Located in the heart of Illinois' largest concentration of natural lakes, Chain O Lakes State Park is a water oriented recreation area with outstanding opportunities for boaters, anglers and skiers. The park borders three natural lakes - Grass, Marie and Nippersink - and the Fox River that connects the other seven lakes (Bluff, Fox, Pistakee, Channel, Petite, Catherine and Redhead) that make up the Chain. In addition, the park contains a 44-acre lake within its boundaries.

The 2,793 acre state park and adjoining 3,230 acre conservation area are located in the northeastern corner of Illinois in both McHenry and Lake counties. The park is 60 miles northwest of Chicago, 20 miles west of Lake Michigan and only 4 miles south of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. With nearly 6,500 acres of water and 488 miles of shoreline on the chain, Chain O Lakes State Park is the heart of water wonderland.

Chain O Lakes State Park is open every day except Christmas. Summer hours, April 1 through October 31, are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. During the winter the park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset. The park is closed for all activities except hunting from the beginning of November through mid-December. Hunting is by registration only.

Turner Lake Nature Preserve

About 80 acres within the park have been set aside as a nature preserve to protect a segment of the park's bog environment and the unique plants associated with the area.

The land making up Chain O Lakes State Park is chiefly fresh waterbog over deep peat deposits. The river bluff areas and gently sloping morainal hills rise to 200 feet, and were deposited by Illinois' last glacier.

Chain O' Lakes has a mixture of oak and hickory hardwood timber. The park also contains cherry, elm, birch, sumac and spruce with rich colors that attract numerous visitors each fall, plus some scattered pine plantings.

Nature lovers will find a rich assortment of wildflowers in the spring, summer and fall.

Grass Lake once was almost entirely covered with American Lotus each summer, and attracted great crowds including tour boats, annually. The lake still contains some areas of lotus.

Two hundred acres of restored native prairie provide nesting habitat for grassland bird species.

Some of the wildlife you are likely to encounter within the park are white-tailed deer, rabbits, ground squirrels, chipmunks, mink, opossum, skunks, raccoons, gophers, fox, badgers, beaver, coyotes, and groundhogs. A check-list of the nearly 200 birds that have been identified in the park is available at the park office.

The Chain O Lakes area was inhabited by central Algonquian Tribes when Europeans first arrived in the Mid-1600's. The predominant tribes in the region at that time were the Miami, Mascouten and Potawatomi. These Native American groups led a semi-mobile lifestyle and grew corn, hunted, fished and gathered wild plant foods.

Joliet and Marquette passed through what today is Chain O Lakes State Park in 1673, as they traveled the Fox River during their Illinois explorations. French trappers and traders were the first Europeans to explore the area. The first European settlement was at Fort Hill, near Mundelein, a large mound rising out of the prairie, formerly a lookout point for the Indians.

Chain O Lakes became a state park in 1945, when the State of Illinois made an initial purchase of 840 acres. In the 1930's a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp became the Chain O Lakes Conservation Area. This land was incorporated into the state park in 1957. The farm at the park was purchased by the Department of Conservation in 1969. The property was originally owned by the Stevens family, farmers who received the land under a land grant in 1843.

The park's concession stand is open April through mid-October and offers food, ice, firewood, soft drinks, ice cream, fishing equipment and baits, and camper supplies. Boat and canoe rental also is available. The required safety equipment must be provided by the user or rented from the concessionaire. Additional information call (847)587-7165.

Three cabins consisting of two bunk beds and a double bed, can be rented for per night (which inlcudes a non-refundable reservation fee). Equipment provided: electric, table & six chairs, picnic table, cooking/fire grill,dust pan, broom and fire extinguisher. No restroom facilities are provided in cabin. Dogs and other pets are not allowed at cabin site. Reservations are recommended.

The park has Class A-Premium areas (Honey Suckle Hollow and Fox Den) with a total of 151 sites for each per night; three Class B-Premium camp areas (Turner Lake South, Prairie View and Mud Lake East) with a combined total of 87 sites for each per night; and we have one youth group camp area (Mud Lake West) for 150 youths, fee per person minimum per night. Maximum stay for campsites is 14 nights in a 30 day period. A responsible adult (18 years of age or older) acquiring a permit must have a camp shelter and set up at the time of registration. All campers must have a permit and also bring their own firewood, no one is allowed to pick up wood in the park. Alcohol is prohibited in the campgrounds.

If you're a novice camper, Chain O' Lakes has one Rent-A-Camp unit available. The camp site comes with a tent, cots, fire extinguisher, light, broom, dust pan, charcoal grill, fire ring and picnic table. No dogs or other pets are allowed at tent site. A maximum of eight people may rent the tent, the cost for tent rental is $32. A $5 non-refundable reservation fee is required.