roadtripper507329

A washboard gravel road less than a mile long leads to the small campground. Six of the sites have 50 amp and we arrived on a Friday right after lunch to grab one of those because it was 103 degrees outside. No dump and only about 4 sites are close to a water spigot. Gravel sites are pretty level. Small trees so clear skies for satellite. Locals arrive early on Friday to grab sites that are close to spigots. Price does not include Neb park user fee. 

$42 rate (for electric) includes mandatory online reservation fee but does not include mandatory $7 a day park pass. All sites must be booked online .I believe same day booking is allowed. I would say 35 foot RV would be the max. Nice walking path through the prairie. North and West end of the outside electric loop would have the best prairie views. Sites are gravel and pretty level. Quiet park with occasional train 1.5 miles away. Decent dump station. Gas and food 5 miles either way.

This park is typical of IL State Parks. Smaller sites with varying spacing. Roads and facilities in need of repair. Good news is a major park road south in the campground has been closed for the season for resurfacing. Lots of hiking and very good fishing (so I was told by a local) in the park. Very friendly and helpful staff. I suggest the 100 Plum Grove loop for larger rigs. At $25 dollars, this park is an outstanding value.

We spent 3 days in May in spot 42 which was big enough for our 33 foot travel trailer and got full sun for our solar. Note that the drinkable water is at the shower house just past the campground host and NOT at the dump station. The water is easy to access to fill your tank. The campground host (summer 2024) is phenomenal. Was told that you can get a Verizon signal on cloudy days otherwise No cell service and No OTA channels. LongHorn Steer and buffalo roam the campsite. Warning, ticks are prevalent. You are at least 30 minutes from town.

If your RV is less than 28 feet I recommend site 29 which is 30 amp. This spot needs no leveling but it is a dog leg back in site. The power hookup is on the drivers side so no extension cord needed like many of the sites. Also for the 2021 season, the spot next to you and across from you are closed. Very dog friendly. Easy walk to the trials and lookouts over the river. The host couple were very friendly and helpful. Firewood is $5. Burial mounds located in the park and it is only 13 minutes to Effigy National Monument which also allows dogs on the trials.

The only thing consistent about this park is that the sites are close together. In the lower campground, few sites are level but most require a lot of leveling and the rest require a ridiculous amount of leveling.  Our site, like most, were mud pits after a light rain so be prepared. Park has a beautiful dog friendly beach with a view of the Big Mac bridge. It was foggy the first night and we heard the fog horns from the freighters all night. That was pretty cool. There was also some road noise from the nearby interstate but it was not bad. A grocery store is located 1/4 mile from the park entrance  (no camp store) and this is the closest park to the ferry's.

I believe this will be a 5 star park when everything is completed. For now , construction of additional loops and buildings are underway. We paid about $62 per night tax incl. There is no office yet. Hosts (really nice) meet you and escort you to your site. Nice fenced dog park with astro turf. The sites are 5 stars. FHU pull thru's are very long to outrageously long. All have small trees, shrubbery, etc between sites. Sites are level gravel with some astro turf at the patio area. We had a Dish satellite signal and I saw a few Starlink antennas. The free wifi was good enough to stream HD. Verizon ranged from 4G 2 bars to 5G with 1 to 3 bars.

Currently, a lot of the people staying here are work campers who leave between 5-7am. Eight out of 10 observe the 5mph speed limit and if not for being an early riser, I never would have heard them. Also, construction noise was not too bad during our stay.

The government campgrounds are the best and this one is no exception. We stayed in loop #1 with electricity. Spacious and private sites with fire rings and picnic tables. The only noise was from acorns falling on rv's. There is a walking trail (Dog friendly but no bikes) to the beach from the campground. Bicyclists can take a short path from loop 4 and jump on the little used Peterson Road for a ride to the beach. When we went to the beach we had the place to ourselves. Unbelievably gorgeous views. The campground is on the southern end of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Most of the trails and the scenic drive are about 10 miles to the north, 5 stars hands down.

The KOA is located off of the loop that circles Hot Springs and is about 7 minutes from the bathhouse row in the National Park. This KOA is older and is situated on a hillside with some of the roads being tight for bigger rigs. We had a sewer dump at each end of our pull thru site which was very convenient since we also have a galley dump. Spacious dog park. Nice camp store. Friendly staff who guide you to your spot. Our price was for a 50 amp FHU patio spot.

The campground has three sections all below the dam. You must have reservations. This area of Lake Saylorville is very, very busy on the weekends with many people picnicking and fishing next to the spillway with others traveling park roads. The East campground next to the spillway has concrete pads. It's tight getting in this little loop because of tree branches and the approach getting through the gate. Big rigs take it wide by going in the grass at the entrance or the branches will get you. Spot #19 is a pull thru, 50 amp, on the inside of the loop at the end of the row. I picked up one satellite with Dish.  I recommend spot #20 which is on the end and backs in next to the spillway. It has the most green space, the most privacy, farthest from the day use areas and should be good for satellites. If you are not self contained, I would not stay in either campground next to the spillway on the weekend. I would stay in the large loop away from the spillway where the bathrooms get significantly less use. One last thing, a lot of fish were getting caught in the spillway.