Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Apple River Canyon State Park
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- 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
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).
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.