Great Lakes Naval Training Center

For Chicago it's a good location, about an hour drive to downtown. The biggest problem was getting onto the base. Went to the main gate which is required and easy to find but the civilian guards had no idea there was an RV facility there. They told me I had to go to MWR but since it was 1500hrs on Sunday they said it was closed and that I would need to return tomorrow. They wanted me to back up into the traffic circle and go away. With a 43 foot class A motor home pulling a toad I said no. I offered to pull forward where I would be out of the way and we would work it out. No go. By that time my wife had the lodging people on the phone but the guard refused to talk to them. By this time other police had arrived and they had to open the other side of the gate to allow base traffic in. Finally a police officer arrived in a patrol car and I was told to follow him. I did but since I had not talked to him I had no idea where he was taking me. I finally stopped the coach and got out and then I was able to talk to the officer. He said he was taking me to the RV park and I could unhook the car and find the office. There is room to do that and there was no problem. There is only one 50 amp lot and that seems to be permanently occupied. Only about 50% of the spots were being used and the office let us pick which one we wanted. No problem with those people although they don't seem to have much knowledge about RVs or there needs. Water is located down the road by most of the dry boat slips and lots of room to turn around.

R.L. left this review using the Directory software: - We made our reservation under the old system and when we arrive 4 days later it was the first day the new system was in effect. The folks at blg 5 went ahead and checked us in anyway, saving us a trip up to the hotel. At the campground we found our assigned site already occupied. Someone drove down immediately and assigned us a new spot.

New policy is The Navy Lodge at Great Lakes (847) 688-6675 now handles RV Reservations and the Marina handles the 2 overflow sites. We needed to stay here for 1 night on our trip out west. The Navy Lodge confirmed me for 1 site. We showed up and it was already given to some one else with no sites available so they directed us to the Marina who sold us 1 of the 2 overflow sites. Each had water and 20 amp regular house type outlets. We arrived at gate 5 as instructed and the DOD guard first tried to tell us we needed to go to Pass & Id first to get a pass but another Guard trumped him after a phone call to his boss & we were allowed to enter. Signs were posted that the water was not safe to swim in. I received around 7 TV Channels & Virgin MIFI 2200 worked well at this site. Gas prices on base were high almost identical with off base prices. At check in, ask the Navy Lodge for coupons for food delivery service to the rv site, pizza etc.

The campground is very difficult to find and not user friendly for big rigs. You have to drive past the campground to the boat yard to check in. There is not much room to turn around there and the water/dump sites are very difficult to access due to their location. We were told we would be in one site, but when we arrived, someone was in that site and the office was not aware. They changed our site to another one and we found that one to be filled with trash bags at 3pm. We called the office and stated we would be taking yet another site due to the trash left that we would not clean up. At 8:30pm. no one had bothered to come and clean up the trash.

One of the most friendly staff we have come across. The frontage road was under construction but even with having to travel thru the base to get to the dump I would of still went back. One of the most beautiful views you could ask for.

Beautiful view watching the sun come up over Lake Michigan. The frontage road to the Marina is open. The staff and amenities are fantastic. It was easy to dump. We would definitely stay again.

Location is great, views to die for. Only electric but so what, deal with it the negative for me is that the water and sewer dump is a long way down the road. The out house's are great for what they are [no smell, clean] the workers at the marina are great.

R.L. left this review using the Directory software: Not the easiest place to get into. There was quite a bit of road construction and with 2 roads with railroad tracks in the middle it took a while to find the way to the gate. It would be helpful if the gates were numbered so one would be sure they were at the right one. Also be sure if you're going out in the evening you can find your way back in. The 2 gates we were familiar with both closed early and we were lucky some friendly sailors directed us to the only one open. Again, if it hadn't been for the road construction it would probably be a lot easier. The campground is great, the view can't be beat. We weren't bothered by the lack of water or sewer. We enjoyed the atmosphere of the base, it's a beautiful place.

G.A. left this review using the Directory software: Beautiful campground; watched the sun rise over the Lake. Nice bathhouse and laundry; pit toilets in campground were the cleanest I've been in and absolutely no smell. Need a campground host to control campers leaving their dogs alone in campers and allowing them to bark "all day long". This was a drawback for us and made some days unpleasant.

This campground has it's limitations, but if you know what they are before hand it is not too bad. There is no water, sewage, and they have poor phone reception. However the location, view, quietness, and availability of all on base facilities make this a very nice campground. Water to the campground has been promised for several years now, but still not available on site. The roads, grass and landscaping have all been well maintained. It is a small campground so reservations are a must. The view across Lake Michigan with sailboats and Chicago skyline on the horizon is something special.

Great location, easy access if you check in between 0900 -1500 and use gate 4. Good shoppette on base and a few fast food places attached. McDonalds also a short walk on base. Cell phone service is poor at campground (AT&T) WIFI available at Library and McDonalds on base. Great BX and commissary off base. Stop in at visitors center at gate one after you checkin and get information. Train ride to Chicago is $5.50, half that if in uniform. Travel office at shoppette were you can get tickets for everything. Can get general delivery at Post Office on base. Don't expect to rent a sailboat if you haven't sailed on Lake Michigan, even with credentials. Would be a great place with water and sewer, but not a bad deal at the current price. Reservations are easy to get, but don't expect to remain in the same spot the entire time. Same as other reviews, reservation management system defies logic. Don't stay near the PIT OUTHOUSE. Stinks anytime the wind stops, especially in the morning. Heard the rumors from the oldtimers that installation of water was funded and staked off, but it has been for years. Bonus was fireworks shows on the 4th of July. Could see Chicago and several communities north and south of campground and the base put on a great show and "fair" with food, rides and a concert.

We are currently staying at this campground while my husband and I receive medical treatment at the VA Hospital. Pros: The views are magnificent. The price is right especially for the Chicago area. We are currently paying $400 for a month. The Illinois Beach State Park just to the north is $25 nightly, and their 30 amp is not very good. The people at the Marina are very helpful when you register. There is a very clean laundry room at the Marina. This is also where you must water up and dump. Once your rig and car are registered, it is very easy to access the base with your ID. The Exchange and Commissary are off base, but very close and easy to get to. Cons: There is only 30 amp at the sites except for one handicap site which has 50 amp. However, if you watch your usage, 30 amps is fine. You do have to drive a little bit to the water/dump area, and it is a learning curve to get your rig exactly right for dumping and watering because a large concrete abutment is sheltering the dump area. We had to pull forward more so our bays would open. There are several rigs here who seem to be living fulltime; some seem to be used for storage since we have been here a week and never seen anyone at their site. Overall we would definitely stay here again. We have a 40 ft motorhome.

BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS. First the Bad -- Less than our expectations: Chaos in finding the campground; no water available near campground; electric is 30 amp only; toilets are awful; no refunds policy for leaving early. Because of a July 09 landslide between the campground and the office/marina area, the dump station is a long way from the RV parking in inconvenient to use. BUT, work is underway on cleaning up the landslide damage, although it may take time to shore up the library now sitting along a cliff. Cell phone service was very poor or non-existent at the campground along Lake Michigan. And the Good – Ed, the manager, said that funds have been approved to put water and sewerage at the sites, and new paved sites will be added, plus toilet house will be knocked down and replaced with a new bathroom facility. He said improvements are ready to start (but AD residents said they heard that last year). More Bad -- We entered the base on Sunday through the main gate (09-13-09) and proceeded to find the RV check-in, which wasn’t open and followed the road to a dead end at the landslide area. We turned around and maneuvered across the base with our trailer looking for the park entrance until we found a policeman who led us to Ziegemeier Road (off Paul Jones near McDonald’s) that got us to the RV park. Our neighbor in a motorhome had entered the main gate, was told to exit and enter at Gate 5. He couldn’t find the RV office until finally finding someone to direct him. He left early, forfeiting a couple of night’s fees. We left early, also. Chaos!

What a shame! A beautiful location right on Lake Michigan, but a poorly run facility. First, there is the issue of getting access to the base. Unlike most other military installations that grant access with your military ID card, Great Lakes requires you to register your vehicle. I waited in line for 45 minutes to get my car registered. Then, your RV must go thru Gate-5, but your car cannot go thru this gate -- it's for trucks and RVs only. Then you have to drive to Building 13 to register for the campground, but that office is located about 2 miles away from the campground (due to a mud slide that closed the shore road). The campground itself has only 20 spaces. All have only 30 amp service with NO water and NO sewer hookups. There is a dump station, but again, it's 2 miles away at the marina. The campground has NO showers and NO water and only pit toilets that stink to high heaven. MWR could do a lot better -- this could be a money maker if they just fixed the place up a bit and added full hookups. There appears to be a number of long-term campers homesteading here and relatively few vacationers.

Lake Michigan was beautiful. The Gate police Officers seemed to change the rules on a daily basis. I seriously question if some of those guys should be carrying firearms. We arrived at a time when there was a mud slide at the Camp Ground. This made it difficult to get around. The Camp Host A Retired Navy Person gave us number combination to a dilapidated building with the showers, which were in terrible shape. He must not like Army people. It wasn't until the last day here when a very really kind young fella, asked us why we were using the old facility to take showers. It is about to be torn down. He went on to tell us about the newer showers located in the adjacent building. The Camp ground needs to some help. Has the potential to be a great Campground.

Visited on June 16-20, 2008. The view of Lake Michigan is awesome. We did not use the shower or dump facilities but aware they are not located at the campground. We took the train into Chicago and was able to park our car in the lot near the gate to the train depot, which was extremely convenient. NEX / Commissary is off base and found it a little hard to find. The gate guards seems to change the entrance rules without notifying the campground office so there is some confusion about which gates to enter through, especially with a big rig. Would definitely recommend this facility for access to Chicago and a place to chill out.

Outstanding location to view fireworks from either the base or looking up and down the beach to the local municipalities. The staff was great and very helpful. We plan on going back over the labor day weekend. The view out over the lake is wonderful. Yes it's a hike to restroom, but the view on the way made up for it. If your going to ride the Metra into Chicago, walk up the hill by the marina and exit the base by the hospital gate. The Metra station is right across the street.

I highly recommend reading all the reviews before this. If you have your eyes wide open, and realize there will be only basic facilities, you should have a great stay at Great Lakes. The one surprise to me was how far away the restrooms/showers were from the campground, about half a mile away. However, the location is excellent, relatively close to Chicago, very close to the train station, and right on Lake Michigan. Our plans had very little time at the campground, so the level concrete pad, the picnic table at our site, and 30 amp electric met all our needs. One other tip, if you plan to travel to Chicago on the train, definately go to METRA (the Chicago train) and CTA (light tail/subway/bus) web sites and read about schedules/fares in advance. I will definately stay here again.

Good campground but water and sewage are a bit of a problem as noted by others. My biggest problem was ill informed and surly base security. They are mostly "rent a cops." I was sent in and out of two gates before I ended up where they thought I should enter. In the process I damaged RV and gate fence. Later while driving my TOAD I was informed that they did not like my base registration and required me to get a temporary pass. If your home installation issues a year sticker with only one digit you are going to have a problem. Now if you are going there for a recruit graduation be ready for the most ridiculous security measures I have ever seen before or after 9/11. Someone here has an ego and budget to match.
Mike Brady, USMC Ret

I agree with most of the reviews; 1) Dump station by Marina - do it before you head to the CG, and it is difficult on weekends/4-days when busy, and fill with water 2) Showers old/rustic, also at the Marina; early morning or evening is best, 3) Easy to manuever RVs through gate five; make sure you have your pass (Main gate Visitor Center), 4) LOVELY VIEW; Wonderful beach (Nunn beach has lifeguards on Th-Su), 5) clean CG with "long drop" potties. 6) A very spread-out base; NEX/Comm "off" base. For families with kids there are little beaches to explore and a large field next to camp for soccer and baseball/frisbee, Nunn beach (for swimming) close by. Bowling cheap on Wed!! Community Center sucks (my kids report); not worth the venture. LAUNDRY; call the Navy Lodge; unless they are swamped, you CAN do it there!! Library usually very busy at nights/weekends with new recruits, but they have movies to check out! No recycling, yet, but they are working at getting bins in the CG. Train easy access to Chicago, and I would definately stay here again!