Best Tent Camping: Illinois

John Schirle was raised in central Illinois and has been back in his home state since 1993. Since his college days he has loved getting away in the outdoors: camping, hiking, canoeing, and, more recently, caving. As a result he's spent countless hours scouring the region for the ideal tent-camping getaways. He's had a personal goal for some years of visiting every single state park in Illinois (which he hasn't yet achieved, although he's a lot closer now!). Over the years he's been a Bible translator in central Africa, a college professor, camp program director, and is currently a children's librarian in his hometown of Decatur, Illinois.