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
 
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 orá 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

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 stretch of Vermilion River in La Salle County is 7.7 miles long and is according
to American Whitewater a class II-III section of whitewater. The put-in is not too far from Ottawa-Streator, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The average Illinois whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit easier to master than those in other states, so keep in mind that many of the sections here are safe for beginners. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. There are many good hotels to choose from, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination.  
The scenic beauty of La Salle County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water attract people from near and far. Vermilion River doesn't have a lot of paddling sections, the NW of Highway 178 to Oglesby Cutoff section is the only one. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, this area has a pretty small number of paddling places. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, you can easily run it on an afternoon.

Briefly about the general area:
An average amount of rain falls at Vermilion River; the wettest month of the year is generally May, that's the one that rains the most; the driest month is February. For the period of the summertime months highs here at Vermilion River reach the 80's while overnight lows are commonly in the 60's. For the period of the winter highs are regularly in the 20's with temperatures at Vermilion River dipping down into the 10's throughout winter nights.

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

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Current weather conditions at Vermilion River, Illinois
WXPort

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...

Holiday Inn Express Oglesby(La Salle/Peru Area),Il, Oglesby
4 miles away
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Oglesby is centrally located 1 hour from Peoria and Chicago. The Holiday Inn Express, Oglesby features an indoor pool, and guest laundry services. All our spacious, newly...

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....



OTHER_INFO
  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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
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
Holiday Inn Express Oglesby(La Salle/Peru Area),Il, Oglesby , 4 miles away
Oglesby-Days Inn, 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
White Oak Camp Ground, Utica, 6 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Vermilion River:
South Bluff Golf Course, La Salle , 6 miles away
 Lakes Near Vermilion River

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater