Illinois State Parks · Illinois
Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area
Illinois State Parks · Illinois, United States
- Showers
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 518 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 5
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Wilmington
- Address
- 28163 N. River Rd., Wilmington, IL 60481
- Phone
- (815) 423-5326
- Activities
- Camping
About
Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area is an Illinois DNR state park in the Northeast region of Illinois. Camping site types: Class C (vehicular access without showers, or walk-in with shower access). 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. No online reservation system for this site per IDNR's own live Camp Classifications table (dnr.illinois.gov/parks/camp/camp-classifications.html) - camping here is first-come, first-served, or by calling the park office directly.
Fees
Class C: $8/night - vehicular access without showers, or walk-in sites with shower access. 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 | 32° | 17° | -15° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 36° | 22° | -10° | 65° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 48° | 32° | 11° | 76° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 62° | 41° | 24° | 80° | 6 of 11 |
| May | 73° | 53° | 39° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 81° | 62° | 49° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 84° | 67° | 59° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 82° | 67° | 56° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 79° | 60° | 51° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 63° | 45° | 29° | 81° | 1 of 10 |
| November | 49° | 33° | 9° | 72° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 39° | 24° | -4° | 65° | 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
- McKinley Woods - Frederick's Grove Campsites · City, County & Regional Parks · 3 mi · 4 sites
- Channahon State Park · Illinois State Parks · 4 mi
- Forked Creek Preserve - Ballou Road Access Campsites · City, County & Regional Parks · 5 mi · 2 sites
- Hammel Woods - DuPage River Access Campsites · City, County & Regional Parks · 11 mi · 6 sites
- Gebhard Woods State Park · Illinois State Parks · 12 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.