This is the 3rd year that we have camped on site of the Chicagoland Speedway for the summer race weekend in July. It is a bit expensive at $365 for the 3 days, but what isn't when staying near a Nascar event? I've seen hotels charge $200 or more per night as well, so in my opinion it's worth it to be on site and not have to drive back and forth. Check in began this year at 9am on Thursday: was VERY hectic and about an hour wait in line to get down to the campground. They need to work on better moving people to where they need to be, instead of mixing infield, speedway ridge and lakeside into 3 lines and then directing where to go. I think they need to open 3 different gates to make it easier and faster getting to your site and setting up. You must have the decals sent from the track affixed to the front windshield of the tow vehicle and the other on a window of your trailer. Once arriving at the campground entrance gate, we were greeted again and given two welcome packets filled with advertisements and information and nice little gift. We had no problems finding our spot as they are all are clearly marked. We had plenty of room with our 40 foot trailer on one spot and our friends 24 foot on the other. They do offer a potable water service that costs $40 per service and you must purchase tickets in advance for the service. The ticket tent is easily located at the front of the campground. The waste management trucks travel throughout the campground throughout the day for those wishing to use their service. The portable toilets were way cleaner this year than past years. However there could be more throughout the campground. They did not have enough toilets in my opinion. The shower truck was very nice and clean. The only problem with the shower truck is that it is open from 6:00 am until noon and then again from 6:00 pm until midnight. A big line started to form from 7:30 am and you could end up having to stand in line waiting for a shower for 30+ minutes. They have great water pressure and are hot instantly. They are not timed so you can shower as long as you wish thus the problem of the long line! Overall the campground is very clean and well kept. Grass could have been cut shorter. Bring your ant killer. We had little tiny ants all over our site. Noise was minimal but to be expected being at the races. They have a camp store on grounds for ice etc, but be prepared to spend $5 per small bag of ice and $4 for bottle of water and $7 for a plastic bottle of beer. They also provide a tram service to get you to the front gate. The tram service still needs work, they haven't gotten it to move a smoothly as it should be and the wait for a tram gets to be lengthy. I do recommend staying at this campground. We will more then likely coming back again next year. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Unlike most NASCAR adjacent camping: Chicagoland does not allow pets. It's only open 4 days prior to the race and is very expensive. Not worthwhile. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is the second year that we have camped on site of the Chicagoland Speedway for the summer race weekend in July. Check in begins on Wednesday at noon before the race weekend. We arrived at 7:00 pm on the first day of check in and had no problem getting checked in. The process was very speedy. You must have the decals sent from the track affixed to the front windshield of the tow vehicle and the other on a window of your trailer. Once arriving at the campground entrance gate we were greeted again and given two welcome packets filled with advertisements and information and nice little gift. We had no problems finding our spot as they are all are clearly marked. We had plenty of room with our 32 foot trailer on one spot and our friends 24 foot on the other. They do offer a potable water service that costs $40 per service and you must purchase tickets in advance for the service. The ticket tent is easily located at the front of the campground. The waste management trucks travel throughout the campground throughout the day for those wishing to use their service. The portable toilets were way cleaner this year than past years. However there could be more throughout the campground. They did not have enough toilets in my opinion. The shower truck was very nice and clean. The only problem with the shower truck is that it is open from 6:00 am until noon and then again from 6:00 pm until midnight. A bib line started to form from 7:30 am and you could end up having to stand in line waiting for a shower for 25+ minutes. They have great water pressure and are hot instantly. They are not timed so you can shower as long as you wish thus the problem of the long line! Overall the campground is very clean and well kept. Noise was minimal but to be expected being at the races. I totally recommend staying at this campground. We will be coming back again next year! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is an extremely convenient and clean campground when passing through the Chicago area. Unfortunately they raised their rates by $10.00 per night. It's not a $45.00 a night campground as there are few facilities. Back-in sites are now $35.00 however they will not fit big rigs. Otherwise this is a good place to stay when passing through. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Beautiful park, except the back-in sites are too short for Big Rigs. Pull-through sites were $10 more. There is no sewer, and no Wi-Fi. I really think the park is over priced for what you get, but then we didn't find any other RV park in the immediate area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Campground was nice. Sites were level with concrete and groomed stone pads. Winter rates was only 12 dollars per day, but only electric was available. Washrooms and shower building was closed for the season. Check in is at the hotel and the attendant seemed nice and friendly. The casino is at least a two block walk through the parking lot, but a shuttle bus will pick you up at your campsite with just a phone call. The bus took only five minutes to arrive after phoning. Will definitely stay again! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice level pull-through. Checked in at the hotel. Level dump station behind hotel. No shade, but we were only there one night and that's what canopies are for. Free shuttle to the casino, so you can lose your money. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Good stopover only. Small sites, not much room to stretch or walk pets. Excellent shower facilities. Downgraded due to surly attendant when checking in. Everything written by hand, no computer, which may be part of bad attitude. Casino is non-smoking, (yay!), but buffet real expensive for what you get. Not bad if you just need a place for the night. Somewhat expensive for end product, (no sewer at site). We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is the closest park to the Chicago area coming from the south. Plan to pay lots of tolls to get downtown: and try to avoid rush hour! We've stayed here in the past and knew about this, so we were prepared and it wasn't a problem for us. Free Wi-Fi is available in the adjacent hotel's lobby, possibly in the campground office, we were told. But it wasn't open very much (many campers had to register at the hotel), but Wi-Fi is not available at the camping site. A shuttle is available to the casino down the hill, which is also walking distance. There is an acceptable laundry at the office building and in the hotel itself. We stayed at this campground for 3 nights and rented a car to drive into Chicago and the suburbs to visit friends and relatives. Enterprise picks you up, and dropping it back off was convenient. The only unfavorable issue is that it had rained and there were puddles by the site. Also, the dump site located behind the hotel, (no sewer at camping sites), was flooded slightly (before the rain) to a lot after the rainfall. Apparently, because its part of a casino complex, no one under 21 is allowed in this campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here for 5 days over Labor Day weekend while visiting the Chicago area. Our back-in site was level, spacious, and surrounded by lawn and mature trees. Restrooms were clean with decent showers. Small laundry was in working order and reasonable priced. The staff at check-in was friendly. If we visit the area again we would certainly stay here. We camped here in a Motorhome.
As reviewed, sites are in a wooded area that is very quiet. Back in sites are very roomy. The only real downfall here is trying to call them, expect some serious wait time. We just showed up and had no problem getting a site. The women in the office seemed put out by that. She had to enter our info herself. Note that they put a $25 hold on your credit card in addition to the nights you are paying for. If you want a receipt here you must go to the casino for it when you leave. We just left which is how I saw the $25 hold, I thought that they charged 3 nights and not 2. Campground is easy access from I-80 and makes a good stop over location. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great spot for an overnighter or weekend getaway. The campground sites are concrete and the sites are large with a lot of grass. No pool or rec hall, but clean showers and good laundry. Hotel staff and maintenance staff is friendly--but beware of the troll that polices the campground! My site had an electrical problem and I worked with maintenance for repair, but a rainstorm delayed the work. I wasn't upset with them, but she threw a fit because my cord temporarily needed to be hooked to next site. She refused to listen and threatened to "get my supervisor" She kept at it until the manager came and listened to what I was saying and it was fixed in a few minutes. Totally unnecessary stress to an otherwise perfect relaxing place. BEWARE of THE TROLL!! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Easy access for our 39' fifth wheel, large sites with plenty of room between them. Clean, well manicured park. At $27 per night, the rate is great. The only drawback is that there are no sewer hookups and the main dump area, though easy to get to, has an odd arrangement where you need to feed your pipe through an opening in a steel grill and into the open sewer pipe beneath. If you like Casinos, it is within easy walking distance of the RV park. If you don't like casinos, it's no problem. No casino noise comes to the park. In fact, the park is quiet and secluded from traffic noise. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
What a good value (assuming you ignore the contributions you are likely to make in the very friendly casino). Level sites, concrete pads, picnic tables, good night lighting, reasonably clean restrooms (the only slight ding to the overall score), a friendly, fast shuttle service from your motorhome door to the casino entrance. Definitely recommended. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great park for the Chicago area. Nice wide spaces that are concrete and level. Pull through sites are long. No amenities is the downside (no Wi-Fi or pool). Easy access to the interstate and free shuttle takes you to the casino. Highly recommend if you are visiting Chicago. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Great campground. We stopped for one night as we were just passing through. We had a long, level spot so we didn't need to unhook. No sewer, but a great dump station on the way out. Office personnel were very helpful all three times I had called. No Wi-Fi, but good local TV selection. A shuttle can take you to the casino, but we chose to walk since it was so close. We will definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very nice campground and terrific stopover place. Joliet is about an hour from Chicago but this is about the nicest private campground you will find in the metro Chicago area. Price reflects winter rate. Summer rate is $30 per night. Plenty of room for Big Rigs. Will stay here again in our motorhome. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We are spending 3 nights here, and chose 50 amp pull through for the extra power. Need that AC! This place is VERY easy to get to, easy reservation over the phone and large, level sites. Some have trees and shade (back-ins) and there are areas for pets. Very nicely maintained, very quiet, shuttle to the Casino (if that is your thing) and VERY visible security all night long. This used to be the Empress Casino, so your GPS may find that one or not recognize Hollywood Blvd ... go to the website. Nice place to stay for access to the Chicago area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great stop over park or place to stay while touring Chicago. Clean, close to the highway and large pull throughs for big rigs. Adjacent to the Casino which as redone after storms in 2009. Not far from the train which takes you to Chicago metro area. This place is far better then any other campground in the Chicago area. Will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Pricey for casino with no cable or internet and water and electric only. Restroom was immaculate. Sites large and easily accessible. Shuttle to casino and restaurants prompt and friendly. Good one-night stop. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Price is for a back in site with w/e. We have stayed here previously. Office staff is very nice. Employees have a great work ethic and routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty. We had some electrical problems in site #4 and moved and things were fine. We would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I really like this camping spot. Open with a tree, plenty big. Saw a bunny in the grass. Close enough to Chicago. It was lovely. Need to clean the bathrooms more, long dark hairs everywhere - yuck. Staff is wonderful. Didn't hit the casino. Expensive for what you're getting. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Name changed to Hollywood Casino Hotel & RV Park. Level, roomy sites. Patio flooded when it rained. No Wi-Fi. Staff not the friendliest. Putting in sewer connections would be a great improvement. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Large cement pads, paved roads, 25 feet or more of grass between site, large open grass areas. Nice place, friendly staff, 50 miles from Chicago's downtown, a great location. Clean shower/bathrooms, the dump site is on the way out, they will add 25 dollars to your bill till you check out because it is run through the hotel administration as a incidentals, but they remove it when you leave. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Campground is okay, no sewer hook-ups, but they do have a dump site. They have two washers/two dryers. Stayed here to "commute" to Chicago attractions. Not a bad drive into the city. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park would be great if they had sewer, there is a dump. It is a great one nighter. If you want to go to the casino it is a short walk or they will come and get you. I think the cost is a bit high for no sewer but the convenience is great. We stayed in a pull through, back in is $25. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
It has been 3 years since we stayed here and reviewed this park. They have added free WiFi and it worked well for us the one Saturday night we were here. As noted by others, the sites are W&E only, some pull-through and some back-in. Most of the pull-throughs and some of the back-ins are satellite friendly. No cable TV, but some antenna stations. Bathroom facilities are not adequate for a 80 site park without sewers. Like some other PN Gaming casinos I have visited recently, the RV park suffers (reduced office hours, staffing, maintenance, etc.) when the corporate hatchet man comes in and tries to cut costs. The cost is not in line with the facilities offered. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This was our second stay in the park. We like the convenience to restaurants, shopping, interstate access, paved streets and partially paved sites. Management was nice and helpful. Good for a night or two since they do not have sewer hook-ups. Verizon signal and satellite access was all good. We would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The nightly rate with tax was $33, I discovered I was charged $58. Calls to inquire got no where. The camp ground isn't worth $33, let alone $58. Grass wasn't cut, mud puddles, no sewer. The employee at check in made it clear I was disrupting her work but, wait checking me in should have been her work. It was easy access from I-80, that was worth a point or two. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We go every year here at least once. For a casino campground it is really nice. Has a lot of room with concrete pad, grass and picnic table. We have 2 dogs and a lot of room to walk them. Casino is fun (only if you win). They will pick you up right at the office and will drop you off at your site when you are done. They used to have cable TV years ago. The casino has been sold a couple times and the new owner won't get the tower fixed for cable TV. I did ask, it was hit by lightning. This park use to be Passport America years ago to. But like I said, new owners and that is a thing of the past also. Nice place for a getaway. Always quiet at night if you don't camp by the waterpark real close by. They keep the grounds looking good. Just wish they would fix the cable TV. If you are passing through and need a place to stay I would stay here. I wish they would have club cards like we get at other casino camping if you stay 5 nights get one free. But no such luck. Overall a nice place to visit. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here for two nights to visit Chicago. The park has no amenities, no sewer hookups and no full timers, but it is quiet and very spacious with some trees and open grassy areas for the pets and walking. I would say that it is a good overnight place and felt safe to camp here considering that it is in the vicinity of a large city. The traffic into Chicago is intense, so find a commuter train station in an expensive suburb (we used Hinsdale), park the car and take the train into the city. We camped here in a Motorhome.
If you are looking for a safe park in the Chicago area this is a good one. It's part of the Empress Casino property. The signage for the park is not very clear. As you enter the Empress property look for a sign that says "RV Parking", make a left and the park is behind the hotel. The park office wasn't open when we arrived at 4pm, so check in is at the hotel desk. Roads are gravel and the sites have level but narrow concrete pads. There is plenty of room between sites and big rigs should have no access problems. We camped here in a Motorhome.
It is kind of high priced for what you get. Most casino camp grounds are very reasonably priced but this one isn't. It is Ok. The rest room and showers needed attention. But I would stay here again in a pinch. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Not a bad campground: sites are a combo of concrete and gravel. Kind of high $$ for what you get. No amenities to speak of except a free shuttle to the casino. Close to the interstate. Good spot to overnight. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
A nice campground with large sites, clean facilities, located a few miles from both I-80 and I-55. They don't have sewer hookups, possibly to limit stays (this is a casino campground), but they do have a dump station. The dump, however, is the worst design I've seen. The sewer hose has to drop down to ground level, then back up and over a cement trough wall. Then down through a steel grate into a pipe at the bottom of the trough. Then, the trough has to be rinsed out with a faucet nearby (you need to provide the hose), but the pipe is about 1/4 inch above the bottom of the trough, so it never completely rinses, if you get my drift! Finally, water collects around the outside of the trough, so you have to walk through it to get at your valves. This whole set-up could use some re-thinking. Other than this, however, it was a nice short-term stopover. They have a shuttle you can call to take you to the casino. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We spent one night here. It is very convenient from I-80. We do not really recommended for a family to stay any length of time because the only thing there was the casino. We would stay for the night again as a stop-over. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The park was close to train station in Joliet (about 6 miles from RV park) for easy access to Chicago without the hassle of driving into the city. I was disappointed to find out that no sites have sewer hook-ups. The dump station provided is the worst design ever and would not advise staying at this park for long stays that require use of the dump station. Within walking distance to casino and during the summer months there is a water park opened next to the RV park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice wide concrete sites with paved roads and grass between. Park has a convenient dump station as there are no sewer hook ups. Pull through sites for the most part are not shaded but several other sites are. There is good security but we did not see a casino shuttle. There is a water park next door for the kids. The weekends get crowded but it's fairly quiet during the week. We got a good Verizon signal and satellite TV dome access. It appears the cable wire is not working. Restrooms and laundry were clean. GPS did not seem to recognize Empress Drive and wanted to send us further out on I-80 than necessary. We would camp here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The sites were decent sized, but most had no shade. There is no sewer hook up, but there is a dump station. They are also lacking cable TV. The people working there were very nice, and the casino's security patrol regularly drove through. A decent park overall, probably best used as an overnighter. We would probably stay there again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Argosy's Empress Casino RV Park is barely passable as a stop going west to east around the south park of Chicago. We wanted to stay two days and move out on Sunday morning but after one night we decided to leave (and found that traffic was just fine on Saturday morning). We got up early and were ready to roll when I waited at the locked office which said it opened at 7. When no one arrived I walked over to the hotel and complained I had not received my credit card receipt since "it is given at check-out". The reply is that the RV office is really not yet staffed after winter break. I suggested a sign would be helpful for campers. If there is any rain, this park becomes very muddy and the restrooms degrade in cleanliness. There is no sewer, nor cable nor internet. It is high-priced for value received but it is really the only public park in the area. We would not stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
A bit different. Sites had NO Sewer hookups (reason for 7 rating. Concrete pad level with grass between. Office closed Tues and Weds (strange) Helpful people. Restrooms clean. Walk to casino (but not on hot days). We camped here in a Motorhome.
The Oasis Campground and the Empress Casino Campground are one and the same despite being in different locations on Streets and Trips. It's a good thing they had an open space, because Oasis was my "backup" for the night if the Empress was full. The spaces are short, so we had to disconnect the truck. The casino is about a 15 minute walk from the central area of the campground. They ask if everyone in your party is over 21 when you check in, but there were a couple of trailers with kids here. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I somehow forgot to review this park earlier this year when I was reviewing the 30+ parks I visited last year. I just stayed here for the umpteenth time over the years last week on my way home from my spring southern trip. As noted in other reviews, there are cement pads, W&E hookups, and showers but little else. No cable, no WIFI, no recreational area, and, the last time I asked, the hotel pool was not available to the RV guests. Unless you are for the casino, there is no reason to stay more than 1 night. $30 is a lot for just W&E and a cement pad. I only use it because it usually makes my trip through Chicago on Sunday morning hassle free. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Large concrete pad adjacent to the Empress casino. Has a shuttle van. You have to be 21 or older to stay and/or visit. Easily accessible to Joliet and if you like to gamble, not much more to do there. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a quiet and well maintained park with good security. The sites have plenty of space as well. Near to the intersection of I-55 and I-80. It is a 1 hour drive to downtown Chicago. Allow more time during rush hours. It is about 4.5 miles to the Metra train station with service to downtown and points in between. Also there is a laundry room at the bath house. The staff has always been very helpful. We stay here 2-3 times a year. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
An OK park. Fair interior roads and pads, gravel and grass sites. A good place for casino goers, not much else there. Nothing very close either. Many casino RV resorts have paved sites and pads with 1st class amenities. This is more like state park level of accommodations. No bad, not resort like either. Was clean, neat and secure. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here 5 nights. The restroom/shower was spotless when we arrived, but was never cleaned in 5 days. Cable TV has only a few local channels. Park was very quiet and security was quite good. Compared to Windy City campground this place
is a 5 star resort. There is a dump station that requires a bit of concentration to negotiate. Sites can be comped as mentioned by another camper. We will stay here again as we go to Chicago often aand this is the nicest place we have found so far. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2000
$14
Pool is at hotel next door. Site can be comped. Very nice park close to casino but on a hill and isolated from traffic and noise. Level, large pull thrus easily handling 40' 5th and toter with landscaping between sites. Clean laundry room We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
For the Chicago area, there aren't many RV park options. But Leisure Lake is a fine park as long as you are a Passport America/Escapees/Good Sam member (required). They don't take reservations, but you can call and verify if they have openings. I saw a lot of grumbling in other reviews about the staff, but I had no issues. Just follow the rules and enjoy your stay. Can be noisy if your site is close to the Interstate. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
After reading the reviews, we were a little concerned about staying here due to the "rude" person who works there. We thought he had left since the comments had improved. He is still there and apparently he is in charge of the place. There is a gate that requires a key card. We had to ring the buzzer before we checked in. He approached us and before we could even say anything he said "I SHOULD HAVE LET YOU SIT THERE ANOTHER 10 MINUTES!" Nice, don't you think? The place itself is nice except for the handwritten signs that are in a few places. You are required to either pay a $5 deposit for the key card or leave your membership card with them. The highway noise is quite loud and I didn't think the dust would bother me, but it really is dusty there. Be careful when doing laundry as the iron level is high in the water. We stayed here for a month. We probably should have paid for a day or two to make sure we liked it before paying for the entire month upfront. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here because it was the closest park that we could find to Chicago. It is also a Passport America park so a lot of days are half price. There is a Good Sam discount on the other days. It's by two freeways so a sound machine is good for sleeping. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Positive experience. I was quite worried going into the office after all the horror stories on this site but was pleasantly surprised when a nice, friendly lady helped me out. Nice, really clean pool and my daughter loved the "beach-pond". Good, free Wi-Fi. Quite dusty. Many permanents, but well kept. Price reflects a Passport America discount. I would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very nice park with a lot of amenities. There are full time residents here, but everyone is very nice, and spots are kept very clean. They even had a magic show on Saturday night. Will stay here whenever we're in the area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The main complaint with this CG is that they do not have Cable. With 233 sites, and this close to Chicago, cable would be an asset. The dust was pretty bad but it is a CG, s that is to be expected. They use your membership card (Good Sam, Etc) as collateral for a gate card, so make sure you have a current one with you. Overall, we would stay here again if we come back to Chi-Town, cable would be great tho. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Membership Only Campground. Call if you are a member of any type of RV Club: (Passport America, Good Sam, Escapees, FMCA, AARP), etc., as they accept several clubs. This is a secure gated community that offers several activities (pool, lake, min golf, tennis, etc). The park is well maintained with a great staff. Grocery stores nearby on Rte 59. Nice park except for the dust, caused by the roads in the park. The only other negative was the poor quality Wi-Fi (Clear wireless), which had download speeds choked below 400k, upload speeds were above 800k. This is the first time I have seen this scenario. May stay here when in the Chicago area. We camped here for 3+ weeks. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Park has great access to CG and Chicago in general. Pull through, big rig (friendly) and has a great view of a lake. Anytime again, when in the Chicago area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Membership Only Campground - However do call if you are a member of any type of RV Club, (Good Sam, Escapees), etc., as they accept several clubs. This is a secure gated community that offers several activities (pool, lake, tennis, etc). The park is well maintained with a great staff. Grocery stores nearby. A lovely park and will definitely stay here when in the Chicago area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice facility geared toward annual membership. Good Sam and Passport America membership is accepted. They do not take reservations, but you should call ahead for space availability. Only negatives are interstate traffic noise and tall trees that blocked our dome satellite. Don't follow GPS directions, use the directions on their website. Plenty of space for our 45 foot RV with toad attached. Would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Rated quoted is pa. Good Verizon voice. Good air TV. Some noise from freeways, but not too bad (at least with windows closed). Lake on property. Level gravel sites. Good free wifi at sites. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice campground.staff very friendly and grounds well maintained. Five minutes to train to go to Chicago. Close to stores and directions to go places were easily given at registration office. Wi-Fi worked great. will definitely be back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Rating may be skewed because it was a holiday weekend, so we did not get the Passport America rate (which was not mentioned when we made reservation). This park was crowded and noisy. Our biggest complaint has to do with making reservations for sites that have an easy line of sight for a satellite dish on roof, and get to the site to find a big ole tree there. Being a holiday weekend all sites are booked. We also feel it should be a rule that someone working in the office should at least have walked or driven through the park. Before we paid we asked about the dish and was told it was ok. Doubt we will ever stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We did not stay at Leisure Lakes Resort. We called three weeks prior to our visit and were told they did not take reservations but we'd get a site as long as we were a club member. When we got there, after driving six hours, I entered the office to register. He took my Good Sam card and began to charge me for a site. I asked if we might be able to look through the campground first before paying. He tossed the Good Sam card back at me, told me to make a U-turn and leave. We left.- Floored by his nastiness! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Not only would I not return, we didn't stay. I should have gone with my gut from the moment I tried to book a spot back in March. The staff made it apparent at the time that we were an inconvenience for even wanting to stay at the park. Instead we drove from DC at 5 in the morning to Joliet to get to the park by 7 PM. We arrived at 6:55 and the man was not happy to see us. When I went inside to pay, the lady (who I only assume was nice because I didn't deal with her for very long) told the General Manager that a site had decided to extend their stay and his words were "figures". Not exactly encouraging from a customer to hear that another customer is not wanted. When I didn't have my Good Sam card on me he said that he shouldn't let me stay (after being gruff with some young patrons who just wanted to buy snacks), I offered to leave and he told me to go ahead. This park is not worth the headache. I can not imagine any camper feeling welcome here at all. Either they need new management or the park needs to close, because the attitude of the general manager does not welcome customers. We ended up staying at the Hollywood Casino nearby and although they don't have on site sewer they were very kind and had many people move over from leisure lakes. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Don't know what happened to some former reviewer. Our GPS led us to the resort (I-55N Exit 251, left over interstate, next left, go 1.5 miles) and we got a friendly welcome from the staff in the office. Our rate is the Passport America. Nice resort with a fishing lake. Separate lake for swimming with beach and a realy big pool too. Restrooms looked freshly painted and very clean. Laundry facilities new and clean. Sites with full hookup. Wi-Fi (included in rate) worked well. Not so good: roads and sites are gravel with a lot of dust inside which means you will stay in a dust cloud if a car or golf cart pass by. They have 3 site areas. We got a site in 'Deer Trail'. These sites are pretty close together, no picnic table and a lot of noise from the interstate. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I called this park to book before I left in the next town over. They said "The campground is for members only, no outside bookings". They must have changed over since last review. We camped here in a Motorhome.
One of the nicest campgrounds we have stayed at. closest park to Chicago area. Hard to find with GPS but called for directions and got there with no problem. Park is clean and well kept. Manager very nice but always busy. Would absolutely stay her again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice looking park with some trees and a small lake. Stayed here in the rain for two nights, the ground was very soft. 38' fifth wheel, pull thru 50 amp full hookups, gravel and level pads and roads. Drove to a nearby (15 miles?) train station to park and head into Chicago. Train was $7 per person for the entire weekend, make sure you check the train schedule since some do not run on the weekend. Employee was helpful and around when needed. It is a little tricky to find with GPS, make sure you call for easy directions. Yes there is some highway noise, but its next to the highway. The gates close at 7pm SHARP so there is NO late arrivals. We camped here in a Motorhome.
When my GPS couldn't find it, I should have taken this as a sign and gone someplace else. There is heavy road construction going on with the Frontage Road that the Park is located on so the GPS doesn't know where to go. We are traveling in a 39 footer towing a car so not knowing where to go became very traumatic at times. I can't blame the Park for this, but I can blame them for what happen next. They put us in a 50 amp site but we couldn't get any Dish reception. Next they put us in a 30 amp site that had low voltage. I lived through 2 stressful days of constantly watching the meter. For a very brief time I could run an A/C, but nothing else. One time I had nothing plugged in but the frig and coffee pot. I had to switch the frig to gas so I could continue brewing my coffee. When I wanted to heat the hot water for a shower I had to heat it with gas. Here I am paying for 30 amp electric but couldn't use it for A/C, frig, hot water or much of anything else. Hadn't seen all the sights so I was going to stay a 3rd day but decided I couldn't handle the stress of possibly ruining my A/C. Give this Park some time to recover from the construction work and update their electrical systems. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice park. Big, with lots of stuff to do. A bit of freeway noise, especially at night. Nice amenities. We paid $39 with our 15% Escapees discount. Rated it 7 because of freeway noise and traffic in the park in front of our rig. Lots of dust. Great view of the lake, though. We camped here in a Motorhome.
6 words: Traffic noise; Dirty restrooms and showers! That's just the begining. There are a lot of permanent / member campers here. Quite a few of them are not well kept, along with their sites. Also, although the owner is a Good Sam Club member, he decided to not accept the Good Sam Club member discount because there was a NASCAR Race in town. What a Gouging! I wouldn't minded paying full price so much if the park wasn't so bad. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a membership park. Must be a member of Passport or Good Sam to stay here. They may accept other membership clubs, but if not PA or GS, call first to verify. Price is based on PA or Good Sam discounts with the base being $50. Park is constantly being improved. Two years ago our site was water & electric, this year it is full hookup. Next year the laundry will be better. There is a book exchange in the workout room next door to the laundry, but the selection was small (ask for enter code to workout room at the office). WiFi is available at the office, but not at each site. The 'pool' has a natural beach. Our site was on the highway side and traffic noise was evident, but not intrusive. We have stayed in this park twice and would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Beware!! When we got here, I was blown away! From what you read and see online, this looks like a nice park. NO WAY! It looks like it was stuck in the 70's. Park needs repairs and updating real bad. I attempted to make camp, the kid in the office told me what sites I could not reach water with two 25-foot hoses. Too many seasonal campers and run down sites. Has old fences falling down, lawnmowers and junk in and around the campers. After we couldn't hook up to water I had enough. I got my money back and we got out of Dodge. Went to the Empress Casino close by. Compared to this place the Empress was the Four Seasons. I won't be going back anytime soon. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Rate of $26 reflects the Passport American discount. We stayed here 3 days before the holiday and decided to extend our stay over the July 4 weekend holidays, no discount ($50). Well worth the cost. We've travelled over 7,000 miles so far and this is the nicest, most relaxing park we've stayed in yet. Lovely view of the lake, free paddle boats, fishing allowed (w/license), exercise room, swimming beach w/huge fountain in the middle to cool you off, swimming pool also. Miniature golf, volleyball nets, plenty to do, or just hang out. Only negative would be the somewhat dusty internal roads but it's doable. You will hear adjacent highway noise but we blocked out the sound, I guess, because it hasn't bothered us (hence, the 9 rating). Spaces are long and ample width for our 35ft w/3 slides. Laundry room a bit disappointing as it only had 3 washers and 2 dryers. No book exchange. Call for directions, our GPS would never have found it because of road construction/detours. We got a bit anxious when driving here when we saw the sign that said "no outlet." Don't worry, the park is at the end of the road. Gated and secure so you will get a card to enter. Employees very friendly and helpful. We took advantage of the local RV washer called 'Details' listed in the Leisure Lake brochure. He came to our site and did an awesome job washing and waxing our RV. (Highly recommend him.) We would definitely stay here again if we were travelling this way. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Rate without Good Sam discount. It was $50, way too much for this place but not a lot to choose from in the area. We called for a reservation and were told they don't take them. Arrived and were offered 30 amp w/sewer or 50 amp/no sewer. Despite what they told us, WiFi did not work at our site and we had to drive to the main building for a connection. No cable TV but we did use our antenna. There was trash on our site when we arrived. Could be a lovely place if a few upgrades are done. We camped here in a Motorhome.
A lot of construction leading to the campground. Call for directions; DON'T use GPS. Very nice campground - interior roads can use some work (potholes). The site we were on was sloped very badly toward the front, and we had trouble leveling. Had to lift front of rig higher than we would have liked to. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
If using your GPs, use Shorewood, Illinois for the town and this CG appears. There is a huge road construction project going on at the main road near this park, so it's a challenging drive. There is a card-entry gate and the host kept my PPA card until we returned the entry gate card; a bit irritating. This is a true campground with lots of amenities, but no cable TV, no WiFi at the sites, and the facilities are not convenient to your site. Need to drive to them. Our site was so near to the two freeways that noise was a real problem. Perhaps another site would be quieter. We'd probably not stay here again; but it is a pretty park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This campground has a nice, friendly staff. The beach is a little dirty, but it is nice for the children to play in the sand. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This private membership campground does accept Passport America and Camp Club USA members. Roads are gravel and somewhat narrow. Sites are gravel and grass, and long enough for most rigs. No cable, and I could not get network stations with the antenna. My site was satellite-friendly. Wifi only available in the office and worked fine. Campground is next to the intersection of two interstates so noise can be a problem. Our site was in an area furthest from the highways so it wasn't too bad. Many amenities which we could have used as guests. This is a large park so getting around could be an issue if you can't walk or don't want to use a vehicle. Many regulars have golf carts. Directions to the park were good and important, as there is a lot of road work going on in the area. Rate was based on a combination weekly/daily rate as we were there more than a week. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Large park with lake to fish or swim in. Large sites with lots of trees. We only stayed one night, but would stay longer. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Campground is built around the lake created from a dirt borrow pit when they built I80 and I55 interchanges. There was some truck noise from the interstate but was not excessive. This is primarily a membership park but does take guests. We were there for 3 weeks, it was the closest rv park to friends we were visiting in the Chicago area. Manager is very helpfull and is a hands on working manager, putting in long days, most every day. Wifi is available in the office for a fee as is fishing in the lake. Other amenities are included with site, pool and sand beach swim lake, basketball, mini golf. Ice and some rv items available in the office. We will stay again when in the area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Park just opening for season and still a little rough, but nice. The manager was very helpful. We got caught in a detour due to a large accident on the freeway and delayed several hours. He patiently waited 3 hours past his office closing time to assist us when we got in. Didn't stay in the park much, went into Chicago and saw a Cubs game and the city. Facilities were dated but very clean. Had a pull through site with full hookups, glad I purchased extra hose and electric cord, as these were a little distance from sight and shared. Overall a great experience with the manager's help. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
August 2008
$22
Very large park with nice grassy and treed sites. Large pool, swimming lake and fishing lake, complete with Canadian goose and what they leave behind. 30 amp only, and the FHU sites seemed to be used by seasonal and member camping only. Restrooms, showers and buildings in deplorable condition. Laundry room is terrible with 10-15 year old washers and dryers that showed their use. Had a sign posted that said iron in water will turn your whites yellow. We went into town for laundry and would not use restrooms or showers. This could be a very nice park with some upgrades to above. Located next to a cloverleaf of two major highways making it very noisy 24 hours a day. We will not stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We stayed here for a month. The beach is nice, but it should have its water drained every once in awhile. The pool was freezing. The website says it has a heated pool but I do not believe it is working. The pond is located in the middle of the park and includes lots of fish. Very pleasant place to stay. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
A very well kept campground with many thinks to do for the whole family, including a large stocked fishing lake. My gravel pad was a little out of level and pushed my MH to its limits to level. I was not able to get a full hookups site because adjoining pads share the same electrical and water posts. I needed a long 30 amp extension cord to get a sight that had sewage. They could not provide an extension. Finally, the latest Garmin GPS could not find the place because of street changes. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a Passport America resort. You need to follow the directions in the PA directory to get here as it is difficult to find, but worth it. Our campsite had a concrete pad, full hook-ups, 50 amp and partial shade. Resort is clean and well maintained. Staff was very friendly. Would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We had a blood-pressure raising experience just trying to get into this park. Getting to the park requires careful navigation. When we arrived at the front gate, we pressed the intercom button to ask for admittance, but there was a malfunction and we received a busy-signal type sound. When I used my cell phone to call the office to ask for admittance, the manager answered the phone and was very rude. He agreed to open the gate, but did not. When I called back, he yelled at me to use the intercom and then hung up on me. We were rescued by a very nice young woman from the office who walked out and opened the gate. She was so pleasant we chose to overlook the manager's behavior. The park is located at the intersection of two interstate highways which makes it extremely noisy if you are parked on the periphery. It does have nice facilities and is reasonably close to a Camping World and Chicago. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Sites are grass and gravel with a cement pad for the RV and picnic table. Well over half the spaces had unoccupied RVs on them. Almost all of those were well-maintained. They were big sites, although getting in to some of them with a 40-footer without driving on the grass was difficult. Park is well maintained. 214 sites; 101 have water/electric (30 amp) only. Most of those 101 sites with no sewer appeared to be seasonals. Two playgrounds for kids. Bathrooms and showers were clean and private. Clearly, March is the off-season. We were there during some heavy rains, and the grass parts of the sites were somewhat muddy. The staff appeared to be preparing the park for the busy season. It's across the road from a freeway and when the wind is right there is a lot of traffic noise, especially on the "Homestead" side of the park. We would happily stay there again, especially since the guy at the desk said we could use two 30-amp connections. With our cheater box, we could run both heat pumps as well as other appliances. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This was the first stop on our trip West. It was a Passport America Campground and a very nice park. The grounds appeared to be well kept. We were given a site with no sewer but it was a level cement pad. The washrooms and showers were clean but dated. The campground has a fairly large clubhouse which was being used on this day for a wedding. There are two bodies of water. One is a small lake for fishing etc and the other is a swimming pond. The park also has a swimming pool. Some seasonal sites as well. We would return to this park even for a few days to check out the area We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I would like to make you aware of a horrible experience I had at Leisure Lake. This past Saturday I went to Leisure Lake in Joliet, Illinois to spend the night for some tent camping. When I showed up with my guests, I informed the gentleman at the front desk that we were planning on spending the day there and wanted to pay for one night of camping plus the additional fees for my additional guests. I had called the day before and was told that it would be $20 per night with 4 free guests and $4 for each additional guest. My party included a total of 4 adults with 5 children. Well as soon as the man at the front desk saw us he said that he shouldn't be letting us in, we had too many cars (3) and the park was for members only and not to be used for spending a day at the campground. I informed him that I had called the day before to make sure it would be okay and was told that it would be okay, at that he slams my passport of America card on the desk and yells at me and my guests to get the hell out of there. He says that I had spoken to him the day before and he never told me that it was okay to spend the day at his campground, he said that I could only camp there if I had a trailer and no other way. I told him that we had tents and would be camping in tents but he refused to listen to me and threatened to call the police if we didn't leave. He was not aware that one of my guests was a Cook County Sheriff and witnessed the entire event. Not wanting to make a scene my guests and I left the campground very disappointed. I do not know what bothered this man that made him throw us out. About a month earlier my family and I went to Leisure Lake and purchased the Passport Of America there and spent the weekend there. We were so impressed with the campground that we thought it would be okay to take some friends so they can see and enjoy their facilities. My one guest, the Cook County Sheriff, is in the process of purchasing a travel trailer and was anxious to see their facilities but was disappointed with how we were treated. We camped here in a Tent.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2004
$18
This is our 2nd visit to this membership park, (Coast to Coast) and we really enjoy it. The first time through was in early spring and while the park is open year round some of the sites and bathrooms didn't have water. But it was quiet! This last time, was great. Wide sites, plenty of grass and shade. A great little pond to fish in and seasonal activities. It was a great place to unwind for a few days. I'm not sure about price. As a Coast-to-Coast member it was $8 a day and we could extend beyond the 7 day max. We would definitely return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here for four days. Not a bad park, family owned and very friendly. Sites where rock, but level. Very dog friendly, even watched over our dog when we had to leave her for a few hours. Owners where very helpful. This is an older park and yes it needs some upgrades. But all in all we would return and stay again, We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stopped here over night. This is an old, poorly maintained park with a lot of road noise from I-80. It had rained the night before and there was quite a bit of mud. It certainly was not worth the price we paid and I would not stop here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I stayed here for about 6 weeks while working in the area. Staff was polite and grounds were kept mowed and clean at all times. It is not a fancy park and they have very few amenities or things to do in the park for children. The have a lot of overnight traffic due to location as well as the limited number of RV parks in the Chicago area. The only thing that I did not like, was the highway noise which was quite loud. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
As others have said this is just a place to stay slightly better than parking in a shopping center. The road noise is always there as your right up to I-80 and the truck noise is non stop. The price is extremely high for what you get, but the 50 amp power is good and the Wi-Fi seems strong. The sites are dirt and if it rains,they could turn muddy. The grass was long, but they have had a lot of rain in the past few weeks. The place still has the for sale sign hanging out front, but doesn't look like it has changed owners. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground is for sale to settle an estate. As a consequence, no one really cares about the niceties of making you feel as though you would like to return. It is way over-priced for what is offered and you will find no bargains here. Grass is on the long side where I parked but they were mowing out on the flats today. Weekly rate is $4.00 off the daily rate for 7 days: whoopee! I find that the road noise from the I-80 is tolerable: I have stayed in places where the road noise was far worse. I'm here to visit family and friends before heading south for the winter. It will do in a pinch but I'm afraid this place is history because the "For Sale" sign mentioned acreage... not an RV Park... for sale. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Noisy, unkempt, did I mention horrible traffic noise. Not to worry, it will be gone by next year as the place is up for sale and the commercial expansion in the area will probably swallow it up quickly, just as Tinley Park was. The Casino down the road had a fire in March/April? and it is no longer open. There are virtually no choices in the Chicago area to park and visit family there. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The Interstate noise is terrible. The driveway into the park is full of chuckholes-about 6" deep. When we arrived the grass had not been cut for a long time. While there, they did get out a lawn mower and gave it a lick and a promise. If we return to Joliet we will find another park We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I rated only a seven only because it does not offer all the usually amenities of newer campgrounds. However all services were very much up to date with 50 Amp full hook up sites available in quantity. It is located just off exit 134 and a mile east on I 80 frontage road. A little close to highway and does offer some noise but is an oasis in Chicagoland where full hookup sites are not readily available within 33 miles. This is a great overnight stop. We camped here in a Motorhome.