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!!

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.

We were here as part of a Nature Foundation of Wisconsin outing so we were lucky to have the park's…read moresuperintendent as one of our tour guides. We hiked along the trail that overlooked both the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. It was beautiful. Lots of interesting birds, plant life and history. There are many beautiful vistas and historic/ geographical plaques and markers to help explain the area. The flood marker at the boat launch was impressive. We were only here for the day but we could see how this is a popular place for camping. We understand in summer that the mosquitoes can be fierce - lucky we were here in May. We brought our picnic lunch to the far south end of the park at the Henneger Point picnic area and had it to ourselves. A very nice state park.

This is a really nice park for easy hikes with outstanding views…read more Lookout point is a must with a beautiful view of the Wisconsin river flowing into the Mississippi. The sand caves loop is an easy shaded hike perfect for hot days (with bug repellent). Driving down to the boat landing also give an interesting view from the fishing platform. Overall a really nice park.

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've been to the park area a few times for family gatherings and the shelters are always very nice…read more This year my mom decided that while the whole family was home for Christmas we would go snowshoeing on the trails out at Swiss Valley Nature Center. Since we had a heat wave and the temperature broke 40 degrees it was a beautiful day to be outside but not really the best snow to snowshoe in. But in the dead of winter, you have to take warm days when you get them. The Nature Center has snowshoes to rent for free. They have two different sizes for adults and I'm guessing they weren't super high quality snowshoes but they worked fine for us. We went on a Saturday and the selection was fairly picked over and we had to have ours back in 2 hours. You can call and reserve the shoes ahead of time and I would highly recommend doing that on the weekends. The trails were well marked and there were quite a few options for trails to take. There are also cross-country ski trails that are groomed if you are into that. The woman helping us at the nature center thought you could rent cross-country skies from Kunert Sports. We picked a hilly route and although I consider myself in-shape I was huffing and puffing going up the steepest climb. The sites were beautiful and very worth it though.

A great place to hike near Dubuque. As the name suggests, the nature preserve is located in a…read morevalley just west of town. There's a nature center at the trailhead, and a campground just down the road. The trails span a variety of habitats, and are long and hilly enough to get your heart rate pumping if you so desire. A nice alternative to the Mines of Spain.

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!

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.

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.

Amazing campground, amazing staff and you guessed it, an amazing time. I'm upset it took us so long…read moreto make it out here. I recommend this for family and friends. We will return.

awesome place! This will be our 4th year up. great hospitality, great fishing. always awesome…read moreseeing the cows! camping, fishing, hiking, relaxing couldn't be better!

Stayed 10/30/2021…read more Jerome's family has been here 105 years and had a campground the whole time. They're grandfathered in for camping ordinances. Pit toilets, a fire pit and bench at each campsite, and a river, that's it for amenities. Jerome can't make a living on 30 diary and 50 beef cattle with his brother and wife working outside their regular 40 hour jobs to keep the farm going. "A thousand cattle farm nearby is closing, so how can anyone make it? There are no young people here." If you want to stay, just show up and let yourself in. The gate is never locked. Jerome doesn't have a cell phone or computer and usually isn't home to answer the landline phone. "I live in the Stone Age," says the guy with a stone barn on a stone bluff in a town named Rock. Jerome will find you before sunset when he makes rounds and collect payment then. $12 he said. I paid more. If you go, please tip him well. Castle Rock Park is across the river and a great place to hike. Snow Bottom SNA north parcel is minutes away and south parcel not many more. REM Castle Rock DNR land includes Castle Rock Park and park of Cedar Cliff across the highway. There's nothing to do in Castle Rock, and nowhere to shop. Come prepared. You won't have any traffic or neighbors.