About an hour south of Chicago, an amazing luxury campground just 5 minutes from Illinois’ most famous state park offers an oasis for the cabin-loving camper.
Join us at Camp Aramoni, a private luxury campground for 3 days full of relaxation and beautiful nature. We’ll stay in hotel-level luxury safari tents, enjoy home-cooked meals and drinks at on-site restaurant The Barn (included in registration!) and wander through Starved Rock State Park, a beautiful natural wonder along the Vermillion River full of spring wildflowers, limestone bluffs, gorgeous waterfalls in 18 canyons and over 13 miles of trails.
Besides hiking and enjoying delicious meals at camp, we’ll also enjoy a charcuterie style lunch along the trail at Starved Rock, before coming back to the cabins and partaking in a happy hour flower pressing workshop led by guides. Participants will get the chance to preserve their favorite spring blooms during the peak of spring flower season. This is how you glamp, baby!
Adventure Rating: Beginner
This trip is rated beginner because of our luxurious accommodations. Hiking at Starved Rock is along well groomed trails. There will be some elevation gain, but should be suitable for the average hiker.
ACTIVITIES
Guided hiking at Starved Rock State Park. With more than 14 miles of hiking trails through canyons and along bluffs, Starved Rock provides some of the best hiking in the whole state. We’ll also take a hike at Matthiessen State Park, which connects to Starved Rock.
Professionally cooked restaurant family style meals with your fellow Wanderers every morning and night
Campfire hangs with Camp Aramoni’s special gourmet s’mores kits
Flower pressing activity led by WW guide
ACCOMMODATIONS & LOCATION
We’ll be staying in two large luxury safari-style platform tents. The safari tents come equipped with a covered front porch, heat, A/C, electricity, flush toilet and a shower. Participants will be staying in super comfy bunked beds.
About Starved Rock State Park
Starved Rock State Park, nestled along the Illinois River in La Salle County, stands out as one of the most stunning spots in Illinois. Established as the state's second state park in 1911, it boasts 18 canyons with striking vertical walls of moss-laden St. Peter Sandstone, shaped by glacial meltwater over 14,000 years ago. With over 13 miles of trails, visitors can explore rain-fed waterfalls, sandstone overhangs, and breathtaking viewpoints. The park is rich in diverse plant life, including white and red oaks, maples, hickories, white pines, eastern red cedars, and northern white cedars, all of which provide a habitat for a variety of wildlife. Source: Illinois DNR
GETTING THERE
If you are flying in from outside of Illinois, the closest airport is the Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI) (about a 1 hour drive away), though flights may be more reasonable through Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) or Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) (both about a 1.5 hour drive away). You’ll need to rent a car to get to the Camp Aramoni, or arrange carpool with a local Wanderer. Carpooling details are sent pre-trip in the private trip Discord channel. Carpooling arrangements can’t be guaranteed, especially for out-of-Iowa trips, but we try our best to connect Wanderers for coordination!
“The whole experience was amazing! [The guide] created a very fun and welcoming atmosphere. There were incredible views while hiking and luxurious accommodations with outstanding food at Camp Armani! If you have the opportunity to take this trip with Wander Women, do not hesitate! This is my second time going on this trip and I cannot wait to go again!”
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Your registration provides you:
Expert planning and a professional Wander Women guide to help make the weekend as seamless and fun as possible!
Two nights of comfortable lodging in luxury safari tents
All food for the weekend, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners
Guided interpretive nature hike
Flower pressing activity & materials
Wanderer swag bag full of goodies
A private trip Discord channel to connect with guides and fellow participants before & after the trip
Comprehensive pre-trip online guide with detailed logistics, packing recommendations, and trip tips
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Participants will be responsible for providing/paying for:
Transportation to/from trip (we always encourage carpooling and can connect you with other participants to ride with!) and trip activity locations
State park entrance fees
INVESTMENT
$625
PAYMENT PLAN
We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
Deposit for this trip: $315