This place is great for a hike. Winding trails that cut through lush woods and alongside the river…read more Highly recommend to take a relaxing hike.

Absolutely beautiful great hiking, great camping, we went for years and the people were kind and…read morefriendly.

Located about 2.5 hrs from Chicago, Lake Carroll has it all. I don't think there's a better place…read moreto own lakefront property. The amenities are endless. The gorgeous private lake, golf course, indoor pool, snow tubing hill with a tow rope to drag you and your tube up the hill, the lodge, and equestrian center. It's year around fun no matter what your interests are. It's very small town for Chicagoans, but the friendliness and sense of community almost feels movie-like. I really love this place.

Lake Carroll recently added weed killer to the lake due to excessive weeds. For well over a week…read morenow I have been asking for a status as members of the family were planning on swimming at the beach this weekend. I have emailed them multiple times and received no response. Multiple members of the board are on the emails and all do not feel it necessary to extend the common courtesy of an answer... STAY AWAY!!! NEGATIVE STARS FOR LAKE CARROLL MANAGEMENT IF POSSIBLE!!!

A great place to but fresh fish and smoked fish Special gourmet cheeses and spreads. The smoked…read moretrout spread is amazing.

Reviewing fishing for trout in their stock pond. DO IT! Take your kids, take your parents, take…read moreyour neighbors for an afternoon of catching your food. Yes, they'll clean and ice it for the trip home! Rushing Waters is in the brook trout business, raising them for restaurants, stores, and consumers. Some of the more hospitable and helpful people in the service industry that I can recall in recent years. They furnish you with a pole, bait, and bucket for your catch, the pond is a short walk down from the parking lot. No fishing license is required! We took in 8 over the span of a couple of hours, had half of them merely cleaned, and half fileted, as I wanted to try different cooking methods when I got home. Did the whole fish over charcoal, the filets on the flattop griddle. Both preparations were excellent. We will definitely return. Fun day! Open seven days, and year-round, I believe. Also, a small market of related items like prepared fish, spreads and seasonings. About 30 minutes north of Lake Geneva, WI, two hours from Chicago.

I'd heard great tales of the park with the big statue and we finally went to check it out. The…read morestatue is impressively large! Definitely worth a visit. You then have 3 options to walk down to the river. One that is stairs straight down and two others that call themselves steep/ rough. Honestly all seem pretty steep! we took one of the side rough trails which was a gradual decline down to the river. Although you had to pay attention to where you were going it wasn't too tough to navigate. The river was a nice reward at the end. We used the other trail to go back up and it seemed more steep and tricky. But fun! I'd say it took about 20 minutes each way. It was a fun little outing!

This park was a gorgeous weekend getaway from Chicago. It's easy to find right along the Rock…read moreRiver. We camped in a tent but the weekend we were here, there were mostly RVs around us. If you camp here in dry weather, the site B38 is the most perfect one because there are no neighbors to your sides - yet it's somewhat close to the toilets/showers, and a comfortable distance from the trash bins. (The site is on lower ground, so in wet weather, it looks like a rivulet goes right through the site.) I've been camping all my life and I've never been in a quieter campground! People were so respectful. It's also super clean and well maintained, though the shower building was small and older. The camp hosts were super laid-back but did their patrols. Be sure to go say hi to the friendly guy at Quirky's camp store and hot dog stand. Then take off into the quiet, well-marked trails, don't miss the Blackhawk statue and breathtaking view, and meander along the river. So peaceful!

If you've never been kayaking and want to try it, check this place out. $45 a person per kayak, or…read moreyou can rent a canoe for less. The owner will take you to the drop off site at Epensheids park and away you go. Life jackets are provided. The trip can take 4-8 hours depending on what you do along the way. You can bring a soft sided cooler that can mount on the boat. Wear shoes as there are some rocky stopping spots. My friend and I had a blast on a gorgeous day on the Kish river.

CAMPING: I camped with a private group at Larsen's Landing…read moreas part of a weekend canoe package. We had the campground pretty much to ourselves. Pros: This camp site is off the beaten path. Literally. The road is not paved. There's no city noise and it really feels like you're in the wilderness even though you're just a short drive to civilization. Cons: You're in the wilderness. This is rustic camping. Forget about electric hookups. No water spigot. Not even a pit toilet. They did provide a port-a-potty. CANOEING: The canoe portion of our trip was no fuss. They drove our group by bus up-river and dropped us off - each with a sack lunch and a canoe - with instructions to just follow the river back to the landing. This was very well organized and they made sure everyone was set before taking off. I wouldn't change a thing. TIPS: If you're camping, bring your own water and a roll of TP. Invest in a dry box. Your canoe *WILL* tip when you least expect it. The sack lunch is worth it.

Great place to buy bait, rent nice boats and have a good time fishing. I give them an A plus…read more Kerry L Elgin Illinois

On Sunday, 6/30/19, we reserved a boat for four hours for the next day. That next morning, it…read morestormed. We waited 90 minutes in our car then showed them that the National Weather Service was showing storms for the rest of our reservation. They expected us to wait it out in our car and go the four hours after our reservation (if it was clear). The owner, Clint, refused to refund our reservation. We had to leave with a store credit that we may not be able to ever use. BEWARE.