Sound off: favorite hang spots in or around Chicago

[wippen]

...and go!

[Skygzr]

or where can I get out of the bullets flying around :-)

[Jeff60523]

What's your goal? Camping? Nice view for a few hour's nap?

For those of us that live in the Chicagoland area, day hangs are easy and abundant. Overnight...not so much. Options jump from the backyard to a road trip with very little in between.

My son and I have been experimenting with various hang techniques and equipment in the backyard, but when it is time to camp/hike/hang, we start with a full tank of gas and a car ride toward any point on the compass. I'm a Asst Scoutmaster and what little close-in camping we have done as a troop brings us to group campsites that are nearly always devoid of stable vertical tie-off points.

A search of 3 county forest preserve sites (Cook - Chicago, DuPage - West, and Lake - North) suggests that the FP Districts are very camping friendly, but in fact if you are not intending to "youth group camp" you are nearly out of luck. (Chicago has approved a "Camping Master Plan" but it has yet to be fully implemented.) I live in DuPage and Blackwell Forest Preserve is the only location in the county with family (individual) sites. It's a nice location actually, but for a giant county with lots of land holdings, this is pretty meager.

Illinois' DNR uses ReserveAmerica for camping reservations at State Parks and North of Chicago (nearly Wisconsin) are two good options: Illinois Beach State Park in Zion is right on Lake Michigan, and Chain 'O Lakes State Park has great kayaking.

Good luck!

[Eric Labanauskas]

"Camping spots" and "Chicago" rarely share the same sentence without "no" being involved. Campgrounds closer to urban areas here are most often crowded and open, seldom with enough trees to accommodate hanging without borrowing a neighbor's tree (assuming he also has one, if any).

Here's a link to a series of trip reports I've done. They're all within three or so hours of the city and suburbs (save the Shawnee NF). These locations are ideal, because not only are the sites primitive and secluded, but they share the same amenities of the park's campground: well pumps, toilets, trash cans, and even showers.

They're also substantially cheaper at $6-8/night ($10 for Forest Glen Preserve's backpack trail sites, or $15 for their tent campground) opposed to the non-resident fee of ~$30 forest preserves and Class "AA" state park campgrounds (Starved Rock, for example) charge.

And I can personally vouch that all have hanger-friendly sites.

http://www.trailspace.com/people/eri...t=trip-reports

[Ledanek]

thanks Eric for those field reports.

[Oms]

I know this is super old, but the I&M trail by Channahan is about the best open camping in the area. Check out the future hang coming up.