Today, I went on a trip to the Illinois River. I started in Ottawa and paddled all the way down to starved rock and back. My goal was to see starved rock State Park from the river and I'm happy to say that I accomplished it. I also looped back around buffalo rock and got to see some more sights.
While Illinois River does not have much of a current, I got lucky and had decent wind today, pushing me towards the park. Even better the wind stopped when I was trying to head back upstream making the return trip a bit easier too. Do note, there are some shallow sandbars on the south side of the river as you approach starved rock. I never would have guessed that it could be so shallow. I actually got out and pulled 3 or 4 times.
Right now I'm on Sheehan Island making camp after doing 13 miles today I'm going to do three more tomorrow to get back. It's turning into a pretty good trip. The weather was absolutely perfect for paddling: no clouds, 60° temperatures, and the water was reasonably warm too.
While Illinois River does not have much of a current, I got lucky and had decent wind today, pushing me towards the park. Even better the wind stopped when I was trying to head back upstream making the return trip a bit easier too. Do note, there are some shallow sandbars on the south side of the river as you approach starved rock. I never would have guessed that it could be so shallow. I actually got out and pulled 3 or 4 times.
Right now I'm on Sheehan Island making camp after doing 13 miles today I'm going to do three more tomorrow to get back. It's turning into a pretty good trip. The weather was absolutely perfect for paddling: no clouds, 60° temperatures, and the water was reasonably warm too.
Day 2 was much shorter, just 3 miles from Sheehan Island to Ottawa. It was much harder because of a headwind, but took about an hour and a half. Fortunately, the riverside has ample overnight parking, making in and out easy in Ottawa.
This trip was great. Starved rock is awesome from the river. Buffalo Rock state park is a close competitor for beauty. While the paddling wasn't the easiest, it's worthwhile in times of low speedboat traffic.
This trip was great. Starved rock is awesome from the river. Buffalo Rock state park is a close competitor for beauty. While the paddling wasn't the easiest, it's worthwhile in times of low speedboat traffic.
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