Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Big River State Forest
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- Season
- Year-round
- Showers
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 568 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Keithsburg
- Address
- 1337 Township Rd 2850N, Keithsburg, IL 61443
- Phone
- (309) 374-2496
- Activities
- Camping, Equestrian 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
Big River State Forest 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); Class D (tent/primitive walk-in or backpack sites, no vehicular access); Equestrian 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. Class D: $6/night - tent camping or primitive sites (walk-in or backpack), no vehicular access. Equestrian camping available (specific class/rate varies by site). 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.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | -18° | 57° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 37° | 21° | -16° | 66° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 51° | 33° | 9° | 76° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 62° | 41° | 26° | 81° | 5 of 11 |
| May | 74° | 57° | 41° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 85° | 66° | 50° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 86° | 70° | 61° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 68° | 58° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 81° | 62° | 53° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 63° | 47° | 30° | 85° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 52° | 33° | 10° | 74° | 7 of 10 |
| December | 39° | 27° | -9° | 70° | 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
- Henderson County State Fish and Wildlife Area · Illinois State Parks · 3 mi
- Delabar State Park · Illinois State Parks · 6 mi
- Citizens Lake Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 17 mi · 30 sites
- 4th Pumping Plant Recreation Area · City, County & Regional Parks · 19 mi · 46 sites
- Big Hollow Recreation Area · City, County & Regional Parks · 19 mi
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.