Facilities at Adeline Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park reopening today

Illinois Beach State Park. (Photo courtesy of Illinois State Parks)

Author's Note: While at the Ohio RV Supershow in Cleveland earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak with a campground owner who told of storm damage to his campground. A tornado had raced down the creek of his campground, taking trees down with it. He was able to provide early warning to his campers, so there were no injuries, although several tents and RVs were damaged severely. Although there's not much you can do about tornadoes, it's always a good idea to take a look at the tree canopy over your campsite. There shouldn't be any dead branches. If there are, request a new campsite and politely suggest to campground hosts that they need to add tree trimming to their list of regular maintenance tasks.

Storm related clean-up and repairs completed

ZION, IL – Site restoration and public safety work has been completed and those areas of Adeline Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County that have been closed since last summer will reopen to the public on Sunday, April 1, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced this week.

Storm damage at the campground area of the park.
(Photo courtesy of Illinois State Parks)

Two separate storm events in late June and early July last year caused significant damage to several areas of the park, including the Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center and campground. Winds in excess of 90 miles per hour felled hundreds of trees, causing extensive damage to both the North and South Units of the park.

“I salute the staff of Illinois Beach State Park along with IDNR Land Management, Forestry, Law Enforcement and other personnel who pitched in to help with the public safety, cleanup and repair efforts at the park,” said IDNR Director Marc Miller. “While a tree service contractor with specialized equipment was brought in to handle major tree and stump removal during the winter, the work of IDNR personnel in cutting dangerous trees, snags and branches, clearing trails and general cleanup saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and helped ensure a safe reopening of the park.”

Restoration efforts necessitated by the storm ultimately included the cutting and removal of several hundred trees and the trimming of dozens of other trees to make all areas of the park safe for visitors. Park buildings, picnic areas, trails, and camp sites were also repaired.

“I’m happy to see public access to these wonderful areas of Illinois Beach State Park restored and commend the IDNR for their hard work to get the park back open in time for the spring and summer,” said State Representative JoAnn Osmond (R- Antioch).

Parking areas, the bathing beach, and trail areas will all be reopened to the public as well. The campground will be open for first-come/first-served camping only for the month of April. Online reservations for camping at Illinois Beach can now be made via the Reserve America campsite reservation system at www.reserveamerica.com for May 1 and beyond.

The Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center has also completed extensive repairs. The resort has remained open for business since shortly after the storms last summer, but the resort’s pool facility remains closed. The pool is scheduled to reopen sometime this summer.

Visitors will note that restoration work continues in the park. Planting and mulching of hundreds of replacement trees and re-vegetation of some grassy areas will continue throughout the spring.