No outside firewood is allowed into the campground due to the many tree killing insects and diseases that can live in wood.
NO OUTSIDE FIREWOOD ALLOWED
Please do not bring outside firewood to Hi-Tide Campground and Beach. We will not issue any warnings when it comes to outside firewood. Bringing outside firewood will result in immediate removal from the campground without a refund.
Why does Hi-Tide have such a strict policy on firewood?
The reason for this policy is that in the midwest, there are currently a lot of fungi, diseases, and/or tree killing insects that live in wood. Bringing outside firewood into Hi-Tide can result in new infestations which destroy the trees in our campground. Even if your firewood has no visible insects or diseases, they may still be present. Even just a few insect eggs or fungus spores are enough to destroy an entire forest.
Illinois and surrounding areas are currently battling infestations of:
The largest threat we are facing in Illinois currently is the Emerald Ash Borer!
In Illinois entire forests have been cut down to counter the Emerald Ash Borer. This tree-killing insect has already caused destruction to tens of millions of trees in the midwest alone. Since a large percentage of the trees within the campground are Ash, the borer is a significant risk to Hi-Tide Campground.