If you don't mind city noise and dry camping, this is the PERFECT setup to see Chicago's sights. I found out about this place from the Wynn's, my favorite RV bloggers, who posted a YouTube video about camping here. Their description was spot on and gave us the confidence to try out this city spot. We were here so little, I forgot to snag a picture. McCormick Place is not a resort, not a campground, and not your typical RV spot. It is more like camping in a Wal-Mart
parking lot on the southern end of Chicago. For $35 (2019) for a 24 stay, you can park in this lot that hosts not only RVs, but semi trucks. The lot is plain, unattractive, a bit noisy, and offers no typical RV park amenities. But, what it does offer is easy access to the city along with 24 hour security, which we saw actively patrolling throughout our one night stay. There are three lots at McCormick Place, and we were assigned to Lot B. We pulled in, presented our online reservation ticket, and headed to Lot B. We snagged a "spot" adjacent to some trees for shade and fellow RVers. We arrived around 9am. The great thing about McCormick Place is that you have 24 hours from your check in time for one night's payment. Reservations can also be made online in advance. Once situated, we headed into the city. The park is located along Lakeshore Drive which weaves along the Chicago city edge and Lake Michigan. The road is paralleled by a bike/walking path that is flat and popular with locals am2d tourists alike. The path in all is about 20 miles long and will take you along the lake's edge to many fun places such as parks, Navy Pier, and is a great launching point into many neighborhoods. The purpose of our visit was to see a Cubs game at Wrigley, so we opted to forego the 8 mile bike ride and instead catch an Uber to the field. On our return, however, we walked from the stadium out to the Lakeshore Path and rented, for a nominal fee, Divvy bikes. These bikes can be found all over the city at various rental locations. You can rent them for a day or just 30 minutes. Locals and tourists use these bright blue bikes to navigate the cityscape. We hopped on and enjoyed a lovely evening bike ride along Lake Michigan's edge while people watching and soaking in the views of boats on the water. We returned our bikes at a Navy Pier Divvy station and enjoyed a few hours exploring (and eating!). If we had wanted, we could have ridden our bikes all the way to McCormick Place as there is a Divvy station on the overpass from McCormick Place to Lakeshore Drive. Back at camp, we settled in for the night. We found that by nightfall several more RVs had pulled into our little huddle of "campers." The parking lot is somewhat noisy with city noise, road noise, and most RVs and semis seemed to be running a generator. The L train also has tracks alongside the lot, so train traffic is heard. All in all, we found this place to be secure, safe, and convenient. For those wanting to take in a White Sox or Bears game, the stadiums for both are with walking distance of McCormick Place.
Best Sites: N/A
Poor Sites: N/A
Hookups: None
Potable Water: None
Dump Within Facility: No
parking lot on the southern end of Chicago. For $35 (2019) for a 24 stay, you can park in this lot that hosts not only RVs, but semi trucks. The lot is plain, unattractive, a bit noisy, and offers no typical RV park amenities. But, what it does offer is easy access to the city along with 24 hour security, which we saw actively patrolling throughout our one night stay. There are three lots at McCormick Place, and we were assigned to Lot B. We pulled in, presented our online reservation ticket, and headed to Lot B. We snagged a "spot" adjacent to some trees for shade and fellow RVers. We arrived around 9am. The great thing about McCormick Place is that you have 24 hours from your check in time for one night's payment. Reservations can also be made online in advance. Once situated, we headed into the city. The park is located along Lakeshore Drive which weaves along the Chicago city edge and Lake Michigan. The road is paralleled by a bike/walking path that is flat and popular with locals am2d tourists alike. The path in all is about 20 miles long and will take you along the lake's edge to many fun places such as parks, Navy Pier, and is a great launching point into many neighborhoods. The purpose of our visit was to see a Cubs game at Wrigley, so we opted to forego the 8 mile bike ride and instead catch an Uber to the field. On our return, however, we walked from the stadium out to the Lakeshore Path and rented, for a nominal fee, Divvy bikes. These bikes can be found all over the city at various rental locations. You can rent them for a day or just 30 minutes. Locals and tourists use these bright blue bikes to navigate the cityscape. We hopped on and enjoyed a lovely evening bike ride along Lake Michigan's edge while people watching and soaking in the views of boats on the water. We returned our bikes at a Navy Pier Divvy station and enjoyed a few hours exploring (and eating!). If we had wanted, we could have ridden our bikes all the way to McCormick Place as there is a Divvy station on the overpass from McCormick Place to Lakeshore Drive. Back at camp, we settled in for the night. We found that by nightfall several more RVs had pulled into our little huddle of "campers." The parking lot is somewhat noisy with city noise, road noise, and most RVs and semis seemed to be running a generator. The L train also has tracks alongside the lot, so train traffic is heard. All in all, we found this place to be secure, safe, and convenient. For those wanting to take in a White Sox or Bears game, the stadiums for both are with walking distance of McCormick Place.
Best Sites: N/A
Poor Sites: N/A
Hookups: None
Potable Water: None
Dump Within Facility: No
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