Chippewa campground at Kankakee River State Park to reopen after 8 years of construction, delays
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Just in time for Labor Day, a state-run campground that has been closed since 2015 is finally set to reopen on Monday.
Kankakee River State Park's popular Chippewa campground will reopen to visitors on Monday, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
"Reopening this campground has been a long time coming, and I am thrilled that we've reached this moment," IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said in a press release. "Campers who enjoy the Chippewa campground have been waiting patiently for it to reopen, and our staff is excited to welcome them there in time for Labor Day weekend and fall foliage season."
Featuring 98 campsites, the campground is located on Illinois Route 102, about two miles west of the Kankakee River. Campsites are available by reservation only, and reservations can be made online.
CBS 2 has been tracking the delayed reopening of the campground since 2019, and thought previous reports about the shuttered site in Bourbonnais would be over in 2021. The state said then that everything should be wrapped up that year.
CBS 2's Lauren Victory found out why that hadn't happened until now.
From the shady trees to a calm wind and the sounds of nature, the Kankakee River State Park is ripe for relaxation, but things at Chippewa Campground are a little too quiet.
A project to overhaul the water system wrapped up last year. It took the state seven years to complete, and even though construction ended there in August 2022, the site is still closed.
On a recent visit, CBS 2 saw a bulletin board advertising an event from 2015. The board has been unused for so long that wasps have made a home there.
"I'm not blaming anybody, but that is just so sad," said Ken Plecki, during an April 2019 interview.
CBS 2 spoke with the avid camper when he first raised concerns about the prolonged closure of Chippewa Campground. A busted water pump forced the shutdown in 2015.
"I said, 'OK, one season. I can deal with that,'" Plecki said.
But four seasons in, CBS 2 was told the state budget impasse delayed the project.
By May 2021, "COVID-19 and resource constraints" were to blame, though the state estimated clean water might be ready for campers for "the later part of the summer." CBS 2 shared the update with Plecki then.
"That's a lot of news!" he said. "That's a lot to absorb."
His excitement didn't last.
Two months later, CBS 2 received another timeline update that the project was "scheduled to be completed by the end of this year [2021]."
But in 2023, a link to make a reservation didn't work this week because the campsite was still not ready.
David and Linda Canada have logged lots of camping memories across the U.S.
Victory: "Any guesses how long Chippewa's been closed now?"
David: "My guess is five to six years."
Victory: "It's been eight."
David: "Really? Time flies."
They'd prefer to set up shop at Chippewa, not at a sister site called Potawatomi.
"We liked it over there," Linda said. "We liked it over there for a reason, because of the size of the sites and how beautiful it was over there."
David added, "This started eight years ago. That's long before COVID, and I just call it mismanagement."
It's criticism Kankakee River State Park employees are used to hearing. They receive calls daily asking about Chippewa's fate.
"What is the hold up?" Linda said. "Why?"
This time, it's due to water testing. A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said crews have spent the past year collecting samples from the new well water system.
Satisfactory results finally came through in the past month.
The eight-year closure has impacted state revenue. CBS 2's previous reports uncovered the campground generated tens of thousands of dollars each year when it was open.