These beautiful areas provide a rustic camping experience. The Lakewood youth camping area can accommodate up to 40 people. Van Patten Woods can accommodate up to 100 people. Comfort stations and fire rings are provided. The model airplane field at Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve near Wadsworth, Illinois, is a must see for all model airplane enthusiasts.
People come from miles around to enjoy the acres of open fields and wide open sky.
The area at Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda has large open meadows and is entirely fenced. The entrance is on Fairfield Road just south of Route 176. You can obtain a permit application one of several ways. Download a permit in Adobe Acrobat format. Print, fill out, and send it in according to the instructions.