Author: Mike Bailey
With central Illinois on the cusp of spring, ready to emerge from the longest of winters in more ways than one, Kim Blickenstaff’s Sankoty Lakes Resort and Retreat is now taking reservations for lodging and other outdoor amenities.
The 220-acre camping and fishing destination sits on the west side of Illinois Route 26 at the entrance to Spring Bay, Blickenstaff’s hometown.
Descriptions of what’s available, FAQs and pricing information for both overnight stays and a la carte day activities can be found on the Sankoty Lakes website. To make a reservation, click on “Book Now” and go from there. Follow us on Facebook, as well.
Visitors have their choice of 20 temperature-controlled glamour tents – hence the term “glamping” -- that border a unique, mile-long trout stream teeming with rainbows, goldens, and browns, a 20-pad RV site, and two cabins, with more to come.
In addition, day passes are available for fishing – stream, creek, lake, and river -- hiking, bird-watching or just lounging on the beach. Kayaks, canoes, pontoon and johnboats, golf carts, and bicycles can be rented for full or half-days, in some cases by the hour. Beach cabanas can be had, as well.
Guided hunting excursions also can be arranged at other properties under the Sankoty umbrella, specifically at The 1840 Ranch and Sankoty at Crow Creek, both a short drive to the north of the main property. Other lodging and fishing opportunities also may be booked at sankotylakes.com.
Meanwhile, the “Woolly Bugger” restaurant, named after a popular bait used in fly fishing, will soon be open inside the Sankoty Pavilion, with a large outdoor patio that affords gorgeous views – particularly at sunset – of the property. The property can host large events – weddings, reunions, business retreats – too.
“I really believe that people will find this was worth the wait,” said Blickenstaff, the central Illinois-born, California- based entrepreneur and philanthropist who has overseen the reinvention of this property – formerly an operating gravel pit – through a once-in-a-century pandemic.
On that latter front, the tents and cabins are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after each stay, with the spacing between the tents such that individuals and families can enjoy themselves, by a campfire or just relaxing on the front porch, at a safe distance from others.
“If anything positive emerged from the experience of the last year, it was a renewed appreciation for the great outdoors, for nature, and all the ways it can enrich our lives,” Blickenstaff said. “Sankoty is really a chance for people to get away from it all and to get back in touch with what really matters, all at the same time. I think the project is coming along at exactly the right time.”
In addition to being a commercial enterprise, Sankoty also helps fulfill the philanthropic goals of its owner, specifically in the areas of conservation and education for youth who don’t have much exposure to nature and may face other challenges. Camp Dallas will have a place on the property, as well.
“I sincerely believe that Sankoty can become one of the top ecotourism draws in the entire Midwest. There is just so much to do, at a variety of price points, across every season,” said Blickenstaff. “It is my hope that people of all ages -- families, serious sportsmen, local folks just looking for a day of fun -- will come to embrace Sankoty, to view it as a special place as much as I have.”