Prairie State Park

My dad and I car camped here in our SUVs. The concrete slab was level and huge. We we had to ford a little stream to enter the campsite area. It was about 2” deep - before the thunderstorm hit. The friendly visitor’s center worker told us that, if it rains a lot in a short amount of time, head back over the creek and park at the campsite caretaker’s building up the path. The area is prone to flooding. We experienced a tornado warning and, when fleeing the area, spotted the big, black funnel to the east. That terrifying storm cleared up and we finished the night in the maintenance shop driveway. Despite the craziness, I’d camp there again. It was otherwise beautiful, peaceful, and quiet. Dad spotted a couple of deer at the picnic area, too.

We made our way along the 4 mile gravel road that leads to the park and found a delightful little campground (4 campsites) nestled in the wood, surrounded by prairie. While 3 of the sites are rustic, site #4 has a (huge) concrete pad. Since we had arrived early in the day, we spent the afternoon hiking the vibrant, living prairie trails, home to everything from bunnies to bison (and yes, we stayed the recommended 100 yards away!) This park is a bit off the beaten path, but we're glad we came.