Woodhaven Lakes, a Private Camping Resort

Woodhaven Lakes is a year round private camping resort. There are individual sites for sale ranging from $1,700 to more than $50,000. The lots available can be empty lots with nothing on them but the water, sewage and electric hookups to ones that have full campers or small additions on them.

Woodhaven Lakes is not open to the public, it is only available to owners and their guests. You can visit with permission of the Realtors or Administration and need to contact them for further information about visiting.

There are seven man made lakes, 40 miles of paved roads, 14 miles of trails for hiking, biking, cross country skiing and snowmobiling. Facilities include maintained restrooms with hot showers, a service center with gas, hardware and lumber, family restaurant, general store with a Pizza Hut, bank, Laundromat and bait shop.

Fishing, swimming, hiking, sports and just plain relaxing are some of things you can do at the resort. They have full programs that offer a wide variety of fun and games year round. The resort is owned by the property owners and governed by the owners Association and their bylaws.

Woodhaven has grown over the years to meet the demand for a better and more diverse recreational resort. The property has expanded and more lakes have been built over the years. My parents owned a lot there and I got to see the creation of one of those lakes from a small creek to the 26.8 acre lake it is today.

The trails and roads are maintained by the maintenance staff. The job is a big one for them. They are a full time staff that is responsible for all the buildings, pools, roads and grounds. They mow all common areas, maintain restroom facilities and maintain the resorts vehicles and equipment.

The restroom facilities have both showers and restrooms and are maintained by staff responsible for cleaning them on a regular basis. Some of the facilities are closed during the off season due to lack of use. There are others that remain open year round.

There is a property owner’s group known as the Woodhaven Association that was started in 1971, they are a not for profit group that is made up of the property owners. The Association makes the bylaws and rules of the property and also requires an annual dues of $635 per lot. This dues pays for the resorts maintenance and staff.

There are rules and laws that govern the resort, sizes of trailers and what can and cannot be on the lots and other things for the safety and enjoyment of all property owners.
Every property owner becomes a member of the Association and has the right to vote for the Board of Directors and the by-laws of the Association.

The Board of Directors is made up of elected property owners from each section of the resort. The resort is divided into sections of lots, each section elects it’s representative for the board. The board maintains the by-laws, the rules and regulations of the resort. Each meeting is open to the property owners and any rules the owners wish to change have to be voted on.

The resort is open year round but is not a residence. Owners use passes to enter the property, past security that keeps the property private. You can only stay on the property 183 overnight stays, you cannot live there year round.

This may sound tough but is used to keep the resort private and used as a resort only by the property owners and their guests. Four passes are issued to each property owner and must stay in any vehicles on the property.

The resort maintains a staff of security with some that double as emergency services personnel, buildings and grounds maintenance, a lakes manager, and recreation staff.

There is a full service realty on the resort that handles the sales of properties and is who you would contact if you are interested in purchasing or viewing sites.

There is a staff that is responsible for the summer time fun at the resort. Life guards, activities coordinators, nature center staff and others all are there to offer the programs and events.

In the past I have seen not only the annual events like flea markets, craft shows and holiday weekend blowouts but Civil War re-enactments, Birds of Prey demonstrations and sports tournaments. There is a staff that is responsible for bringing fun and recreation to the resort and property owners.

The resort has two pools and a swimming beach that you can use. There are both shower facilities and kiddy pools available. There is a nature center with a library, events and fun things to do related to nature and the outdoors. The Chicago Historical Society has donated a replica of Lincoln’s log cabin which is by the nature center. The recreation staff schedules movies, arts and crafts, kids day camps and themed weekends.

The front gate is staffed twenty four hours a day seven days a week so anyone can come and go from the property as they please. The security and privacy of property owners is one of the privileges of being a property owner. Staff ensure that only property owners and their guests are on the resort grounds.

The camp has a lakes manager that is responsible for maintaining the seven lakes on the resort. The lakes are stocked and maintained to ensure they are healthy and can be used safely by the owners. Boats are allowed on the lakes but only with electric trolling motors. Gas motors would not only add pollutants to the lake but would be a little silly to use, especially on some of the smaller lakes.

The lakes sizes are: Woodhaven Lake (26.8 acres) Bass Lake (25.8 acres) Sunset Lake (7.2 acres) Black Oak Lake (6.5 acres) Pine Lake (2 acres) Hidden Lake (1.5 acres) Blue Gill Lake (1/2 acre)

The lakes manager has a degree in Fisheries, Biology/Lake Management. He is committed to preserving the health of the lakes for the property owners. Samples are routinely taken from lakes for water pollutants and chemicals.

Largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish are commonly caught but sunfish, crappie, bullhead and carp have been known to be in the lakes. The lakes manager does surveys of the lakes with the Illinois Department of Fish and Wildlife, noting fish species, size and any diseases or problems.

Woodhaven Lakes is a also a year round resort. There are activities and events planned for all seasons and holidays. The winter brings cross country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding and ice fishing.

Each holiday brings it’s own activities and events. Children’s Halloween party, Thanksgiving pot luck dinner and Children’s Holiday Celebration are some of the favorites.

Woodhaven Lakes is a two hour drive west from Chicago, along Highway 30, near Sublette Illinois. You need to be an invited guest to enter the property and can visit the Woodhaven Lakes web site to talk to someone if you wish to visit and see what offers they have for you.