We decided to check this place out because the website said you can see the night sky so beautifully here. Unfortunately there was a full moon so we didn’t get to see the sky as we had wanted to but it was still very stunningly beautiful at night as the moon illuminated the forest beneath it. The trails were ok, one of them was nearly impossible to walk as it had not been cleared out or walked in in years. But stopping at the creek right before heading back to camp was amazing. We walked through the water and found so many beautiful quartz crystals in all different shades of oranges, pinks, yellows and smoky tones. We were disappointed that the beach was closed, that was not mentioned in the website nor when we called. The camp space was the first row lot 5, we were right in front with easy access to the bathrooms and showers. Hated the showers guessing it’s well water because it just felt slimy all over my skin. But the facilities were in good condition, not trashed at all. Minus the water it was ok, I’d definitely recommend this camping location it felt so cozy can’t wait to come back on a CLEAR night to star gaze. And the price was excellent for a weekend stay!

Clean campsites, clean bathrooms. Self serve honor system camping on Tuesday and Wednesday. Everything was maintained well, all campsites had shade. Newer facilities, lots of picnic shelters. Fishing dock on the smaller pond. Decent bass fishing, shallow ponds though. 2 volleyball nets, at least; and a clean and well-maintained playground. Beach was closed during my visit. Clean drinking fountains and spigots conveniently located around the park.

Now this is a hidden gem in the middle of nowhere by Paxton, Illinois.. The campground is very popular and I have no interest in checking out any of those trails. However, the North Waterfowl Trail is worth the drive just a few minutes away. The parking is very easy to miss but once you get there, it is gorgeous. It does not even feel like you are in Illinois.

I really hesitate to tell you what a wonderful place this is, because I'd really like to keep this hidden gem to myself! All the Champaign County Forest Preserve properties are lovingly well-tended. You can really tell the employees care.

Amazing stargazing experience. Lots of stars can be seen with our naked eyes. The night sky is dark due to less light pollution. This is the best place for telescope viewing and astrophotography near the Chicago area.

Stayed here over the weekend in a tent primitive site. The area was awesome, pretty flat, spacious with the other sites - and clean fire pits and picnic tables. Beautiful wide open view of the sky too. The campground has good showers and facilities. The hiking trails were nice - a 3.5 easy trail surrounds the site and rivers. Nice host too!

Nature at its finest! The leaves are past peak color and many are falling from their branches. There’s a cool crispness in the air and the geese easily outnumber the humans. It’s hard to imagine a more pleasant or peaceful setting for someone who appreciates the beauty found in nature.

The campground area is large and beautiful. The trails are nice, and they really do keep night lighting to a minimum to enjoy the night sky. The bathroom facilities need a lot more maintenance. We had an unfortunate situation happen, which made me question the integrity of the people who work there. I would really like to go back with my telescopes, but I don't trust the people who work there. I can not recommend this place based on my first experience going there.

Excellent nature preserve! We walked the south loop trail today, wish we had time for more. I'd love to check out the Dark sky viewing area some night. Migration seasons might be a good time for the waterfowl trail. The trail and camping ares seemed well maintained.

Spent the weekend here to observe the night sky and it did not disappoint. The camping grounds and park overall are extremely well maintained. Not only was the sky at night beautiful, we got lucky and got to see the fall foliage in all it's beauty. So many yellows, greens and reds! The wife really loved this campground and we will be coming back in the future.

I live down the road and this place has been a local favorite for decades! Swimming, camping, hiking, nature, playgrounds, volleyball, biking, etc It's free to come for the day and to swim. The playground has been updated. The swimming pond has been revamped and clean. Lots of natural flowers. Electric and non electric sites. A bathhouse with hot showers, plumbed toilets, and changing near the beach. Outhouses near camping sites throughout the park. Multiple fishing ponds. 10/10 highly recommend! They also have group sites!

We love this trail, we go to the bird preserve trail down the road from the camping area. It's about 1.8 miles all the way around with great bird watching. Just be aware that the trail is horse-shoe shaped and you'll either have to walk all the way back you came, or walk 1/3 of a mile along the road to get back to your vehicle. We see a lot of butterfly varieties here in the late summer as well.

The park, campground, and facilities were awesome! Trails were well maintained, restrooms kept up with, hosts very kind, and the beach/swimming was a huge hit with the whole family.

Unbelievable night sky. The only dark sky park in Illinois! This is a wonderful park that's quiet and beautiful. Deer all over too!

Nice campsite Saw a ton of stars at night, but there were quite a few people that don't turn off their lights. There's also firewood for sale Thurs-Mon. And I saw an active eagle's nest!

Very nice natural area. We saw a group of turkeys in the forest. The river was very beautiful as well.

So I went here mainly during the weekdays, I do believe it gets a lot busier during the weekend. They have pamphlets at the front entrance. The park is open from dawn to dusk every day. It's a nature preserve and campground. They have several ponds, a volleyball court, public restrooms, a jungle gym for the kiddos, and hiking trails. They have five trails as of now in the main campground area. I took the South Loop trail and the views were very nice. I do wish they would maintain the trails a bit better, as a lot of it was overgrown with grass, which combined with the morning dew, makes for wet socks. I didn't mind too much but my wife was less than thrilled. The SL trail connects with the Oak Burl trail so you can continue the loop for a total of 4.4 miles, or you can go east and the trail will terminate at the Western part of the campground area. The trails are teeming with wildlife, which was awesome. I saw a few deer both on and off the trail, unfortunately I was too loud and failed to get a good picture. There are also a ton of little frogs hanging out on the trail. The SL trails gives you a great view of the river, a meadow, and the forest. Really nice hike minus the wet feet. It's super easy and kids would be fine throughout. There is plenty of parking and there is a Ranger station where you can buy ice and firewood, and it also has a poster with astronomical events so you don't miss anything. I wanted to come for the night sky viewing but didn't make it unfortunately, but this is a international dark sky and campground certified area, which is cool. I also visited the North Waterfowl Management Area, which is very beautiful. Less parking there and it's easy to miss if you're moving east-west. Highly recommend if you're in the area, bring water proof shoes though.