Des Plaines Campground Sale Delayed to 2027
The city's $4 million purchase of 22 acres will not close until February 26, 2027, leaving cottage occupants and nearby residents waiting.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Camping
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The Chicago District Camp Ground Association has postponed finalizing the sale of its 27-acre Des Plaines property to the city, pushing the closing date from October 31, 2025 to February 26, 2027. The city and campground had agreed in May to a sale of 22 acres for $4 million.
Why it matters
For Des Plaines residents, the delay leaves the future of the land along the Des Plaines River and near Northwestern Woods unresolved for well over a year. The dispute centers on dilapidated cottages that the city wants brought into code compliance and on a claim by United Methodist Church officials to an interest in the property.
The figures come from the agreed sale terms between the city and the campground and from the city's citations against cottage structures. The sale price, acreage split and closing date are established, but the church's claim and the judge's ruling on the citations remain open.
The players
Chicago District Camp Ground Association
The longtime owner of the Des Plaines campground, a historic gathering site tied to 19th-century religious revivals.
United Methodist Church
A major Protestant denomination whose officials have raised claims about their interest in the property given its long history with the land.
Cook County
The Illinois county whose judiciary is handling the dispute over the city's cottage citations.
The details
The campground owns 27 acres east of the Des Plaines River near Algonquin Road, and the city agreed to purchase 22 of those acres while the campground keeps five acres at the southeast corner. The historical tabernacle is slated to be moved to the retained land. All cottages on the sold acreage must be vacated before the sale can close, and once it does, the city would bring the dilapidated structures into code compliance. Leaders of the association have refused the city's citation directive, sending the matter to a Cook County judge.
Timeline
1860s: Major religious revivals were held on the land, featuring prominent Christian figures.
Around Covid: Gatherings that ignored city precautions led to citations.
May: The city and campground agreed on the sale of 22 acres for $4 million.
October 31, 2025: The original sale closing date passed without finalization.
February 26, 2027: The new extended closing date for the sale.
Health Landscape
Long-standing camp grounds with aging seasonal cottages often face the same tension between preserving historic sites and meeting modern building and occupancy codes. Cities commonly address this through purchase agreements that move structures into compliance or remove them.
Residents who use the campground or the adjacent Northwestern Woods may see changes to access and open space once the sale closes. Anyone who stays in the cottages should follow the vacate requirement and any city notices as the process moves forward.
The takeaway
Old camp grounds sit at the intersection of heritage, land use and safety codes, and the outcome here will shape how the Des Plaines River corridor is used. Residents interested in the land's future can follow city council updates and the court proceedings as the closing date approaches.
What happens next
The sale is scheduled to close on February 26, 2027, and the Cook County judge's handling of the city's cottage citations is pending.
Further reading
For related context on outdoor gathering spaces, browse the Camping section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Journal Online.
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