken wings, mushrooms, pickles, etc.); (2) If you are looking to quench that thirst after a hard day of hiking, head on over to Louie’s Tap House with 40 drafts on tap, shuffleboard, darts, slots and sand volleyball; (3) If like me, you go everywhere with your kayak, then you’ll love that there’s a decent launch here, although it’s a bit of a hike from the campground, so likely you’ll either have to tow it by hand for a decent bit, or you can drive as close to it as possible and then tow it in; (4) IMHO, the best sites are those primitive sites that follow the tree line before reaching the river, which are: #41– #45; #46 – 49; and #60 – 61; and (5) Celebrate your outdoor adventure by heading to locally renowned Dairyhäus for homemade, German-inspired ice cream (außgeseichnet!).
Happy Camping!
