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Illinois whitewater - Des Plaines, Will County
Will
county,
Fishnet Rapids section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.
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CLASS I-II 4 miles
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Put-in is 135th street in Romeoville. Park and put in at the Isle de Cashe Museum parking lot. Great location and easy put in. I think they lock the parking lot gate at 5:00pm so don't get trapped in. I think you can drive around the gate if necessary. Don't take-out at the 167th /Division Street as the directions here say. It's a difficult take-out. Plus there is 2.0 miles of river left to enjoy. Keep going to Joliet and get out on the north side Ruby Street in Joliet. Ruby has small boat ramp and shade trees. Nice spot. You can also leave a |
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shuttle vehicle here. Wait for higher than normal water to make this run. Otherwise you will drag a lot of bottom especially at the Route 7 high bridge at Lockport. Soon after you put in be careful at the concrete low height gravel pit bridge. Debris gets caught here and the
| | passage is narrow or nonexistant. You don't want to get trapped. In 2007 there was just one opening to the left side. You can inspect this before going by taking the road that goes east from Romeoville High School on route 53. It's a private gravel pit road but I doubt anyone will care. The biggest rapids are just before and at the old Division Street bridge. But they are just fun not dangerous. In a couple of places the river forks. Its usually best to go right. At the fork below Division street...go left unless you have exta high water. This is | |
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really a fun little run. Lots of wild life....deer, ducks, geese, turtles, and carpzilla. Also before you run it drive east on Division Street from Route 53 just so you can see the rapids before you run them. This also gives you an idea of where you are as you come downstream.
Before you get out at Ruby street go under the railroad bridge to the east and go up the historic old Lockport canal. You will be going back north. This is where the mules used to pull the barges. There is interesting stone work along the way. You can easily make it up to the
first lock about 1/2 a mile. Finally, this trip could be dangerous in very high run-off. There could be suck holes around bridge pillars. You could be caught by debris jams in forks or at bridges. There could also be low clearance under that first bridge. So scout it before
you run it. Be sure to have a good PFD and wear it. Remember this is Real America not Great America. You're on your own. I like the real high water the best. E-mail me if you have questions bbfalk@aol.com Says Bruce Falk
About the gate at Isle a Cache in Romeoville:
I can't verify what time it's locked, but I would not advise driving around the gate if it requires going through the grass. I used to leave my truck there and return for it later. One time the gate was locked when we got back, and I drove around the gate. A week or so later, the
same thing happened. We got back and the gate was locked, but this time there was a note on the truck that said ''Your license number has been recorded. If this vehicle is not here when the gate is unlocked in the morning, you will be ticketed''. I had to leave the truck there
until after work the following day. So now, if I'm planning on not returning for the truck until late, after unloading the gear, I park the truck at the bar located about 1/4 mile west, and I walk back to Isle a Cache. Says Brian
This section of Des Plaines is 4 miles long
and has been rated as a class I-II section by American Whitewater. If you're coming from Chicago-Naperville-Joliet it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. Whitewater rafting and kayaking
spots in Illinois tend to be more forgiving than the national average, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that rivers here are less demanding. Getting some good exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people. No need to look hard
for hotels, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. This stretch is mid length, it's good length for a morning trip. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. This is the only paddling stretch along Des Plaines. Since you're on this site you are probably into
whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way in this general area you won't find many other paddling rivers. The nature scenery of Illinois and the water flowing gracefully down Des Plaines will make you feel great.
Briefly about the general area:
If time allows, Illinois
& Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor is a national park worth taking a look at. The amount of rain that falls at Des Plaines is close to the national average; throughout the month of July you get the most rain around here; February meanwhile is the driest month. Summertime
brings highs in the 80's to Des Plaines. Once the sun is down it dips down to the 60's. High temperatures during the winter are normally in the 20's, and night lows all through the wintertime for Des Plaines tend to be in the 10's.
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Des Plaines, Fishnet Rapids road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.
QUICK STATS
AW Class:
I-II
Length:
4
miles
Average Gradient: 7 fpm
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Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 41.6403
Longitude: -88.07151
Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 41.5819
Longitude: -88.07181
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Paddler input for Des Plaines, Illinois:
Brian:
To inspect for log jams beneath the gravel pit access bridge directly east of Romeoville High School, you are allowed to drive up to, but not ACROSS the bridge, according to a security gaurd at the gravel pit. To check for log jams, I'd park BEFORE the bridge, and get out and walk across the bridge, looking over the railing. Also, there's a spot where you can walk up to the river edge. Facing east, it will be on your right, before the bridge. I'm uploading a photo dated April 12, 2002. It's a view of that bridge, taken from the water, looking southwest.
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All Illinois Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Illinois.
Books about whitewater paddling on Des Plaines, Illinois
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Des Plaines, Illinois.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Illinois
Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin, the metro area neareast to Des Plaines. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
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| These outdoors activities are available near Des Plaines. |
| | Ski Areas Near Des Plaines:
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Four Lakes, Illinois
, 9 miles away, 100 vertical feet |
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Villa Olivia, Illinois
, 23 miles away, 180 vertical feet |
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Raging Buffalo Snowboard Park (Snowboarding only - no skiing), Illinois
, 34 miles away, 180 vertical feet |
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Wilmot mountain, Wisconsin
, 47 miles away, 260 vertical feet |
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Grand Geneva, Wisconsin
, 56 miles away, 211 vertical feet |
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Alpine Valley, Wisconsin
, 63 miles away, 388 vertical feet |
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Highlands of Olympia, Wisconsin
, 81 miles away, 205 vertical feet |
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Little Switzerland, Wisconsin
, 90 miles away, 200 vertical feet |
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Sunburst, Wisconsin
, 98 miles away, 214 vertical feet |
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Hidden Valley, Wisconsin
, 131 miles away, 200 vertical feet |
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| | Hotels Near Des Plaines:
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Chicago/Romeoville/Bolingbrook Super 8 Motel, Romeoville
, 3 miles away |
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La Quinta Inn Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook
, 3 miles away |
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Ramada Limited Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook
, 4 miles away |
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Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Bolingbrook, Il, Bolingbrook
, 4 miles away |
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Springhill Suites By Marriott Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook
, 4 miles away |
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| | Golf Courses Near Des Plaines:
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Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club, Joliet
, 2 miles away |
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Big Run Golf Club, Lockport
, 3 miles away |
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Broken Arrow Golf Club, Lockport
, 4 miles away |
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3 miles away
3 miles away
