Overnite trips around Chicagoland

We are not responsible for errors or omissions. When boating, regardless of water depth, wear a PFD!

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Fishing Allowed	Paddling Allowed	Sailing Allowed	Motorboating Allowed	Dams Locks
Area Map	Depth Map	Photo(s) Online	Report(s) Online	Camping Allowed

One and two night trips: (Rent or bring your own canoe)

• Fox River
  Probably the most scenic of the rivers in northeastern Illinois. Start at Yorkville's boat launch and canoe down the Fox River. Stop and explore the many islands along the way. You can spend the night at Silver Springs State Park (Youth Groups only), or Mallard Bend (mallardbnd@aol.com) Campground (about 3-4 hours from Yorkville) and then finish your canoe trip the next day. The trip should allow you plenty of time at the campground for fun before the sun goes down. Take out at Wedron, IL. If you choose to go past Wedron, be aware that there is a very large dam on the river near Dayton, IL (40 foot drop), but there are no other dams between the Yorkville Dam and the Dayton Dam.

• Illinois River
  The route of Marquette, Joliet, de la Salle, de Tonti, and Father Hennepin. Starved Rock and Illini State Park offer camping and there are several private campgrounds along the river (Check the maps we have online for locations). Personally, I recommend canoeing the section after the Starved Rock Lock, the river is much calmer there and the Des Plaines mess is much more diluted. Remember to portage all dams.

• Illinois & Michigan Canal (I&M)
  Travel the same route Lincoln took as he rode a packet boat to Chicago. Rental boats are available in LaSalle in the Steamboat Basin Park, but camping isn't. If you have your own boat, you can travel between Channahon and Morris, with state park camping available at each end of your trip (Portaging locks is required).

• Du Page River
  Start at the Mack Road Canoe Launch in Blackwell Forest Preserve. Please remember to portage all dams. It will take you a full day to reach Channahon State Park where you can camp overnight. The next day, you can travel down to the Des Plaines River (where the Du Page River ends) and then to the Illinois River. You could take your canoes out at the Des Plaines Conservation Area, or McKinley Woods Forest Preserve. Also, Blackwell has a family campground, so you could go there and camp the evening before your trip begins, but it's not located near the river.

• Hennepin Canal
  A nice easy canal to paddle on both with and against the current. There are campgrounds with water at Lock 21 and Lock 22. There are several other campgrounds on this 100+ mile canal however you need to bring your own water with at the more primitive sites. You must portage all locks.

• Des Plaines River, Portage Canoe Trail
  Groups (Waterfall Glen's campground is for groups only, it's not a family camp ground) can start at Stony Ford in Lyons, and travel to Du Page's Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, where they can camp for the night. The next day travel to Isle a la Cache or continue to Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve to take out. Make sure you visit the Museum at Isle a la Cache. There are no dams between Stony Ford and the Lockport Preserve. The river is wooded until you near Lockport, with occasional bridges serving as landmarks. Just to the south of the river, between First Avenue and Route 83, is the Stickney Waste Treatment Plant, the largest in the world (if the wind is from the south, you may want to postpone your trip till another day) Just before Isle a la Cache, you'll feel the current start to pick up a bit as the river begins its 30 foot descent to the same level as the Ship and Sanitary Canal just before they join together after the Lockport Lock. If you chose to go on to Lockport Preserve, you'll travel thru the Des Plaines Rivers Fishnet Rapids (depending on the water level, this can be fun, or can be a mess of rocks and dragging your boat.).

• Nippersink Creek
  A very clean creek in the far NW suburbs. Start at Keystone Landing, just after the Wonder Lake dam, and travel to the McHenry Conservation District Campground. (You'll need a permit to camp.) This will only take an hour or so and can be started late in the day. The next day, travel to the Nippersink Canoe Base for take out (4-6 hours).

• Kankakee River
  Put in at the Indiana Route 41 bridge and travel the route de la Salle took as he explored Illinois. Spend the night at Kankakee State Park. Be careful of power boat traffic, strong current and dams. This is an all day effort to reach the State Park by nightfall.
• Vermilion River
  Ok, you can't exactly camp on it... but, you can camp at Staved Rock State Park for the night, then drive about 20 minutes south to Lowell to Vermilion River Rafting and rent a raft and take a ride thru one of Illinois few natural whitewater rivers. (Caution Applies... Please read the link above)

Lakes where you can camp overnight: (You can rent boats at each location)

• Beaver Lake (Kendall County)
  Note: As of July 1999, this campground was closed to all but youth groups.
• Grass Lake (Lake County)
  Chain-O-Lakes State Park
• Herrick Lake (Du Page County)
  Herrick Lake Forest Preserve Campground
• Loon Lake (Kendall County)
  Note: As of July 1999, this campground was closed to all but youth groups.
• Lake Michigan (Lake County)
  Illinois Beach State Park
• Shabbona Lake (De Kalb County)
  Shabbona Lake State Park
• Silver Lake (Du Page County)
  Blackwell Forest Preserve
• Sterling Lake (Lake County)
  Lake County Forest Preserve

Phone numbers for camping information:

• Channahon State Park: (815) 467-4271
• Du Page County Forest Preserves: (630) 942-6051 or forest@mcs.com
  (permits at Blackwell and Waterfall Glen)
• Illinois Beach State Park (847) 662-4811
• Kankakee River State Park: (815) 933-1383
• McHenry Conservation District: (815) 678-3331
  (Permit for Glacial Park Campground)
• Mallard Bend Campground: 815-496-2496 or mallardbnd@aol.com
• Shabbona Lake State Park: (815) 824-2565
• Silver Springs State Park: (630) 533-6680