We came back to visit this year after having such a great experience last year. This really is one…read moreof our favorite campgrounds. It's very quiet, owners are friendly, make sure to stop into the little store as they have some local products for purchase. There's also a room that we didn't notice last by the office that has some big couches for lounging along with pool tables and games and books. We are usually pretty busy with family when we're here so didn't even know this place existed. The utilities are all in working order and we like to stay down on the end so we have an overview of the cattle farm. The fireflies at night in the field are also really fun to watch.

Great sites and beautiful grounds. Bathrooms are excellent…read more Close to town with nice restaurants.

I loved this place from start to finish. As soon as I pulled up and got out the office was closed…read morebut within a few seconds a gentleman pulled up on a 4x4 with a trailer introduced himself and Dennis and started telling all about this campground. asking me what I wanted to do and making arrangements to help accommodate my needs. I had a great spot along a babbling brook that helped put me to sleep and gently woke me up in the morning. As I walked around almost everyone said help to me and were openly friendly as we chatted. There shower and bath facilities were clean and modern, even the smaller building on the far end was a toilet and not a hole in the ground. they were clean and did not smell at all, I don't even think I saw any bugs in any of them. There was wood on site for purchasing and i think I saw a pop machine but I am not sure, also there was no snack shop but that was not a concern for me. I would recommend this place to anyone and I plan on going back, the sooner the better!

My husband, our 2 dogs, and I stayed for 3 days. We stayed in cabin #2. Beautiful scenery, quiet,…read more and not far from the Mississippi River. Clean cabin, showers and bathrooms. Friendly owner. It was amazing. We definitely recommend!!

We stayed here a few weeks ago, hoping to get one last camping weekend in before the cold. The…read morecampground is extremely easy to find and close to nearby attractions and shopping, should you forget something. We stayed while they were celebrating Halloween at the campground; a haunted house, decor, activities, and trick-or-treating. When we went to check-in, the door to the office was locked but someone quickly notified us via intercom that they would be right down to help us. The gentleman that helped us check in was incredibly friendly, offered up Wi-Fi information, and escorted our purchased firewood (and us) to our site. The campground is a lot bigger than we expected. There are several permanent sites here but lots of sites for RVs and tents as well. We were impressed with how secluded each site feels, there are a lot of mature trees. The extra touches, like a pumpkin at each campsite, was really thoughtful. The bathrooms were also insanely clean. They offered shower mats for their shower stalls, which I've never seen before. Just a lot of nice, personal touches. Unfortunately the cold got to us and we ended up leaving Saturday afternoon before the festivities took place. The owner saw us leaving and asked if everything was OK, he was concerned that we were leaving early. We will absolutely be staying at this campground again!

Stayed here for a week for a hunting trip and absolutely loved it! Tons of trails on the property…read moreto walk the dogs plus they have spacious camp spots! Not tightly packed like most campgrounds

I was traveling back to California and was looking for a place to camp for the night so I yelped…read moreand up to a list of campgrounds in Eastern Iowa. One wasn't rated but that didn't scare me. I called and a nice person named Annette answered and said that yes they were open. I found the place with help from signs leading to the place. I was met and checked in with Annette. Found out that I would have a tent area to myself as it was during the week. I bought some firewood and Annette's husband John delivered it to my site, which was on the river. Very peaceful. They had the usual amenities I.E full hookups plus volleyball, horseshoe pits, showers, hiking and horse trails and a nice beach. John and Annette have a real nice place there. Go check it out.

Excellent campground! Fun tubing down the river! Lots of trees and that means shade, yet as much…read moresun as you want. There's a playground, beach, and lots to do. If you like hiking and relaxing with excellent tent sites and full RV hookups this is for you. We love this campground and look forward in coming back.

The pond was so fun the food was great loved how they had shower houses for after pond and pool…read morestaff was so friendly 10/10 recommend

Wonderful family-friendly campground! The clubhouse has great food and the staff are very friendly!…read more Plenty of amenities for kids and families!

Apple River Canyon (ARC) is my favorite campground in Illinois. No question. I'll start with a…read moreexcerpt from the Illinois DNR website: "Apple River Canyon State Park is in the hilly northwest corner of Illinois in Jo Daviess County near the Wisconsin border. Limestone bluffs, deep ravines, springs, streams and wildlife characterize this area. Once a part of a vast sea bottom that stretched from the Alleghenies to the Rockies, the scenic canyon area was formed by the action of the winding waters of the Apple River." My husband and I have been coming here since the late 90's. We love it here. Pros: + Only 2 1/2 hours from Chicago. + Did you read that paragraph above that I took from the website? It's BEAUTIFUL here. + 5 awesome hiking trails; some of them easier than others. + Hike (or drive) down to the river from your campsite. There's some good fishing. And our dogs love to swim in it. (Swimming for you is prohibited, however.) + 2 big loops in the campground. Most of them are nicely sized and thoughtfully spaced apart. + Only 15 minutes to Stockton (the closest town) for groceries and firewood. + Eight bucks per night for a non-electrical site. Cons: - I am not there right now. I am at my desk, rotting under flourescent lighting. This is the kind of place that, as soon as we arrive, I'm already saying, "I don't want to go home!" But I want to be completely honest - there are no showers here, and only pit toilets. There are, of course, 2 or 3 water stations in each loop (pump). So, if maintaining hygiene is the number one most important thing for you during a camping weekend, you may not find ARC as perfect as I do. Me? I try my best to make do. You're camping for God's sake! Shower when you go home! See you at Apple River Canyon!

My review may be a bit different than other people but during my time here I absolutely enjoy the…read moreviews but what I did not enjoy here were the amenities featured. The bathrooms here were absolutely in shambles and the maintenance at the park is pretty bad. Please be cautious that your GPS will not work in this area either. Poorly labeled trails as well where you can get lost.

Nice and private, great views. If you're looking to camp or just launch your boat out for the day…read morethis is a great place to do it!

Maiden voyage at this location was quite the surprise. In the middle of rolling luscious green…read morehills. It felt pretty safe with the warden and Ranger making frequent passes. The host was very friendly and helpful with the 411. The sites are close enough together that it doesn't feel very remote though. Unfortunately, it was very extremely high temperatures so I didn't get to explore the hiking trails. But the beach and amphitheater were definitely worth checking out. Educational programs and food truck Saturdays. Wi-Fi is a little spotty so they recommend cash. The grounds are very clean as well as the restrooms and showers. Definitely feels like you're someplace else even if you're from the state of Wisconsin.

Lovely campsites and what could have been a wonderful experience was ruined by loud, drunk and…read morenoisy campers... partying, swearing and obnoxious throughout the evening. The entire area quiet and peaceful except for these two families who chose to make it miserable for the rest of us. We've camped at numerous WI State Parks and have never experienced this kind of rude behavior. These campers proudly displayed they were from Oconomowac, WI. Ugh ...!! We ended up moving to another site. Camp office was gracious and accommodating.

Every year my family goes on a big camping trip, and this year we visited Governor Dodge! A first…read morefor us. Looking back, I'd say overall it was A-OK. We booked a double site as we had two RVs and multiple tents. It sure was plenty spacious! However, we all had noted it would have been great to see photos of the site when booking so we could know more that to expect. It was 100% full sun, and truly not chance for shade. Most other sites at this park had lots of tree coverage, which we would have loved and likely swapped to giving the chance. Being in a wide open space in the dead of summer can be tricky. The grounds are massive and well-kept, with tons of great hiking trails. Overall stunning views and vast green spaces. There's two large lakes with options to kayak, canoe, fish, ,etc. Concession stand with tasty ice cream, and a handful of convenience-store type items. Oh and we also definitely enjoyed the playground area with the kiddos. On the bad side: the shower-houses were pretty terrible. At least the one nearest to our site. It was to the point that half of us chose to forego showering all together just to avoid it. We also had a bummer experience at one of the beaches. We arrived around 10am and were all swimming for a few hours (along with tons of other visitors), when the rangers arrived and promptly closed the beach due to dangerous water bacteria. The closing wasn't the issue, but instead allowing 50+ folks to swim and fish in it before doing so. We'd all wished this water testing was done before the beach 'opened' for the day, as it left us fairly nervous having the quickly be rushed out. Overall, plenty of positives to this gorgeous state park - we made some great camping memories! Just hope those few shared pieces of feedback could help for future plans/changes.

What an absolute 'Sconi gem!…read more Anything other than 5-stars is insane! Awesome trail system with great views. The trails are wonderfully maintained. If you just want to laze about on a lake-beach, you can do that too! I have family that live less than an hour from here and they haven't been in 10+ years, that is CRAZY!

The trails are phenomenal. Especially the equestrian trails. Love going out and riding in the…read morewoods. Need to get out and start hiking with the dogs