The Run Down
There's something about pitching a tent and sitting around a campfire to make us forget about our worries. For Chicagoans, a camping trip normally means driving over an hour outside of the city into Michigan or Wisconsin. While those types of trips can be great, they also can be a hassle to plan out when all you're looking for is a quick retreat from the city. This guide is for those times when you're looking for an easy overnight getaway, and you're looking to leave now. We'll be camping at one of Cook County's forest preserves to do a bit of hiking, grilling, and star gazing. If coming from downtown Chicago, you can be out the door to having a camp site set up in about 45 minutes. *Here's another important note. If I had to rate the camping difficulty level on a 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is backyard camping at your parent's house, then this is a 2.