If you want to camp and not go that far, there's the BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) of Norther Minnesota. No motorized boats allowed on MOST of the lakes that make up the area, lots of campers up there in the summer so you aren't ALWAYS alone, but it's remote enough that bears, moose, and bald eagles outnumber people by a vast amount. No cell reception, no motors, no cars, nada. Just some people, canoes, moose, bears, bald eagles, osprey, lots of fish and bugs, and tons of various lakes to canoe across, with lots of portages.

Just make sure you no how to read a proper map and shoot bearings, and you'll be fine. Or just bring a GPS device... lol. But this is a trip that takes required gear, and you have to plan quite a bit about where you plan to enter and your route, and you'll need to obtain permits and what not, but they aren't very expensive. All the info you'd need is in the link below. There are plenty of places that rent canoes up near the entry points.

http://www.bwca.com/

Since you are coming from Chicago area, figured I'd mention it, because it's not THAT far from ya. But BWCA is REAL camping, ain't no campsite type camping. It's an adventure up there, but it's just gorgeous.