Illinois whitewater - Vermilion River, La Salle County La Salle county, NW of Highway 178 to Oglesby Cutoff section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     7.7 miles   Please, do not go past Lowell into Oglesby. I have had a bad experience at the Buzzi cement Plant Dam in Olgesby. Many people go over it and have drowned. Including one more this weekend. Please PULL OUT your canoe to the right, if you insist on going this way. Says Christine I am from Japan and when i went to the vermilion river it was awesome. Japan does not have anything like it. Says Nawashitawa This is an awesome trip when the river is high enough, its best to go in the spring and early summer, You can also put in farther up stream in streator     or  numerous other spots on the way down. This river has beautiful scenery, cliffs, outcroppings, and wildlife. There is lots of nice flat water and ripples and lots of sandbars to pitch a tent or hang out for the day. It flows through Sandy Ford and Matthiessen state park. The stretch between red,white, and blue bridge and lowell bridge (the put in described on this page) also has some fun whitewater before you get to lowell bridge Says Aaron Parcher The put-in location is a short drive from Ottawa-Streator, as you can see on the road map further down. The wonderful Illinois scenery and the cool fresh water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with not too many other rivers for that. The NW of Highway 178 to Oglesby Cutoff section is the only paddling   section along Vermilion River. There are plenty of hotels here if you want to spend a night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. This is a pretty decent length section, suitable for an afternoon trip. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. 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. The NW of Highway 178 to Oglesby Cutoff section of Vermilion River in Illinois is 7.7 miles long and is a class II-III section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. Briefly about the general area: For the duration of the warm months highs here at Vermilion River reach the 80's while overnight lows are ordinarily in the 60's. The winter brings highs down to the 20's, and nighttime lows in the 10's for Vermilion River.; the month with most of the rain is May while February is generally the driest month. Vermilion River, NW of Highway 178 to Oglesby Cutoff road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II-III Length: 7.7 miles Average Gradient: 7 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 41.25434 Longitude: -89.01337 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 41.30131 Longitude: -89.03746 Paddler input for Vermilion River, Illinois: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Vermilion River, Illinois Local climate location: PERU 5 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort, Utica 3 miles away Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort offers skin-drenching fun all year long right in the beautiful setting of Starved Rock State Park. Located just 1-1/2 hours from Chicago, our 60 wooded acres offer all... Oglesby-Days Inn, Oglesby 4 miles away The Days Inn Oglesby is a unique hotel that has a 3 Sunburst rating. Whether it's business or pleasure, our staff will provide unrivaled service and attention to detail, taking care of all your needs.... Holiday Inn Express Oglesby(La Salle/Peru Area),Il, Oglesby 4 miles away The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Oglesby/ Starved Rock is centrally located 1 hour from Peoria and Chicago. The Holiday Inn Express, Oglesby features an indoor pool, and guest laundry services. All our ...   All Illinois Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Illinois. Books about whitewater paddling on Vermilion River, Illinois List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Vermilion River, 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 Ottawa-Streator, Illinois Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Ottawa-Streator, Illinois, the metro area neareast to Vermilion River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Vermilion River.   Whitewater Near Vermilion River: Bailey Creek, La Salle County , 1 miles away, Class I-II(IV) - 1.5 miles long (N2300 Road to Vermilion River) Little Vermilion River, La Salle County , 6 miles away, Class I-II(III) - 6.5 miles long (N3179 Road to IandM Canal) Tomahawk Creek, La Salle County , 7 miles away, Class II - 2.8 miles long (Troy Grove Blacktop to Little Vermilion) Cedar Creek, La Salle County , 7 miles away, Class I-II(IV) - 5.9 miles long (Cedar Creek Road to Peru Bottom Road) Spring Creek, La Salle County , 12 miles away, Class I-II - 6.2 miles long (1600N Road to Rail Road bridge above Illinois River confluence) Covel Creek, La Salle County , 12 miles away, Class II - 6.5 miles long (E.18th Road to Highway 71)   Ski Areas Near Vermilion River: Raging Buffalo Snowboard Park (Snowboarding only - no skiing), Illinois , 67 miles away, 180 vertical feet Villa Olivia, Illinois , 67 miles away, 180 vertical feet Four Lakes, Illinois , 70 miles away, 100 vertical feet Grand Geneva, Wisconsin , 82 miles away, 211 vertical feet Wilmot mountain, Wisconsin , 86 miles away, 260 vertical feet Alpine Valley, Wisconsin , 86 miles away, 388 vertical feet Highlands of Olympia, Wisconsin , 101 miles away, 205 vertical feet Tyrol Basin, Wisconsin , 106 miles away, 300 vertical feet Chestnut Mountain, Illinois , 109 miles away, 475 vertical feet Devils Head, Wisconsin , 119 miles away, 500 vertical feet   Hotels Near Vermilion River: Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort, Utica , 3 miles away Oglesby-Days Inn, Oglesby , 4 miles away Holiday Inn Express Oglesby(La Salle/Peru Area),Il, Oglesby , 4 miles away Fairfield Inn By Marriott La Salle-Peru, Peru , 8 miles away La Quinta Inn Peru, Peru , 8 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Vermilion River: Lasalle/Peru KOA, Utica, 5 miles away Utica Koa Kampground, Utica, 5 miles away Hickory Hollow Campground, Utica, 5 miles away   Golf Courses Near Vermilion River: South Bluff Golf Course, La Salle , 6 miles away   Lakes Near Vermilion River