IDNR Accepting Campsite Reservations for the 2009 Camping Season
December 23, 2008
Campers can make reservations by phone, mail, or in person
SPRINGFIELD – Reservations for the 2009 camping season at Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) campsites, cabins, group campsites and picnic shelters can be made by mail beginning January 2nd and in person or over the phone beginning February 1st, announced IDNR Acting Director Sam Flood.
“Campgrounds at our state parks, recreation areas and state fish and wildlife areas are popular destinations for families, hikers, hunters and anglers,” said Flood. “By taking reservations at the beginning of the year, we ensure there is a campsite waiting for our visitors when they’re ready for a vacation.”
Reservations can be made by mail only beginning January 2nd. Reservation forms and instructions can be obtained from the IDNR website at http://dnr.state.il.us/
Beginning February 1st, telephone and in-person reservations can be made using Visa and MasterCard at the following sites: Chain O’Lakes, Fox Ridge, Jim Edgar Panther Creek (Cabins and Group Camps only), Pere Marquette, Ramsey Lake, Rock Cut, Shabbona, and Sangchris Lake. In-person reservations will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not accepted via electronic mail at any site.
A daily lottery will be conducted for mail-in reservations. Up to six mail-in reservations per envelope, per person will be accepted for campsites or shelters. Camping groups may mail more than six reservations per envelope as long as no more than six are for one individual.
Regular campsites and group campsites require a $5 non-refundable reservation fee and the first night’s camping and utility fee at the time the reservation is made. Shelter reservation fees are $25, except on Fridays and Saturdays at Spitler Woods.
Campsites can be reserved for a maximum of 14 nights per 30-day period and reservations must be made at least seven days in advance. Reserved campsites will be held until 3 p.m. the following day, after which time the site will be offered to other campers on a first come first-served basis.
Reservations for the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends require a minimum three-day reservation.
Campsite reservations will be available at the following state parks:
- Apple River Canyon, 8763 E. Canyon Road, Apple River, IL 61001 (Youth Group Only)
- Argyle Lake, 640 Argyle Road, Colchester, IL 62326
- Beaver Dam, 14548 Beaver Dam Lane, Plainview, IL 62685 (Cabin and Youth Group Only)
- Big River, R. R. #1, Box 118, Keithsburg, IL 61442
- Chain O’Lakes, 8916 Wilmot Road, Spring Grove, IL 60081
- Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, R.R. #1, Box 4, Dewitt, IL 61735
- Delabar State Park, RR#2, Box 27, Oquawka, IL 61469
- Eagle Creek, P. O. Box 16, Findlay, IL 62534
- Eldon Hazlet, 20100 Hazlet Park Road, Carlyle, IL 62231
- Fox Ridge, 18175 State Park Road, Charleston, IL 61920
- Illinois Beach, Lake Front, Zion, IL 60099
- Jim Edgar Panther Creek, 10149 County Highway 11, Chandlerville, IL 62627 (Cabin and Group Camp Only)
- Kankakee River State Park, P.O. Box 37, Bourbonnais, IL 60914
- Lake Le-Aqua-Na, 8542 North Lake Road, Lena, IL 61048
- Pere Marquette, P.O. Box 158, Grafton, IL 62037
- Ramsey Lake, P.O. Box 97, Ramsey, IL 62080
- Rock Cut, 7318 Harlem Road, Loves Park, IL 61111
- Sam Dale, R.R. #1, Box 101 Johnsonville, IL 62850
- Sangchris Lake, 9898 Cascade Road, Rochester, IL 62563
- Shabbona Lake, 4201 Shabbona Grove Road, Shabbona, IL 60550
- Starved Rock, P.O. Box 509, Utica, IL 61373
- Trail of Tears, 3240 State Forest Rd., Jonesboro, IL 62952 (Reservations not accepted until April 16, 2009)
- Walnut Point, 2331 East Co. Road, 370N, Oakland, IL 61943
Shelter reservations will be available at the following sites:
Northwest Illinois:
- Apple River Canyon, Argyle Lake State Park, Big River State Forest, Delabar State Park, Franklin Creek State Natural Area, Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Jubilee College State Park, Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park, Mississippi Palisades State Park, Morrison-Rockwood State Park, Prophetstown State Park, Rock Cut State Park, Shabbona Lake State Park and White Pines Forest State Park.
Northeast Illinois:
- Buffalo Rock State Park, Chain O’Lakes State Park, Gebhard Woods State Park, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Kankakee River State Park, Moraine Hills State Park, Silver Springs State Park and William W. Powers Conservation Area.
East-central Illinois:
- Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, Eagle Creek State Park, Fox Ridge State Park, Kickapoo State Park, Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park, Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area, Spitler Woods State Natural Area, and Walnut Point State Park.
West-central Illinois:
- Beaver Dam State Park, Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Eldon Hazlet State Park, Frank Holten State Park, Horseshoe Lake State Park in Madison County, Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA, Pere Marquette State Park, Randolph County Conservation Area, Sand Ridge State Forest, Sangchris Lake State Park, Washington County Conservation Area and Weinberg-King State Park.
Southern Illinois:
- Dixon Springs, Ferne Clyffe State Park, Fort Massac State Park, Giant City State Park, Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area in Alexander County, Lake Murphysboro State Park, Ramsey Lake State Park, Red Hills State Park, Sam Dale State Park, Sam Parr State Park, Stephen A. Forbes State Park, Trail of Tears State Forest and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park.
The IDNR also has openings for campground hosts at many state-run campgrounds. Hosts are paid $1/day and receive free camping for the length of their stay. Hosts are expected to check campers in and out and help answer general questions from campers. For more information on the host program, call Barb Foster at 217/785-8129.
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Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas Offer Winter Camping
December 8, 2008
The Department of Natural Resources wants to remind winter outdoor enthusiasts that there are state parks and recreation areas that remain open to offer camping opportunities throughout the winter season.
“For your winter camping adventures, there are state parks or recreation areas that remain open for camping and other outdoor recreation year-round. Some offer rustic camping with no amenities, while others offer semi-modern campsites with electricity,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
“Some parks also have cabins, mini-cabins, lodges or yurts available to rent all year, and all are heated with wood or propane stoves. So GO-Get Outdoors and enjoy the winter season.”
Mitchell, Rifle River, and Traverse City offer site electricity and heated restrooms in the winter. Other campgrounds that are open all winter and offer site electricity are Algonac, Bay City, Fort Custer, Ludington, North Higgins Lake, Tahquamenon Falls, and the Waterloo Recreation Area-Portage Lake Campground.
Many of the camper cabins and mini-cabins have reduced pricing for the winter months. The following parks have facilities located on lakes or nestled in the woods, and offer one or more of these winter lodging opportunities with a wide variety of amenities for the winter season:
Upper Peninsula
Fort Wilkins, McLain, Porcupine Mountains, and Wells
Northern Lower Peninsula
Hartwick Pines, Hoeft, Interlochen, Ludington, Mitchell, Rifle River, South Higgins Lake, Tawas Point, Traverse City, and Wilderness
Southern Lower Peninsula
Bald Mountain, Brighton, Fort Custer, Highland, Holland, Holly, Island Lake, Ortonville, Pinckney, Port Crescent, and Waterloo
Reservations for campsites, cabins, mini-cabins and yurts can be made on-line at www.midnrreservations.com or by calling 800-447-2757. To reserve a lodge, contact the park directly. For more information about a specific state park or recreation area, winter camping opportunities, events or accessibility, visit the DNR’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr, under the Recreation and Camping section, or contact the Lansing Office at 517-373-9900 (TTY/TDD711 Michigan Relay Center for the hearing impaired).
Motor vehicle permits for the 2009 season are available and can be purchased at any state park or recreation area, on the DNR’s Web site through the Michigan e-store, or by calling the Lansing Office. Rates will remain the same as last year.
Motor vehicle entrance permits are $24 for a resident annual and $6 for a resident daily. A non-resident annual is $29 and a non-resident daily is $8. Resident annual senior discount permits are $6 and can only be purchased in person at a state park or recreation area, or the main office in downtown Lansing and will require a valid driver’s license and vehicle registration.
In 2009, Michigan state parks will be celebrating their 90th anniversary. Special events will be planned and announced at a future date.
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Kansas State Parks Offer Off Season Bargains
October 21, 2008
Cabins, reduced prices, uncrowded conditions make parks attractive in fall and winter
PRATT — Summer is over, but for many outdoorsmen and women, that doesn’t mean the end of Kansas state park visitation. Many hunters and anglers — and even campers looking for a cool-season adventure — take advantage of the “off-season” in Kansas state parks. Lower prices during the off-season — Oct. 1-March 31 — make trips even more attractive.
Hunters and anglers probably use parks more than other visitors, and the growing number of cabins in parks makes stays more inviting. Cabins provide all the amenities of home and proximity to popular outdoor activities. Cabin rental fees vary depending on size, days of the week, and time of year.
Standard off-season state park permit fees are as follow:
- Daily Vehicle permit — $3.70 (senior/disabled, $2.60);
- Annual Vehicle permit — $19.70 (senior/disabled, $11.10);
- additional Annual Vehicle permit — $12.20 (senior/disabled, $7.35):
- Daily Camping permit — $7.50; and
- 14-Day Camping permit — $87.50.
Costs listed include applicable service fees, except online purchase convenience fee. Annual permits purchased in either the off-season or the prime season are valid for the remainder of the calendar year. 2009 permits go on sale Dec. 15.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ (KDWP) Parks Division operates a system of 25 parks and the Prairie Spirit Rail-Trail. In addition to cabins, most state parks provide utilities and primitive camping and are located adjacent to lakes or reservoirs. Utility fees remain unchanged although some camping fees are cheaper if purchased in the off-season.
In addition to camping facilities, parks offer boat ramps, courtesy docks, shelter houses, trails, and a variety of other amenities. Parks also host numerous special events, such as concerts and festivals, throughout the year.
More information on state park fees is available at the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us.
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