Camping is great, but some people just don’t love it as much as others. Whether it’s you or your spouse or friend who just can’t get into the whole sleeping-on-the-ground-in-the-woods thing, it’s okay. You have another option, and it’s called glamping.
Glamorous camping, affectionately combined into “glamping” is a popular trend, especially in the Midwestern United States. It’s an opportunity for both the outdoorsy camper and the “inside-y” normal person to get what they both want without compromising.
Glamping in Illinois typically involves either a permanent luxury tent, a sturdy treehouse, or a heated and air-conditioned cabin located in a woodsy area with ponds and trails nearby. You can enjoy all the outdoor pleasures of fresh air, quiet seclusion, and wildlife watching without giving up the comforts of a cozy bed, kitchen appliances, and AC. Are you ready to experience your Illinois glamping adventure? Here are the top nine glamping destinations in Illinois.
Best Glamping in Illinois: Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois is a lovely area all year round. From an organic family farm and an earthen cabin to glamorous safari-style tents, there’s sure to be something in this list to suit your upcoming northern Illinois glamping trip.
Kinnikinnick Farm
Kinnikinnick Farm is a holistic, organic farm that raises pastured chicken, free-range eggs, grass-fed ground beef, Berkshire pork, and a variety of healthy farm-fresh pantry items. And they also offer stays on the farm for a fun glamping experience.
There’s a central bathhouse stocked with towels and featuring two private rooms with hot showers. Each of several tents includes made beds, a woodburning stove, firewood, kitchen utensils, and oil lamps and candles. Flattop grills are available outside for summer cooking.
Guests are invited to cook for themselves with preordered farm ingredients whenever they wish, but also to enjoy the communal pizza and smores night every Wednesday. All the ingredients are from the farm and everything is made on site.
Farm animals including donkeys, chickens, herding dogs, pigs, and dairy goats can be observed around the property.
Camp Aramoni
This boutique campground was an easy add to the list of the best glamping in Illinois! It offers a number of gorgeous, lavish, safari-style tents and a variety of immersive experiences including on-site activities and luxury camp meals.
The event space and dining hall at Camp Aramoni is a restored and preserved 1870s building originally built by the Ristokrat Clay Products Company and is a great spot for destination weddings and other events. The property’s private shoreline, ponds, and hiking trails are beautiful features to take advantage of while visiting.
With full amenities in each tent including a mini-fridge, linens, towels, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and wifi, Camp Aramoni truly lives up to its claim of where nature meets luxury.
Earth Shelter Cabin
This sustainably built cabin is a pretty little glamping spot near a pond ideal for those looking for more seclusion than you can get from a location with multiple campsites. Nestled near the CSC community land project and Kankakee River State Park, the Earth Shelter Cabin provides plenty of peace and quiet.
This Illinois glamping destination is called the Earth Shelter because it is literally made from earth and is highly environmentally friendly. A raw timber frame supports the walls made of slip straw with glistening repurposed glass windows. The floor is made of oil-sealed earth and these materials help keep the cabin cool in the summer.
A grill outside will serve for any cooking you’ll need to do, and there’s a portapotty a little distance from the cabin in the woods. Two beds are available, but you’ll need to bring your own sheets and blankets or sleeping bags. There’s also room for two tents to be pitched in the yard to accommodate more guests. With a friendly herd of goats nearby, this is the perfect spot on the rusting side of glamping.
Best Glamping in Illinois: Central Illinois
This generally flat prairie land does contain a few surprises. From luxury tents to treehouses, central Illinois is not short on glamping options.
Ten Acre Treehouses
Just inside Illinois, right on the edge of Missouri and Iowa, sits a delightful little place called Ten Acre Treehouses. This property features a variety of treehouses and cabins that are wonderful for individual use or can be rented a few at a time for larger glamping groups.
Their Ashburn cabin, an original 1830s Fort Henry log cabin, was recently the main filming location for a short film of the same name. There are other cabins and treehouses besides this one on the property, including the nautical-themed Captain’s Quarters treehouse.
Otter Lake Luxury Camping Tent
This one-tent location is ideal for couples glamping as it only has one queen-size bed. Let the nearby Otter Lake lull you to sleep in this luxury camping tent just outside of Girard, IL. A bathroom and shower facility is located just a few steps from the tent and the attached cooking area features a grill, firepit, and utensils.
The Goodes nature preserve can be found nearby for additional hiking and exploring. This Otter Lake Luxury Camping Tent may be closer to the camping side of glamping than the luxury side, but you don’t have to bring your own linens or pitch a tent, so it’s definitely lower maintenance than tent camping normally is.
Log Cabin with Hot Tub
Who doesn’t love any excuse to enjoy a private hot tub? This rustic, country log cabin is set on thirty acres of central Illinois woodland near Decatur, Illinois. With five bedrooms and two bathrooms, this glamping destination can comfortably accommodate ten or more guests.
The spacious living room features a roaring gas fireplace, plenty of comfy seating, a DVD player, and premium cable. The modern kitchen includes all the normal utilities, plus a coffee maker. A dining room table for six is available for additional seating. Guests are also welcome to enjoy the pool table and foosball table.
Both the front porch and back deck come with several patio chairs for enjoying a sweet breeze and shade or sunshine as desired. Outback you can find fire pits and a grill. And the best part of it all: the private hot tub. Get ready to roast up some smores and then slide in for a soak while you much on them.
Best Glamping in Illinois: Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois seems to be the place for treehouses. Each of our southern Illinois glamping locations has at least one glamorous treehouse experience available. Whether you already know that treehouses are your style or you’ve never heard of treehouse glamping before, you’ll find a good place to try on this list.
Timber Ridge Outpost and Cabins
Timber Ridge Outpost and Cabins has something for everyone. From treehouses to cabins to full-sized houses, they’ve got it all. Bring a small group to one building or rent a handful for a larger group. Their claim to fame is their “real treehouses” which are very high up. The cabins, houses, and treehouses come with beds, kitchenettes, bathrooms, and even TVs.
The Outpost camp store also has you covered for anything you may have forgotten on your trip: fire starters, marshmallows, toothbrushes, and more. And if you forget to grab some souvenirs from your stay, they’ll ship them home to you.
Nearby you’ll find ponds for fishing and swimming, trails for hiking, and historical places to visit.
Rim Rock’s Dogwood Cabins
Next on my list of best glamping in Illinois is Rim Rock! This seventy-seven-acre ranch-and-woodland property boasts a total of six comfortably spaced cabins all within view or a short walk of the Illinois Ozarks. With over 2 miles of private hiking trails and a mere ten-minute drive to the Garden of the Gods, this site is highly desirable for glampers.
Perfect for small groups or destination events, Rim Rock’s cabins are spaced several yards apart, but also in groups. 40+ guests can stay comfortably on the property at one time. The property also boasts a gorgeous concrete-floored event pavilion. Each cabin comes equipped with kitchens and cookware, fire rings and wood, screened-in porches, towels and linens, fiber-optic internet, and HD TVs.
There are waterfalls, lakes, and caves to explore on the property, and several animals such as miniature cows, donkeys, horses, llamas, alpacas, guineas, chickens, and friendly dogs. This is a fantastic glamping destination for adults and children alike.
Jaybird Treehouse Between the Pines
Want to blow all other glamping locales out of the water? Check out this glamorous two-bedroom treehouse in Goreville, Illinois, near the Shawnee National Forest. Built between a solid oak tree and two tall pines, this incredible treehouse has a queen bed on the main floor and three twins downstairs. The two floors are connected with a fun trapdoor.
Additional features include a luxury bathroom, a sleeper sofa, a deck with a gorgeous view of the nearby pasture and forest, a lake with a doc, and a firepit. Guests are welcome to use the owner’s paddleboat, paddleboards, canoe, and kayak. An ice cream maker is also available for use as well as a window herb garden.
With so many fun extra goodies, this treehouse dream should be a must-stay on your list of destinations for glamping in Illinois.
Wrapping Up Glamping in Illinois
Illinois glamping is, without a doubt, one of the best choices you can make if you’re hoping to ease your family into the idea of camping, or if you prefer your camping to come with a taste of everyday comforts! However, if you’re ready to take tent or RV camping for a spin, check out our list of 40 of the Best Places to Go Camping in Illinois!