General Cycling Discussion - Camping trip near WI or MI

Hello,
I live in the northeast part of IL near chicago. Its 20min away by car. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone knew a good spot for camping (biking/fishing/sleeping in a tent) near a body of water (obviously :D). Hopefully it wouldn't be too far, maybe within 1-4hrs driving. OR Can someone point me to a good camping website with a bunch of locations and possibly maps ? Sorry if this has been asked before or if this is in the wrong topic but I tried searching and wasn't sure where to put it.

Thanks,
Greg

P.S. Does anyone have a TDI operated vehicle? Just wondering because I hope to get a Jetta TDI when I turn 16 :).

Don't have an URL, but try Warren Dunes State Park in SW Michigan. For that matter, most of West Michigan is nice for cycling.

Hmmm...camping near Chicago...my specialty...

Illinois: Starved Rock is about 90 miles from Chicago, Illinois State Beach Park, Zion (http://www.dnr.state.il.us)

Indiana: Indiana Dunes - the State Park is in Chesteron, the Lakeshore is in Porter, probably about 3-4 hours away.

Wisconsin - Kettle Moraine State Forest is beautiful! http://www.dnr.state.wi.us

Michigan: Isle Royale National Park is great if you like canoeing, plus you can't beat all the moose on the island. I think it's best in the fall, but that's my opinion. http://www.irnha.org
Also, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Tennesse has the a lot of stuff too, but I haven't been out there.

First of all, Nubie and donnamb are right on. My favorite weekend getaway spot also deserves mentioning. Theres a neat state park in Michigan called Algonac State Park where you can camp, hunt, fish, hike, and even shoot skeet and archery at a free range. Its right on the border to Canada, so you could also take a ferry to Canada if you wanted.

I agree about Isle Royale being best in the fall. Not so many flies then.

A side benefit if you go there is that there is great mountain biking in Copper Harbor, a popular departure point for the island.

No cycling allowed on the island, of course.

Warren Dunes State Park is close to you. Last time I was there, they had bicycle maps with different routes like 30,70,100 all mapped out on a brochure. About 5-10 miles north of the Warren Dunes camping area is a small inland lake for fishing. Watch out for the bugs. I left my new $40 Coleman tent in the campground with food inside for the next day. I then drove my car about 100 miles away and cycled back. My camping neighbors stopped a family of racoons from eating my baked potato chips (salt) after they tore a big hole in the screen door. There is also a bicycle musuem nearby that is affiliated by a club that puts on an annual ride called the Apple Cider Century in the fall. If you want to do a lot of cycling, contact the lmb.org and purchase the Shoreline West bicycle map for about $10. You can cycle up to Mackinaw. There are many, many state and private campgrounds and further north, national forest campgrounds.

It is about 4 hours away, but consider the 400 state trail in Wisconsin - camping, bicycling, fishing in lakes and the Baraboo river, canoe rentals on the Baraboo river also.
http://www.rivervalleynewspapers.com/biketrails/400wisconsin.php

I'd also go with Kettle Moraine. Good trails and decent camping in the area, plus it's not far from you.