June 30, 2025
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BREAKING: Hide-A-Lakes Campground under new ownership

Residents out; trailers to be sold off on Tuesday and Wednesday

A sign pointing to the Hide-A-Way Lakes campground off Van Emmon Road near Yorkville. A sign underneath states "You and your vehicle will be searched for illegal contraband upon entry. You may turn back now." (Tony Scott)

An unincorporated Kendall County campground has been sold to a resort corporation, the former owner has confirmed.

Tom Tanner said Monday, May 10 he sold the Hide-A-Way Lakes campground in December. A local Facebook post over the weekend announced that about 60 travel trailers and motor homes would be sold this week at the site at 8045 Van Emmon Road in unincorporated Oswego Township, east of Yorkville.

Tanner added that the new owners have asked residents living at the property to leave.

“He’s getting rid of those people,” Tanner said of the new owner. “He’s just going to have a different type of camp, put a lot of money into it and make a resort out of it.”

A post tagged to Hide-A-Way Lakes’ Facebook page said all the trailers would be sold either free or for $1,000. None of the campers have titles, the post said.

For years Hide-A-Way Lakes has been a locale for frequent calls for service for the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, reported health violations and concerns over people permanently residing on the property.

The Kendall County Board made sweeping changes to its campground ordinance in November in anticipation of new ownership.

The new regulations prohibit the use of a “recreational vehicle, tent or location within a recreational vehicle park or campground” as a “permanent place of abode.” The ordinance also requires campground owners to keep a registry of all campers, picnickers and visitors. But only if the site was under new ownership would the revised ordinance apply because Tanner was grandfathered in by previous zoning rules.