2570 East 950th Road- Oglesby, IL 61348

Phone: 815-667-4726

web: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/i&m/east/starve/park.htm#Camping

This campground is part of the Starved Rock State Park in Lasalle Illinois (north-central). The campground consists of 133 campsites, 7 of which are handicapped sites and six youth group areas.  There are two major loops in the campground. Sites 1-54 are semi-wooded, sites 68-128 are wooded.  We stayed at site 76 which was good-sized and very wooded.  Sites 59-67, and 129-133 are not wooded.  Each of the loops has a shower and flush toilets near the front of the loop, and port-a-potties or pit toilets near the middle.  There is one dumpster area located near the front of each loop.  There is a water fountain/spout for each loop.  Each of the sites have electric, a picnic table and burn grill. None of the sites have water/sewer.  The campground is not located directly within the park but a mile down the road.  There is no campstore in the campground but there is a lodge with a restaurant and a visitors center with supplies/gift shop located in the state park.  Firewood/ice is available at the campground from a small store/shed with limited hours.  Senior citizens, disabled veteran’s/POW’s can camp at a discounted rate.

Appearance: 

This is a typical state park campground and some of the sites are quite spacious.  The roads were paved but some areas were really in need of repair.  The sites were gravel/grass.  We preferred staying in the wooded section of the park, although full sun sites were available for those who prefer them.  The picnic table was large and so was the burn grill.  We prefer having a traditional firepit for a campfire but during our stay the weather was unbearably hot, so a campfire was out of the question.

Rating: (1-5 lanterns with 5 being the highest)

Activities/Attractions:

The state park has many scenic areas and waterfalls with trails traversing the Illinois river.   Starved Rock consists of a 125 foot sandstone bluff. Many bluffs and canyons can be seen throughout the park which make for a great hiking experience. The area is rich in Native American/French Exploration history. Be sure to visit the Visitor’s Center-it has a great historical overview, wildlife displays, gift shop, snack stand, etc.  This is also a nice area to bring a picnic lunch.  The campground is  minutes away from the town of Utica.  Here you will find several quaint shops and restaurants. We had a great chicken sandwich and beverage at Skoog’s (http://skoogspub.com/) then another beverage at Duffy’s down the block. (http://www.duffystavernandgrill.com/)

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Family/Pet Friendly:

The campground has a playground but not much in the way of activities for the kids in the campground itself.  We did see some youth groups on tours but not any planned activities for families while we were there.

Dogs are permitted on leash throughout the park and on the trails.  There are dogs pick-up bags and water fountains at the beginning of most trail areas.  Pets are permitted in the campground provided that they are leashed and not left unattended.

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Bathrooms/Showers:

We were not overly impressed with the bath facilities.  There are only two showerhouses (one per loop) and only two showers in each.  One shower was handicap, so the facilities were limited.  The handicap shower was on a timer that lasted no more than three-second intervals.  Conversely, the other shower had a push button that would never turn off and no temperature control.  Both times we showered, youth groups had just been through so the facility was not very clean.  For the size of the campground, it could use some more bath facilities.  The port-a-potties were actually decent compared to some we have seen at state parks, but it is hard to get overly enthused about having to use them.

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Overall:  We liked the size of the sites and would like to explore more of the state park in the spring to see the eagles!