sorry - camping around/near chicago sucks....sorry. you really have to get up north in Wisconsin, or on the other side of the lake in Michigan for it to be good...

Wisconsin? if within 2.5 H, I think we should be OK? Any recommendations? Is it hard to book?

All I can say - is go as much farther north as you can than Kettle Moraine...horrible camping.

you can book online:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/reservation/

try warren dunes state park up in michigan. it will be crowded in summer, but it's right on the beach and has some beautiful dunes. it's about a 2.5 hour drive away, and the highway it comes off of has lots of great little pubs and road houses.

The only place I can think of where people go camping (besides up north) is maybe Wisconsin Dells. But then again, I haven't been camping in over 20 years so...

i hear great things about Starved Rock in Utica, IL

I second those Warren Dunes and Starved Rock ideas. You could also check out places in and around Indian Dunes SP, in Indiana. There's a variety of good camping grounds around the Dells as well. All these are more likely camping-lite sites. If you're a hardcore camper, and laugh at the idea of camping with porta-poties and semi civilization, I suggest MI's upper peninsula and Door County in Wisconsin.

Bossman is spot on about Warren Dunes. The landscape is like something out of Caspar David Friedrich painting and it goes up and down unlike anything else close to Chicago.

Thank you guys for singling out Warren Dunes!

I am bored with chicago lacking of mountain. Will try to search the info. for the camp there.

BEWARE OF SHARKS

Goog it, only 2 H from damn Chicago, so my focus will on warren dunes or indiana dunes.

What a wonderful forum here it is!

http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=504&type=SPRK

Too bad. They are booked for the whole Aug weekends. Might need to check on Indiana dues and Wisconsin dells.

If you want to swing out West instood of north here is the perfect camp away for da family. Ya a da doo!

http://www.flintstonesbedrockcity.com/gallery.php

If you want to swing out West instood of north here is the perfect camp away for da family. Ya a da doo!

http://www.flintstonesbedrockcity.com/gallery.php

Johnson Sauk State Park near Kewanee, IL
Cool old round barn, huge lake with fishing, crazy trees around the campsites planted farm style in rows. I camped there once on a trip cross country and it was one of the cooler spots I stayed in.
Have fun wherever you go.