Best Camping Spots & Outdoor Adventures
Explore the best best camping spots & outdoor adventures options for kids and families in Chicago
Northerly Island Park
Lakefront nature park & music venue. 91-acre peninsula with skyline views, hiking, fishing & playing plus a fieldhouse & live music acts.
Riis Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Gompers (Samuel) Park
39-acre park with a pool & playground. 39-acre park on the Chicago River with an outdoor pool, playground, roller hockey rink & lagoon.
North Park Village Nature Center
Nature preserve & educational center. 46-acre nature preserve with hiking trails, a birding area & a center with educational programs.
LaBagh Woods
Nature observation, hiking & picnicking. This wooded area is a popular spot for nature observation & offers trails & picnic areas.
Thaddeus S. "Ted" Lechowicz Woods
Riverside park with trails & a shelter. Wooded riverside park featuring walking/jogging trails & a picnic shelter in a clearing.
Ottawa Trail Woods
Forest preserve & historic waterway. Forest preserve with picnic groves & shelters that's part of the historic Chicago Portage waterway.
Fullerton Woods Family Picnic Area
Riverfront forest preserve with trails. Forested 76-acre preserve along the Des Plaines River offering quiet hikes or bike excursions.
Schiller Woods-East
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Schiller Woods-South
Riverside park with a multi-use trail. Wooded riverside park with trail access for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing & dog walking.
Brezina Woods
Forest preserve with various trails. State park features forested areas, a creek & a system of trails for hiking, biking & horse riding.
Axehead Lake
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center
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Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve
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Wilder Park
Recreational area with museums & fields. Popular public space comprised of museums, formal gardens, play & picnic areas, sport courts & more.
Eldridge Park
Site for sports & water activities. Park featuring various athletic fields, a creek for canoeing & a lagoon for fishing & ice skating.
Swift Nature Camp
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Camp Bullfrog Lake
All-year camping with outdoor activities. Tent & RV sites & cabins with showers, a store & picnic area close to hiking, fishing & boating.
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve
Preservation area with trails & fishing. Wildlife & plant preservation area with glacial potholes, multi-use trails, fishing & picnicking.
Maple Grove Forest Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Hidden Lake Forest Preserve
Scenic area with fishing & hiking spots. This tranquil destination features trees & ponds, plus kayaking, fishing, hiking & picnicking.
The Forge Adventure Park & Ziplines
Climbing, biking & zip lines in a quarry. Former quarry turned activity park with bike trails, rope courses & climbing walls, plus zip lines.
Black Partridge Woods
Ravine refuge with trails & a creek. 80-acre park in a ravine by a creek offering trails, a picnic area & a stone bridge.
Greene Valley
1,414-acre space for hiking & camping. Massive park with trails for hiking & cross-country skiing, plus picnic areas & camping facilities.
Danada Forest Preserve
Preserve with a lake & equestrian center. Nature preserve offering a lake with fishing, an equestrian center & trails through varied habitats.
Hidden Oaks Nature Center
Activities, interpretive trails & art. Nature center offering hands-on activities, plus trails with interpretive signs & art installations.
Herrick Lake Forest Preserve
Large area with trails & boat rentals. 885-acre nature preserve with over 5 miles of trails, plus boat rentals & fishing opportunities.
St. James Farm Forest Preserve
612-acre preserve for fauna & flora. Hikers, bikers & horseback riders can explore a protected area of woodlands, prairies & wetlands.
Blackwell Family Campground
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Blackwell Forest Preserve
Woodlands with trails, camping & boating. Scenic area with 9 miles of trails, picnic sites, fishing & boat rentals, camping, tubing & more.
McDowell Grove Forest Preserve
Leafy destination with trails & fishing. This 465-acre wooded area has multi-use trails & recreation such as fishing, boating & picnicking.
Springbrook Prairie
Bird habitat, biking & running trails. Expansive natural area including meadow & prairie habitat for birds plus running & biking trails.
Oakhurst Forest Preserve
55-acre lake & marsh area for wildlife. This large marsh with lake offers wildlife viewing, fishing, picnic areas, a boat launch & trails.
Waubonsie Lake Park
Relaxed place for biking & fishing. Serene park with a lake for fishing, plus biking trails, a playground & waterfront picnic pavilion.
Lippold Park - Fox Valley Park District
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Red Oak Nature Center
Park with trails & nature programs. This rustic park offers hiking trails & a cave, plus nature programs & events.
Adeline Jay Geo Karis Illinois Beach State Park
Vast park for camping & recreation. This 4,160-acre park with diverse scenery & wildlife offers camping, fishing, hiking & boating.
Fish Lake Beach Camping Resort
Lakeside campground with ample amenities. Large lakefront campground & RV park offering a pool, a beach, kids' activities, fishing & laundry.
Hastings Lake Forest Preserve
Nature area with trails & picnic spots. Preserve with 4 mi. of trails through forest, fields & wetlands, plus picnic areas & a playground.
Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway
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Halter Wildlife Inc
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Turner Lake Fen Nature Preserve
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Bristol Woods County Park
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Boundless Adventures - Kenosha's Outdoor Adventure Day Camp
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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