Hanover to West Whitton Road: A supremely pleasant trip that comes with some caveats, this lower slice of the Apple River is not nearly as scenic or swift as its upper “core,” but it’s more reliable and less illegal.…
Browsing Tag
Illinois
The Galena River is a quintessential Driftless stream that is a viable paddling opportunity for kayakers and canoeists alike, yet it is somewhat unsung. Originating in southwestern Wisconsin near Belmont and Benton, the river gurgles, then gallops, and finally…
Touring Busse Woods Reservoir in Busse Woods Forest Preserve: Rated as one of the best lakes for paddlers in the Chicagoland area, Busse Woods offers a lot to explore for beginner paddlers looking for a quiet lake to paddle.…
Touring the Lower Cache River Swamp Trail: A veritable bayou trip down near the southernmost tip of Illinois, this section of the big Cache River is renowned for its breathtaking cypress and tupelo trees, some of which are 40′…
Galena to Mississippi River: A fairly primitive yet tidy trip, this last leg of the Galena River starts in its historic namesake city and then ends in a side channel of the Mississippi River. While the current is next…
West Council Hill Road to Galena: A hinge trip that comprises two opposites – first, a rugged and ragged landscape teeming with bluffs, rock outcrops, and galloping riffles, then a kind of makeover landscape approaching the quaint town of…
Skokie River Dam to Bunker Hill Bridge: The location of the legendary Chicago River along the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan was key to establishing native American, fur trader and later European settlements in its namesake city that would…
Graue Mill to Plank Road Meadow: A very convenient paddle on a small creek in west suburban Chicago that flows through an oak forest nature preserve into the much larger Des Plaines River near the historic “Chicago Portage.” For…
Video of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River, a generally easy-going and beginner-friendly trip at first, before flowing through two forest preserves full of large amounts of deadfall which require the right skill level and patience to navigate…
Kishwaukee River video of a simply solid Northern Illinois day trip. While not particularly scenic, there’s enough unique features to keep it interesting. When the water levels are right, it’s worth a visit. Have a look. (Adjust to 4k for the…
Kingston to Irene Road: A tale of two personalities on a long-ish section of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River, a generally easy-going and beginner-friendly trip at first, before flowing through two forest preserves full of large amounts…
County Line Road to Red Horse Bend: A simply solid Northern Illinois day float, this section of the Kishwaukee River is a delightfully appealing paddle with easy accesses to boot. While not particularly scenic, there’s enough unique features to keep…
Here’s some video of the Des Plaines River I captured last fall. A sliver of an oasis located between a densely populated area of northeastern Illinois that flows through the open wetlands of a series of preserves, this trip…
Russell Road to Wadsworth Road: This section of the Des Plaines River is a sliver of an oasis located between a densely populated area of northeastern Illinois that flows through the open wetlands of a series of preserves. This trip…
Saltpeter Cave Crossing to Eddyville Blacktop Road: A true destination trip in every sense, Lusk Creek is an obscure stream set in a glorious wilderness environment featuring steep-walled canyons, cliffs, caves, boulders as big as school buses, waterfalls, jade…
On this return trip to the Piscasaw, (only a few days after our first-ever visit) we were treated to a more interesting run than upstream due to three runnable farm dams, and a very swift and riffly current. With…
The Piscasaw, located near Chemung in Illinois, is a great little prairie creek best caught in Spring when the water is up. This section has very mild riffles so beginners shouldn’t find it too challenging but do expect to…
Pecatonica River Nature Preserve to Trask Bridge Forest Preserve: A simple paddle that’s as pleasant as it is dull, where merely being on the water is more important than the surrounding landscape or fun rapids. This short jog on…
Touring Downtown Chicago: This was a very unique experience for us (and would be for anyone) because paddling through the middle of a lively downtown in the third biggest city in the United States, surrounded by the sights and…
Denny Road to Squaw Prairie Road: An almost great trip with pretty scenery, fabulous wildlife, engaging riffles and light rapids, alas, it comes with some serious caveats: it’s usually too shallow to paddle, it’s dangerous and it may be illegal.…
Streit Road to Denny Road: This section of Piscasaw Creek had everything I liked about the upper section and then some. Here I found beautiful prairie surroundings, farm dams that were fun and easy to run, and it was all topped off…
Maxon Road to Streit Road: A rarely paddled but really pleasant trip that travels through prairie and farmland in Northern Illinois, Piscasaw Creek, a tributary of the Kishwaukee River, is a wonderful option for beginners or Southern Wisconsin paddlers looking for…
Covel is an absolutely beautiful Illinois creek full of stunning scenery and continuous rapids – neither of which are evident from the put-in or take-out. This hidden gem is a thirsty creek, but paddlers who like small streams will…
Big Bureau is the kind of creek you have to hit at just the right levels, and one that we’ve wanted to paddle from the moment we laid eyes on it in videos from Tom Lindblade and Morrall River…
East 18th Road to Highway 71: A trip as breathtaking for its continuous rapids as for its stunning scenery, Covel Creek is simply, paddling bliss. Even if it’s out of the way (from Madison) and offers less than ideal access at…
Red Covered Bridge Park to County Road 1150: After years of waiting for the right levels, we finally got a taste of Big Bureau Creek. Wider than expected, this run was riffly, swift and altogether interesting. It was a…
Brownton to Winslow: A lazy-loaf float trip down the slow muddy waters of the Pecatonica River in its last stretch in Wisconsin before dipping down into Illinois. There are no outstanding rock outcrops or riffles on this trip but…
Point Rock Park to Jacobstown Road: In terms of the most mind-blowing bang for your paddling buck, this is probably the best creek I’ve ever been on, anywhere. Seriously. Constant riffles, a fun Class II ledge in the beginning,…
The Yellow Creek in Northern Illinois wasn't our intended destination this day but man it was a great little find. With clear water, good flow, pretty hillsides, ridges, a number of quite attractive rock outcrops and an absolutely fascinating…
East Canyon Road to South Apple River Road: Quite possibly the most beautiful stretch of river in all of Illinois (and definitely one of the best in the entire Midwest) the Apple River is rich with clear water, (or…