This weekend, I did a short trip to Sheehan Island for some overnight camping. While it was only a 7 mile round trip, the weather made it quite challenging. The illinois river has no current, making it just as easy to go upstream as down. It really depends on which direction the wind is blowing, and how hard though.
I did discover some cool caves along the south side of the river, along Mayo island. After dodging a few barges, I found Sheehan, and explored. On the west side, there is a little channel with a beach that takes your right to the middle of the island. This is the best place to park your boat.
I did discover some cool caves along the south side of the river, along Mayo island. After dodging a few barges, I found Sheehan, and explored. On the west side, there is a little channel with a beach that takes your right to the middle of the island. This is the best place to park your boat.
I would wind up camping on a beach. i found two uprooted trees, and setup a camp in between. It was going to rain, so I set up a full shelter. This paid off when I woke to constant rain. At least I had a spot to eat breakfast and pack up gear!
I parked in the bridge park parking lot at Ottawa, just off 23. My car stayed fine overnight. It looks like there were other cars there too, parked longer term. It's always nice to see that your car is secure while you are gone. Besides the heavy run coming back, it was a solid paddle and trip.
RSS Feed
