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   Vermilion river between Lowell and Oglesby remains CLOSED due to Buzzi cement claiming ownership of the river - currently IDNR. States representatives are getting involved and hopefully things will change? But as of 2/6/2010 this stretch is  CLOSED !! I believe this also includes Baily creek? - I also would use great care if considering cedar creek as Cedar Creek can be seen from My back yard I have never seen water craft on it and I know in the past and possibly currently electric wire has crossed these waters for cattle control - be aware of these dangers     in this area (LaSalle Co.) on any creek waters ! sorry for bad news but thats the way it is - see www.LaSallenewstribunelocal paper search archives Vermilion -there are multiple stories concerning closure -  Says E.J. 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 beautiful scenery of Illinois and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream make the trip here worthwhile. 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 is 7.7 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class II-III section. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, this is an area with not too many other rivers for that. Lodging is available near the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just being out on the river for a while will have you coming back for more. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. The NW of Highway 178 to Oglesby Cutoff section is the only paddling section along Vermilion River. The put-in location is a reasonable drive from Ottawa-Streator, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. On this section you do get some distance, it's good length for a morning trip. Briefly about the general area: Throughout the months of summer highs here at Vermilion River reach the 80's. Once the sun is down it dips down to the 60's. The winter brings highs down to the 20's; overnight lows in the 10's for Vermilion River. The amount of rainfall that falls at Vermilion River is close to the national average; the month with most of the rain is May, and February on the other hand is the driest. 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... Holiday Inn Express OGLESBY (LA SALLE/PERU AREA), 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 ... Days Inn Oglesby/ Starved Rock, Oglesby 4 miles away Whether it's business or pleasure, our Days Inn staff will provide unrivaled service and attention to detail while you are our guest at our 3 Sunburst rated property. Newly renovated in 2009 and con...   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: Villa Olivia, Illinois , 67 miles away, 180 vertical feet Raging Buffalo Snowboard Park, Illinois , 68 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   Hotels Near Vermilion River: Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort, Utica , 3 miles away Holiday Inn Express OGLESBY (LA SALLE/PERU AREA), Oglesby , 4 miles away Days Inn Oglesby/ Starved Rock, Oglesby , 4 miles away Fairfield Inn Peru, Peru , 8 miles away La Quinta Inn Peru Starved Rock State Park, 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