Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Apple River Canyon State Park
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- Season
- Year-round
- Group sites
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 840 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Apple River
- Address
- 8763 E. Canyon Road, Apple River, IL 61001
- Phone
- (815) 745-3302
- Activities
- Camping, Group Camping
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Apple River Canyon State Park is an Illinois DNR state park in the Northwest region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class C (vehicular access without showers, or walk-in with shower access). Also offers: Youth group camping. Pets ARE allowed (leashed, with water, never left unattended or in a parked vehicle) - IDNR's general statewide practice, confirmed via Starved Rock State Park's own IDNR FAQ. Reservable online through Illinois DNR's own Explore More Illinois system (camp.exploremoreil.com, redirects to the live recreation.exploremoreil.com/IllinoisWeb/ booking platform). Advance booking requires at least 3 days' notice; most sites are reservable May 1-October 31 (some year-round - confirm per park).
Fees
Class C: $8/night - vehicular access without showers, or walk-in sites with shower access. Youth group (Class Y): $2/person/night, $20/day minimum. Reservation fee $5/reservation (non-refundable) plus first night's camping fee; camping fees refunded if cancelled online 3+ days before arrival. Discounts (about half the listed camping fee, full utility fee still applies) for Illinois residents 62+ or disabled with a Class 2/2A card; Illinois disabled veterans and POWs camp free aside from the utility fee; no entrance fee to any Illinois state park (dnr.illinois.gov).
Illinois DNR says camping is generally available year-round, weather permitting, with a fall-winter camping period October 1 to April 30 and reduced fees when cold weather closes buildings and shuts off water; call the park ahead for available amenities. Reservations run April 16 to October 31 on ExploreMoreIL; 22 of the sites are listed as walk-in (first-come). Winter camping is available from 11/1 to 4/15 in the Walnut Grove Youth Campground.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 10° | -21° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 34° | 14° | -17° | 62° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 46° | 29° | 0° | 75° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 58° | 38° | 25° | 80° | 6 of 11 |
| May | 70° | 51° | 33° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 81° | 62° | 46° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 84° | 67° | 59° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 80° | 65° | 56° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 79° | 59° | 48° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 60° | 44° | 29° | 79° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 44° | 31° | 4° | 70° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 36° | 24° | -10° | 68° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area · Illinois State Parks · 12 mi
- Blanding Landing · Army Corps of Engineers · 20 mi · 38 sites
- Spruce Creek Park · City, County & Regional Parks · 21 mi
- Mississippi Palisades State Park · Illinois State Parks · 21 mi
- Bellevue State Park · Iowa State Parks · 22 mi · 46 sites
All public campgrounds in Illinois · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.