Join the Heartland LTV’ers for their 2026 spring rally as we walk in Lincoln’s steps at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic site and campground in Petersburg, Illinois, Monday, May 4-7, 2026.
Lincoln’s New Salem is the village where, for six formative years, young Abraham Lincoln lived. The site has the reconstructed village of New Salem, a museum, and nature hiking trails on 700 acres. It is staffed, Tuesday through Saturday, with volunteers in period clothing telling and showing with crafts, pieces of history from Lincoln’s time. The village is open to walkers, joggers, and bikers after hours.
Nearby, the town of Petersburg has shops and eateries around a town square. Springfield, the Capital of Illinois, is only 20 miles away, where there are many more historical sites, such as the Lincoln home, the Lincoln family tomb, and the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library. Other attractions include historic homes, the Old State Capitol, and Route 66 sites. You may want to consider extending your stay.
To register for the Rally, you must secure your campsite and complete the Rally Registration form. Please, register for the Heartland LTV’ers 2026 Spring Rally here. We are capping the registration to 30 sites. We will maintain a waiting list if we have more than 30 LTV’s who wish to attend.
You will need to make your own campsite reservations through the Illinois online system. Campground reservations become available 180 days before May 4, so we recommend reserving your site as early as November 5. We suggest reserving a site near the pavilion (site 127). The following sites, numbered 39-52, 54-64, 66, 122, 123, 125, and 126, should be your first choice. We will send a reminder to reserve your site closer to November 5, 2025.
The campground has paved sites with electric hookups and a shower house. Water is located throughout with a dump station. A pavilion for our use is located at Site 127. Standard Campground fees are $20 a night. Some discounts are available for Illinois residents. Registration for the Rally will remain open until March 10, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact Dale Gerstenecker at [email protected].
Event #309