I wish I had more time to spend outdoors, years ago time seemed endless. Raising kids slowed down my fishing & camping, but now that the kids are growing, its time to get back outdoors and find some new campgrounds. This year, I can't wait to explore new campgrounds, but now with the kids. Depending on your travel time and accommodation requirements, there are hundreds of campgrounds within hours of Chicago.

Be it hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, biking or relaxing, there is a campground with amenities you want. I could do all or any of the mentioned activities, but my favorite is to stay at a campground with fishing access. For me, I prefer a main body of water, such as a lake or river, but some campgrounds do have contained ponds on their properties.

I chose the Fox River for a camping location due to its proximity to Chicago, and great fishing. The Fox River is a hidden gem for smallmouth fishing, catfish, and the occasional walleye. Summer time is a great time to wade the river casting jig/twister tails and small crankbaits for bass. As Evening sets in, topwater fishing is a must using Pop-R’s, skitter pops, prop baits, or buzzbaits. Sundown also means catfish time on the Fox. With shore access from your campground, you won’t have to worry about leaving to water to remove your car from a county/state park. You can fish as long as you like, and then walk to your campsite.

For this article, I found a campground within two hours of Chicago, yet the setting is on 40 wooded acres. Their location is very important, they have shoreline access to a tremendous smallmouth fishery, our Fox River.

Mallard Bend Campground hosts a heated in-ground pool, general store, pavilion, showers and some scheduled summer weekend activities. The campground is located 6 miles south of Sandwich Illinois on the Fox River. Weekend and single night rates are established for electric and primitive sites. Mallard Bend also has cabins available anytime that sleep up to four. Give Mallard Bend a try, contact them at 2838 N. 4351 Rd. Sheridan, IL (815) 496-2496, or email them at (frontoffice@mallardbend.com). For more information, see their website at (www.mallardbend.com).

For those new to camping or those thinking about moving up in their RV size, try renting a unit from one of several RV dealers in the Chicago Area. If you are looking to try camping in a pop-up, or want to test out a unit, check out "House of Camping" in Bridgeview, Illinois. House of Camping is a full service RV dealer that also has an established client base for pop-up camper rentals. House of Camping, 8424 South Harlem Avenue, Bridgeview, IL, call (708) 599-2650, check their website at (www.houseofcamping.com) or email them at (sales@houseofcamping.com).

If you are looking to travel in your RV, then try renting a drivable (class A or C) RV from Terry's Leisure Living in Frankfort, Illinois. Terry's Easy Living is also a full service dealer, but their rental business is strictly Coachman (class A and C) RVs. These rentable RV's can range in size from 21-37 feet, and have all the amenities of home. RV rentals from Terrys can be arranged for weekend or weekly trips. Terry's Leisure Living, 20450 S. LaGrange Rd, Frankfort, IL, call (708) 349-3480, or check out their website at (http://www.terrysrv.net)

There are also some great campgrounds along the Kankakee and Rock rivers, both of which are unmatched for smallmouth, walleye and catfish. For lake fishing, try camping near established lakes such as Shabbona and Lake Clinton. Until next time, enjoy your time camping, and don't forget your fishing gear.