Midwest Marvels: This Is Your State’s Best Campsite

Back to nature

The Midwest is an adventure lover's playground – vast lakes, pillowy dunes, grass-flecked wetlands and pine-rich forests all await. Happily, there are also plenty of excellent campgrounds, so you can really immerse yourself in the region's natural bounty. From bare-bones sites in the area's top state parks to fun camping resorts which appeal to families, these are our favorite campsites in America's Midwest.

Indiana: Dunewood Campground, Indiana Dunes National Park

You’ll find 66 picture-perfect spots at this NPS campground, including both drive-in and walk-in sites. Shady plots hide within tangles of jack pines, oaks and hickories, just a stone’s throw from the rippling dunes that make this site so special. It’s back to basics here – there's no electricity or water hookups for RV users – but it’s worth it for the epic sandscapes you’ll have on your doorstep.

Indiana: Dunewood Campground, Indiana Dunes National Park

Hikers will be well satisfied here: routes range from quick jaunts into the marshes or forests to longer treks lasting several hours and offering pinch-yourself views of the dunes. The park envelops some 15 miles (24km) of Lake Michigan’s extensive shoreline too, so you can take to the water on a boat or kayak. Lake Michigan’s postcard-worthy Lake View Beach is just 1.5 miles (2.4km) north of the campground. 

Illinois: Starved Rock State Park campground, Utica Township

Campers will enter a world of gnarled twisted rock and plunging waterfalls when they pitch up at this campsite in Illinois’ most spectacular state park. Starved Rock State Park campground makes a perfect springboard for exploring the natural delights of the site, from taking to the 13 miles (21km) of marked trails to kayaking on the lakes (rent a kayak through private outfitter Kayak Starved Rock). Pictured is the dramatic French Canyon in early spring. 

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Illinois: Starved Rock State Park campground, Utica Township

The campground itself is simple but scenic, with plots tucked into wooded thickets or basking in open sunshine. There are some 133 Class-A Premium campsites, plus basic amenities such as portable toilets, a pair of shower houses and a camp store for supplies. Families can make use of the kids’ playground too. 

Iowa: Maquoketa Caves State Park campground, Maquoketa

Maquoketa Caves State Park – with its impressive caverns and peaceful forested trails – is possibly one of the Midwest’s most underrated natural sites. Happily you needn’t rush your adventures here, since the park’s simple campground offers an ideal base. The site has both electric and non-electric hook-up plots, plus swish restrooms and shower houses. Best of all, though, it opens out onto the park’s natural bounty.

Iowa: Maquoketa Caves State Park campground, Maquoketa

Six miles (10km) of trails thread through the state park, wriggling out towards cave openings and past twisted rocky bluffs. The park’s crown jewel is the Dancehall Cave, a riot of flowstone and dripstone formations that crawls out for some 1,100 feet (335m). There are about 12 more caves beyond the star sight – some with needle-tight passageways for pro spelunkers. Once you’re adventured out, the shady campsite provides the perfect respite.

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Kansas: Langley Point and Horsethief campgrounds, Kanopolis State Park

This pair of simple campgrounds in central Kansas provide access to some of the finest scenery in the Sunflower State. You’ll find them spread out in Kanopolis State Park – named for the shimmering, 3,500-acre Kanopolis Lake – and visitors have a whopping 450 sites to choose from. They range from back-to-nature tent sites to full hook-up spots for RV users, or even a string of deluxe cabins. You’ll find a contemporary shower unit, plenty of picnic shelters and flushing restrooms too.

Kansas: Langley Point and Horsethief campgrounds, Kanopolis State Park

One of the campgrounds is named for the eponymous Horsethief Canyon, a rugged ravine that can be explored on some of the site's 30 miles (48km) of hiking trails. Adventurers can take in subterranean sights too – there are natural caverns to explore, as well as Faris Caves, a series of rocky hollows carved out by early settlers. Note that a two-night minimum stay is required at the campgrounds across the weekend.

Michigan: Twelvemile Beach Campground, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Few campground locations have more star quality than this one. The simple plots at this back-to-nature site place you within kissing distance of the vast waters of Lake Superior. You'll see the endless blue expanse peeping from between the pines and hemlocks that swaddle your pitch. There are just 36 rustic sites available, and you'll have use of picnic tables, fire rings and pit toilets. 

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Michigan: Twelvemile Beach Campground, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

The limited facilities are worth it for the natural treasures on offer. Twelvemile Beach is exactly what it sounds like: a broad, 12-mile (19km) sweep of sand backed by forest that noses its way up to Lake Superior. Beyond the Champagne-colored sand, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore draws visitors with its plunging, tree-topped cliffs, arches and winter ice caves.

Minnesota: Camp Holiday Resort and Campground, Deerwood

Folded away in central Minnesota, this cheerful vacation resort is perfectly primed for a family camping adventure. It's arranged around pretty Turtle Lake with some 40 camping spots, of which six have pride of place right by the water. There's also a cabin and several vacation homes if you're not geared up for tent camping.

Minnesota: Camp Holiday Resort and Campground, Deerwood

You'll get the classic, old-school camping experience here: roasting marshmallows around a firepit, wild swimming in a lake (the kids will love the water slide and sandy beach) and hanging out in the games room if the weather takes a turn. There's plenty to do in the surrounding area too: you'll find stellar golf courses, top-rated mountain biking trails and Paul Bunyan Land, a quirky, old-school amusement park with kid-friendly rides and an antique-filled Pioneer Village.

Missouri: LaJolla Natural Park campground, Meramec Caverns, Stanton

It's almost impossible to get bored at Meramec Caverns, a fun attraction with a campsite that's a perfect base for a family escape. Open throughout the summer, the campground's bucolic plots are arranged alongside the snaking Meramec River, while a shady picnic area is the perfect spot to refuel. There are also barbecue pits and a children's play area, plus a stand selling provisions.

Missouri: LaJolla Natural Park campground, Meramec Caverns, Stanton

The on-site campground is the perfect springboard for exploring the caverns themselves, an awesome subterranean complex that is visitable on a guided tour and includes an impressive light show. You can also try your hand at panning for gold at the on-site 'mining company', book float trips on the river or brave the center's treetop zipline course.

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Nebraska: Swanson Reservoir campgrounds, Trenton

The vast Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area is one of the finest places to camp in the Cornhusker State. The vast body of water – which takes over a pocket of southwestern Nebraska – is a haven for boaters and kayakers, and you can camp inches from the water on the broad sand and grass banks.

Nebraska: Swanson Reservoir campgrounds, Trenton

RV hook-up sites are spread across both the Macklin Bay and Spring Canyon campgrounds, while rustic tent pitches are scattered about the sandy beaches (a volleyball court right on the sand will keep the whole family entertained). There are basic facilities including restrooms and showers, but the real drawcard is the water. Spend the day boating, then watch the sun sink beneath the reservoir from your pitch.

North Dakota: Juniper Campground, Theodore Roosevelt National Park

A highlight of the Roughrider State, Theodore Roosevelt National Park sprawls out for more than 70,000 acres, a feast of rippling badlands, shamrock-colored prairies and hulking granite spires. You can immerse yourself in the wilderness with a stint at the back-to-basics Juniper Campground, the only campsite in the park's North Unit. 

North Dakota: Juniper Campground, Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Sites are fairly basic (there's no hook-up for RVs), but the park's natural bounty more than makes up for the relative lack of amenities. Campers will also have easy access to the North Unit's Scenic Byway, an epic road trip that wriggles into the wilderness on the tail of roaming bison and wild horses.

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Ohio: John Bryan State Park Campground, Yellow Springs

A rugged limestone gorge, carved out by the Little Miami River, is the showpiece of this 752-acre park in western Ohio. And the best way to experience it is with a stint at the park's own campground, a string of 56 electric and non-electric sites nestled in the forest. Pitches are simple, but you can expect yours to be kitted out with a picnic bench and a fire ring. 

Ohio: John Bryan State Park Campground, Yellow Springs

Once you've pitched up, head out on a hike. The park is a walker's haven with 10 marked routes and the kid-friendly Storybook Trail, which includes panels revealing nature-themed tales. There's also an extensive network of mountain biking trails, plus a dedicated area for rock climbing.

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South Dakota: Cedar Pass Campground, Badlands National Park

Few preserves are more rugged than South Dakota's Badlands National Park, and a couple of nights at the Cedar Pass Campground is a fine way to enjoy the unfettered wilderness. It's one of two designated campgrounds in the park, spreading out with 96 sites, each offering sweeping vistas of the park's rugged bluffs and wide-open skies.

South Dakota: Cedar Pass Campground, Badlands National Park

The campground is located close to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, where park rangers can point you in the direction of epic hikes and prime wildlife-viewing spots. Popular walks in the vicinity include the mellow Door Trail – partially covered by a boardwalk and offering expansive panoramas over the badlands and grasslands – and the Notch Trail, which skirts clifftops and canyons and includes a climb on a wooden ladder.

Wisconsin: Family Campground, Harrington Beach State Park, Belgium

Harrington Beach State Park is a tranquil, forested preserve that sweeps out by the side of vast Lake Michigan, and the site's Family Campground is the perfect place to pitch up under the stars and drink in the giant Great Lakes scenery. There are 69 units, around half of which have electrical hook-up for RV drivers, and all have picnic tables and campfire rings. There are additional amenities through the summer, including showers and toilets.

Wisconsin: Family campground, Harrington Beach State Park, Belgium

While the campground has all the bare necessities, it's the location that really sings. The park scoops up around a mile (1.6km) of Lake Michigan's sand-trimmed shoreline and also protects great tracts of grassland and glittering swamps. Keep your eyes peeled for the park's abundant birdlife – both out on the trails and at your pitch – and make time for a visit to the on-site observatory too. 

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