Rock Cut State Park — Attraction in Harlem Township

CAUTION TO ALL CAMPERS NEEDING 30 AMP HOOKUP I booked site 407 in White Oak months in advance. We arrived only to find out that the electric wasn’t working. I had park rangers come out, change the breaker, and “troubleshoot” only to be told that the issue was on our end. After spending a few hours running diagnostics on my own trailer, we decided to book a hotel room for the night, due to it being extremely hot/humid and having 2 dogs needing A/C. The next day, we were fortunate to be somewhat close to Camping World, which I then took our trailer to have them run diagnostics themselves only to find that absolutely nothing was wrong with our trailer. Upon arriving back to the site, we kept having the same issue with the 30-amp breaker not handling any sort of load and tripping out immediately. I called and a new park ranger came out to tell us that the power grid was very old and not always able to withstand a decent power draw. Luckily, he was able to move us to a 50-amp site which we then moved into and again tried to run off of that 30-amp breaker. We were able to have power, but the breaker would trip as soon as our A/C kicked on. Luckily, we had a 50-amp adapter on hand to be able to run off of the 50-amp breaker. From there, we finally had no more issues with the power. I want to really address my frustration towards the head ranger of the park, as I was told that I would be contacted by the head ranger (Cory) in regards to my complaint of the situation. We were 2 states away from home and I thought it would be fair to request a comped night for the night we had to unexpectedly book a $100 hotel room. However, I never received a phone call, nor any sort of contact from the head ranger of this park. Needless to say, if you’re considering camping here with a trailer or motorhome, be EXTREMELY cautious when booking sites, as their 30-amp service can be very hit or miss. I grew up in the Rockford area, and it’s extremely sad to see the park I remember camping at as a kid hasn’t seen a lick of upgrades at all. We’ve never had an issue at any other campground until we camped here. I truly hope that the right people read this and choose to make the upgrades to make Rock Cut the amazing place I...

We camped here as a group with some family. It was a very crowded campground. Unfortunately, we arrived late in the evening so we didn't have many choices for tent sites and had to be in the RV/tent area.

It was loud, lots of lights from RV's, lights from the soda machines, and some overhead street lights. The RV sites really aren't smooth for tents so we had to try to spread out to find some grass so we wouldn't have to sleep on the dirt intended for RV's. There was also a couple arguing until late in the night until we couldn't handle it anymore and we finally went over and asked them to quiet down. It was more pleasant in the morning when nobody was up yet. There are some trees but the sites are very close to each other and it just was primitive or really private from others at all.

If we stayed here again, we'd reserve in advance in the tent area. Also, the water wasn't drinkable and there were warnings about boiling it or not consuming. We did boil it but not something we'd expect at a paying campground. The staff at the entrance were friendly and helpful and the area around and through the campground and park were pretty and pleasant to drive around and see during the day.

There's no swimming in the lakes in the park at all so be aware of that if you're planning on going into the water. It's not permitted. It was nice to visit and see this place but perhaps and like I said, we'd choose the tent sites only in the future.

Also, they sell campfire wood and it was supposed to be open until 9, but apparently closed early because we went at 8:30 and it was all locked up. So, another bummer in that we couldn't have a fire.

I guess reserving in advance and getting there early is key. Also, stay away from the RV area if you want things to be quieter.

The bathrooms by the RV area have warm showers and flush toilets. The bathrooms by the tent only area are much more primitive and...

The park itself - 4.5/5 Campgrounds- 2.5/5

We came from WI to camp for 2 nights with kids. We showed up early for check in and the staff had no problem letting us in at 1:30 PM on a Friday. We stayed in the Prairie View (500s) grounds. The campsites are pretty close together and most don't have any privacy. We were lucky that ours (516) was wooded on either side, but our across-the-path neighbors were super close to us. After walking the other campgrounds, I'd recommend staying in the 300, 400, or 500 series grounds if you want any semblance of privacy - the Plum Grove sites are literally right on top of one another, no trees in between. The campsite was not very large - we barely fit a minivan and two tents. People who had large 5th wheels were pretty close to the path because the sites aren't very deep. The pit toilets were also IN someone else's campgrounds which was super strange. The showers are about a 5 minute walk away. Lots of trash left behind from previous guests. Also, minimal shade in the sites.

We didn't get to hike many of the trails because we got rained out on day 2, but we did fish a lot. I noticed some reviews saying the fishing was bad...we caught a ton of good sized crappies and small mouth bass on Pierce Lake, and some smaller bluegills on Olson Lake.

You do have to pay for the beach, which was different than the WI state parks, but since you don't pay to get into the park I guess it makes sense. Olson Lake was pretty weedy and a lot of goose poop everywhere. Also - as of July 2023 - the construction in the park makes it so you have to drive a good 15 min around the park to get to the beach.

Overall, this is a huge park with a lot to do. The campgrounds could use some help, but the staff was really kind. It was a nice, quick trip and easy to access off the highway so it served its purpose but I probably wouldn't camp...