Since March of 2021, Sankoty Lakes has been operating as a campground and glamping experience lodging service. The campground itself offers a considerable amount of outdoor recreation, as three of the following lakes characterize the acreage: Lake Canada, Upper Legacy Lake, and Lower Legacy Lake. At Lower Legacy Lake and Lake Canada, visitors can go kayaking, paddle boarding, boating, hiking, and birdwatching, among other activities. Sankoty Lakes offers rentals for such recreation as well. In addition to the accommodations and amenities, the campground also features an on-site restaurant with outdoor and indoor showers for guests to utilize. One aspect that has been described to be unique at the property is its customer service. Kim, a resort manager of Sankoty Lakes, remarks that she and other campground associates try to interact with guests frequently.
Sankoty Lakes is centrally located in Illinois, just off the Upper Peoria Lake. The campground offers 21 RV sites, 20 glamping tent sites, and 2 cabins, all of which are situated on an expanse of nearly 200 acres. Additionally featured on the premises is a restaurant known as Woolly Bugger that has outdoor games on the patio for guest use, such as corn hole, for example. Kim, the resort manager, mentions that it is about an eight-minute walk from the RV park area to the restaurant.
Other facilities and activities that guests have access to throughout the duration of their stay are the three on-site lakes, outdoor dining, a full bar, a gift shop, fishing, a beach with cabanas, and rentals for kayaks, paddleboards, and a paddle boat. The rentals for aquatic recreational equipment come with an additional fee. Visitors can also rent golf carts if they please. Oftentimes, guests engage in various outdoor activities at Sankoty Lakes. Birdwatching, hiking, biking, boating, and fly fishing are a few such activities that guests can do at the campground.
Amenities vary for each type of unit. The RV sites, for example, are all full hookups with water, sewer, and 30 and 50-amp electrical service. A leveled pad, a picnic table, and a fire pit are additionally provided for all available RV spaces. It should also be noted that every RV site is a pull-through, and the sites occupy land adjacent to Lake Canada. As for the cabins, each one contains two bedrooms that sleep eight in total, with a sleeper sofa providing additional accommodation should guests need it. Other amenities offered in the cabins include a bathroom, living room, dining room, picnic table, fire pit, and a front porch area with outdoor furniture. The cabins and glamping tents are located along the Sankoty Lakes trout stream. Kim describes the glamping tents as being "rustic with canvas-like exterior material." Furthermore, the glamping tent sites vary in size, as the smaller ones sleep up to four and the larger ones sleep up to six. Some amenities that occupants are provided in the glamping tent sites include a bathroom, running water, linen, sheets, towels, a shower, a microwave, a dorm-style refrigerator, silverware, climate control, and a front porch with outdoor seating. A fire pit with a grate and grill is also provided outside of each glamping tent that guests can use at their leisure.
The location of Sankoty Lakes is outside of a "metropolitan area," as reported by Kim. Guests can visit Peoria, located roughly a 20-minute drive away from the property. A fair amount of tourists are drawn to the area's attractions, namely wineries, festivals, and—as previously mentioned—outdoor recreation. Hunting and birdwatching are relatively popular among guests as well. One specific attraction that Kim recommends her guests visit is the Ski and Trap Shooting Range down the road from the campground. Additionally, the staff of the resort recommends that guests visit some of the wineries located in the region, including Tres Rojas Winery, located in Washington, and Old Mill Vineyard in Matamora. Many may also consider Sankoty Lakes to be an attraction in and of itself, as Kim remarks that the majority of their visitors come particularly to stay at Sankoty Lakes. With regard to places to eat in the surrounding area, Kim generally directs people to Sankoty Lakes' on-site restaurant, Woolly Bugger, as well as BG's Café, which has a gas station and convenience store attached to it. She also recommends that guests try Biscuits and Gravy, a family-owned business fifteen minutes away from the property with a drive Kim describes as being "pretty" and scenic.
A few notable policies are implemented at Sankoty Lakes, which visitors are expected to abide by. Anyone who plans on renting and driving a golf cart on-site must be over the age of 16. Guests are welcome to bring their own golf carts; however, they must provide proof of liability insurance. It is to note that visitors are prohibited from bringing their own boats. With regard to pets, dogs are permitted to accompany their owners, provided that they are well-behaved. Furthermore, Sankoty Lakes is a non-smoking property, and the use of fireworks is also prohibited. Each night, quiet hours last from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Check-in time for those who are staying in the RV sites is at 12:00 PM, and the check-in time for all of the other accommodations is 4:00 PM. Beyond these guidelines, Kim, the resort manager of Sankoty Lakes, primarily hopes that guests will "be a good neighbors" to each other.
Sankoty Lakes operates from April to mid-November. Kim mentions that the busiest month is typically August. Most guests discover the property through a recently released commercial advertisement of Sankoty Lakes, in addition to searching for it on Google. The property's social media platforms also aid the property's overall presence. Events that Sankoty Lakes plan to host in the future are frequently posted on these social media platforms with the intent to inform visitors about more activities that they can attend during their stay.
Kim wants guests to "have the best experience possible here." She takes pride in her staff and the customer service they provide, as she recalls a number of times when visitors have commented, saying, "everyone is so kind." The staff put effort into interacting with those who are staying at Sankoty Lakes. Every morning, those who are occupying each site can put their garbage bags out by 11:00 AM, and typically during this time, as the staff drives around in golf carts to pick up the garbage, they try to ask each person how their stay is going.
One particular feature that Sankoty Lakes is known for, according to Kim, is "the glamping tents" and the "outdoor experience." She further explains that the property "brings a western experience to the mid-west" in a sense. A previous visitor commented on the outdoor recreation aspect of the campground, saying, "Excellent bird watching, hiking, fishing, swimming and relaxing. There's even a fantastic dog beach... so yes... pet friendly!" Another guest who stayed at Sankoty Lakes made remarks about the staff as they commented, "The staff is super pleasant and helpful - especially security."
In March of 2021, Sankoty Lakes was first established and opened to the public as a glamping experience along with a campground. Currently, the property is managed by Columbia Hospitality out of Seattle, Washington, according to Kim, one of the staff members, and they also have ownership over several other properties. The main owner of the business was first led into the lodging industry with the idea to "share his vision of beauty, nature, and fishing" with other people, as reported by Kim. He grew up in the local area, and he "wanted to give back to the community."
"The people we work with" is what Kim enjoys the most about working at Sankoty Lakes. She also mentions that she loves observing the views from the property as she states that Sankoty Lakes is "surrounded by water and nature." She continues to explain that the campground can allow one to feel as though they are "truly free and not confined." Moreover, Kim says that she enjoys the fact that her job entails "a different experience every day," as she is "able to take care of guests and go through it with different attitudes and thoughts."
1583 Spring Bay Rd
Spring Bay, Illinois 61611
United States
Campground
