You really can get away from it all without going too far
By JAMI KUNZER
Campgrounds scattered throughout McHenry County offer the chance to swim, fish, boat, hike or just plain hang out and enjoy the summer months.
Willoaks Campground
“A lot of people have lived in Woodstock a long time and have no idea we’re here,” says Karen Stahlecker, who runs Willoaks Campground, described as a “hidden jewel in the heart of beautiful McHenry County.”
In its 30th year, the 14-acre campground, located along Kishwaukee Valley Road, includes sites for both RVs and tents, bathroom and shower facilities and a one-acre pond for swimming and fishing.
“What I’m aspiring to be is a very comfortable family-oriented type of place where kids can run around like they used to in the old days,” she says.
Stahlecker grew up on a farm near the campground that once served as a pasture where cattle used to graze. Her father, Dr. Bud Stahlecker, decided to turn the area into a campground when he retired, she says.
“All my life, he’s been passionate about camping,” she says.
She recommends interested campers make reservations, but will take last-minute campers if sites are open.
For more information on the campground, including pictures, go to www.willoakscampground.com or call 815-338-5079.
McHenry County Conservation District
The district has camp sites in Marengo, Ringwood, Wonder Lake, Cary, Harvard and Chemung, outside of Harvard.
The campgrounds at Marengo Ridge, Rush Creek in Harvard and the Hollows in Cary are booked on the weekends this month, but weekdays remain open. Reservations for all the district’s sites are recommended.
Many groups take advantage of the sites to learn survival skills, hike, fish, spy on wildlife, take part in storytelling or cook on a campfire, says Wendy Kummerer, district communications manager.
“It’s close to home, an inexpensive alternative to traveling up north to Wisconsin,” she says.
Most sites offer hiking trails and fishing. At the Hollows, you can launch a canoe or rowboat to Lake Atwood.
At Beck’s Woods in Chemung and Hickory Grove in Cary, small groups of 20 or families can book entire camp sites for themselves, Kummerer says.
None of the sites have shower facilities.
“People who want a little more remote experience can camp by canoe at Glacial Park,” Kummerer says. “The hike trails are wooded, a lot of wildlife to see out there.”
They can take an hour-long canoe ride down Nippersink Creek and set up camp surrounded by 3,200 acres of Glacial Park in Ringwood.
For more information, go to www.mccdistrict.org and click on camping in the “Recreation” category.
Chicago Northwest KOA in Union
You probably know this campground best by the Wild West Town beside it.
The 42-year-old campground has all the amenities of KOA sites, including spots for RVs and tents and cabins as well as a swimming pool, mini golf, bicycle rentals, free wireless Internet and shower facilities.
“Because we are the closet KOA to the city of Chicago, we attract a lot of travelers, who want to either see the city or who have family in the area,” owner Sharon Teague says.
For more information or to make a reservation, go to www.chicagonwkoa.com or call 815-923-4206.
Chain O’ Lakes State Park in Spring Grove
The park offers six different camping areas as well as three cabins located in the middle of Illinois’ largest concentration of natural lakes. It’s ideal for boaters, anglers and skiers.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 847-587-5512. Or go to www.dnr.state.il.us and click on “Camping.”
