Lock 26 Campground

Overnighted here on my motorcycle. Nice flat area to camp and the town of Geneseo is not far away for a great dinner at the Geneseo brewery. That being said, I camped here in June and the misquotes and ticks were out in abundance woke up to having them crawling on my legs and one biting the back of my head. The trains run at 12:30 and 02:30 am so bring earplugs because they sound like they are coming right through the campsite. For a quick overnight camp though it was ok but be aware of the the ticks and trains. No one came through to collect my 8 dollar fee which was nice.

This is a good overnight spot for a 30’ or less RV. Locals park here to access the recreational trails and to fish the canal.There was some late night traffic into the lot but all were quiet. Camping here is set up for tents and after speaking to several locals, we were the first to overnight in a travel trailer. I saw nothing on the IL DNR website prohibiting it. We were here in late April and we had little trouble with bugs but the locals said they get bad as it warms up. The pit toilet, lot and adjacent grass area was clean and there is a small trash receptacle on site. During our stay the DNR did not stop by to collect the $8 camping fee. Trains passed by every 12 hours at 5 o’clock.

This quiet little fishing spot seems a well kept secret of off-I-80 Illinois (if you’re car camping)! Not far from the highway, by the train tracks, only a few families will swing by to fish and maybe some kids will chill in their cars, but otherwise you’ll have the lot to yourself. The Illinois parks website says that a ranger will come by to collect an $8 fee, but they don’t seem to make regular rounds, so you can likely save the cash and buy yourself a tiny treat, like a six pack of hard coffee pbr. There’s a pit bathroom that’s a pretty clean place to do any business you may have to do on the road (assuming you are a digital nomad). Bugs are not bad at all. The canal’s got a little waterfall, and if you want to feel like a troll you can walk down underneath the bridge and yell riddles out at anyone who may happen to pass by.

A family of fishers did come by and seemed successful, however my boyfriend did not manage to catch dinner with his $15 fishing pole with bits of flour tortilla as bait, so it’s really a toss up on the fish sitch. This is a huge hot spot for foamers—the train will go right by, but only once in the morning, so you can be well rested for the excitement of the freight to come tooting through as you toast up your morning tortilla.

I cannot emphasize enough how much this is the perfect spot to try the signature drink, recently crafted by my hot boyfriend, coined at the lock (26), consisting of whiskey and elderberry syrup, while listening to indie hits that were hot in high school. Throw in some cottagecore TikTok bangers and you have yourself a night out on the pandemic town! You could also listen to anything else, and drink your bev of choice, however, I cannot think of a single reason why you would want to.