Since Illinois does not allow for alcohol at their campsites, we set our eyes upon the neighboring states for a campsite. We've actually made this into an annual tradition with another family and have been going to Richard Bong State Recreation Area in Kansasville, Wisconsin which is by the border of Wisconsin and Illinois for the past couple years for Labor Day weekend.
What a great campsite! This was just a little over an hour's drive from Chicago and we had a fabulous experience. For only $12 a night, you can get a decent sized electric campsite for 6 people maximum and two cars (we fit 2 SUVs on the gravel) and parking for out of state residents is $10 a night (or get the $35 annual park pass). Our campsite had a decent sized grill and a picnic table for us to use, as well.
Bathrooms are surprisingly clean with shower stalls, as well. Trash is a bit of a hike to throw away but there are water fountains around which is very helpful.
One year, we did opt for the cheaper non-electric campsite but the bathrooms weren't as nice as the ones by the electric campsites.
There are hiking trails all over for the kid friendly (1.5 miles) to the expert hiker (8 miles) including a fishing dock with equipment that you can rent, hunting area, and fun things such as a pancake breakfast, butterly tagging and release, meet a ranger and drive in the truck, as well as some fun arts and crafts, as well. There are trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. They also have a great beach that we'll have to hit up again. The recreation area has a boat launch (electric motors only), an accessible fishing pier, and shore locations for fishing. There is a 200-foot beach with a bath house, new play equipment, volleyball nets, a ball field and horseshoe pits.
Nearby, we've traveled over to Kenosha for a day in a small city exploring the harbor, free museums, Jelly Belly factory, and even taken in a double movie feature at the Keno-Drive In movie theatre before returning back to our campsite. We've made it a tradition to end our weekend with a delicious brunch at Apple Holler!
Overall, a great camping location and fun weekend trip especially for Labor Day!
