Fall Campout
Harvest Moon Campout
White Oak Campground
Utica, IL
Our annual fall campouts are held at White Oak Campground on Route 178 in Utica, Illinois, just near the west entrance to Starved Rock State Park. This is about 1 1/2 hours from Naperville. See the map below for directions. The Guides and Princesses have been returning to White Oak for over 30 years.
Because of the size of our Federation, we split the campout into two weekends. Those weekends are typically the first couple of weekends in October. Each year, we alternate which weekend your tribe is scheduled to attend the campout. Tribes of the Prairie, Lake, and Forest Nations camp together on one weekend, and tribes of the Plains, Mesa, and Desert Nations travel on the other. If you’re not certain which Nation you’re in, look at your Nation patch, check the nation map on the website, or call Shane Loy at the YMCA at 630-585-2347. If you’re unable to attend your designated weekend, your tribe is welcome to attend the alternate weekend.
Check in begins about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Many dads and kids come down the Friday night before to camp and grab a choice spot for their tribe. Call White Oak to find out what time the gates open on Friday. Their phone number is (815) 667-4758. There is an extra fee to stay Friday night payable to the campground.
Afternoon activities start after noon and will include field games, archery, and BB gun shooting. Archery and BB guns are both carefully supervised. There are usually inflatable obstacle courses, or rock-walls to climb. Tribes are free to hike through the canyons and participate in their own games as desired. There may also be locally available activities such as horseback riding, or canoeing. These local activities you would need to arrange for yourself or for your tribe. Starved Rock State Park is right across the road, and it has several hiking trails with breathtaking views of the area.
On Saturday night, just after sundown, we’ll be having our big torch parade followed by a terrific bonfire induction ceremony for all new members. This is one of the big highlights of the year so try to make it. Each tribe is asked to make a torch, click here for instructions for how to make one. We will supply the kerosene, you supply the torch and toilet paper roll. Do not let your child carry the torch; it must be carried by an adult for safety reasons.
Following the bonfire, we have a ‘critter hunt” where kids look for a scattering of small plastic toys in the grass. It is well after dark, so be sure to bring two flashlights with fresh batteries. We also suggest you bring some critters from home and put them in your pocket to use in the event your child strikes out during the critter hunt.
Quiet time begins at 10:00 PM. Many Guides and Princesses hit the hay early leaving time for the dads to get to know one another around the campfire. Remember the no alcohol policy.
Sunday morning activities begin at 8:30 a.m. This includes our pumpkin decorating judging and a short morning worship service. All of this should be over at 10:00 a.m. If you need to leave early, it’s okay. For a list of items to bring to the campout, see below. There is also a general campout checklist.
Don’t be too concerned about arriving right on time. We realize there are 101 things to do on a Saturday morning in Naperville (especially soccer), so don’t be overly concerned about arriving on time. If you can get one dad to arrive first and mark out an area for your tents, then you’ll be doing o.k. The drive down is very scenic if you take Route 71 out of Oswego. Some tribes come in a caravan of minivans, others come separately. What’s important is that you enjoy the ride down with your child. Take the opportunity to find out how school is going.
Fall Campout - What to Bring
If you’ve never camped before with your child, this might be a great place to start. The Y does not provide camping equipment. Many dads find that they can borrow just about everything they need and supplement that with a trip or two to a sporting goods store or a Target or Wal-Mart.
You’ll see all kinds of equipment at these campouts and it might give you an idea about what to buy in the years to come. Each dad/kid is responsible for a tent and their sleeping bags. Bring extra blankets in case it gets cold.
Each tribe should plan meals and divide costs. The main meals are dinner and snacks on Saturday night, and breakfast on Sunday morning. Saturday lunch is usually left up to the individuals due to the varying arrival times. See the list below, for suggestions of other things to bring, or click here for a printable checklist.
Camp Checklist
- Tent — don’t forget the poles, ropes, stakes, and hammer to drive them in
- Tarp for under the tent.
- Sleeping bags and blankets - bring plenty, it can get nippy.
- Pillows
- Air Mattresses or foam pads
- Lantern
- Stove - check to see if other dads are bringing their stoves and lanterns
- Weber grill - optional but very helpful for hot dogs, etc.
- Firewood and kindling should be purchased on-site or locally in Utica. Due to the emerald ash borer being sited in DuPage County, you are not supposed to transport firewood out of the county.
- Matches — butane lighter is best
- Two flashlights — check the batteries. Bring one for you and your child. Use during critter hunt.
- First Aid kit
- Cooking utensils - don’t forget something for coffee
- Plates, cups, glasses, plastic utensils, jug for water
- Food - use your imagination. The tribe decides what to cook together. Bring your own drinks and snacks. Kids love hot chocolate at night and marshmallows.
- A lawn chair for each person
- Cooler
- Personal items: soap, tooth brush, tooth paste, wash cloth and towels, comb
- Warm clothes — don’t be bashful, bring plenty including a complete change of clothes for the kids. Extra socks and shoes too in case they get wet
- Vests
- Comfortable walking shoes; or hiking boots
- Insect repellent (e.g., Off or Cutters)
- Sun block
- Note: there are showers at White Oak Campground but they are not the best you’ve ever used. There are a limited number of toilets, sinks in the boys and girls bathrooms. There are also port-a-johns in several locations. You may wish to pack an extra roll of toilet paper.
- Recreation items - Football, softball, mitts, etc. just in case you have time.
- Tribal property
- Banner - New tribes should bring something to help mark where they are camped.
- Torch (see instructions)
Directions:
From Naperville, take your preferred route to southbound I55 (toward St. Louis); exit onto westbound I80 (toward Iowa); exit I80 on route 178 and turn left (to Utica); drive through downtown Utica (you'll make a zig-zag at the grain elevators to get through downtown); continue on 178 across the bridge; just over the bridge you'll pass Starved Rock State Park on the left, and then see the sign for White Oak on the right. Click here for print-friendly directions.
History of Starved Rock
The Starved Rock landscape was formed by a series of floods about 450 million years ago. As glaciers melted, the resulting water broke through moraines (hills formed by the dirt that was pushed along by moving glaciers) and scoured the land, leaving the magnificent rock structures and canyons we enjoy today.
The area has been home to humans since the Hopewellian, Woodland, and Mississippian Native American cultures thrived there as early as 8000 B.C. More recently, from the 1500s through the 1700s, the area across the river from Starved Rock State Park and the White Oak Campground, was a Kaskaskia Indian village. As many as 7,000 people lived there at any given time.
The area gained the name Starved Rock from a Native American legend. The legend claims that during the 1760s, Pontiac, the chief of the Ottowa tribe, was slain by an Illiniwek Indian. According to legend, a group of Illiniwek Indians who were being attacked in retaliation for Chief Pontiac's murder, sought refuge atop a 125-foot sandstone cliff. Rather than surrender to their enemies, the Illiniwek stayed on top of the cliff until they starved to death.
Today, the area is a state park with over 13 miles of hiking trails connecting over 15 different canyons and scenic overlooks stretched along 4 miles of the Illinois river.