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.
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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 IllinoisWhitewater 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.