The Des Plaines River
The Des Plaines River is a river that flows southward for 133 miles (214 km) through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, eventually meeting the Kankakee River west of Channahon to form the Illinois River, a tributary of the Mississippi River.
Native Americans used the river as transportation route and portage. They revealed to early European explorers (mostly French) how to traverse waterways of the Des Plaines watershed to travel from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and its valley. The river was named by French explorers during their period of colonization of New France and the Illinois Country of La Louisiane.
This river flows at 2 MPH max, with a gradient of less than a foot.
While the norther portion has plenty of day trip opportunities, the southern half is mainly a shipping canal. There are not many overnight camping opportunities on this river. The northern portion is famous for it's annual canoe and kayak race, an 18.5 mile trip spanning Libertyville to Buffalo Grove.
Native Americans used the river as transportation route and portage. They revealed to early European explorers (mostly French) how to traverse waterways of the Des Plaines watershed to travel from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and its valley. The river was named by French explorers during their period of colonization of New France and the Illinois Country of La Louisiane.
This river flows at 2 MPH max, with a gradient of less than a foot.
While the norther portion has plenty of day trip opportunities, the southern half is mainly a shipping canal. There are not many overnight camping opportunities on this river. The northern portion is famous for it's annual canoe and kayak race, an 18.5 mile trip spanning Libertyville to Buffalo Grove.
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Dams and Portaging
Cable Dams -Gurnee
Time has taken its toll on these. The first (actually a set of 2 or 3, the first being the biggest) is easily runnable with enough water. The second set, just above Gurnee Woods Pond, is nearly destroyed; if you can see any part of it, the water's so low you that should have chosen a different stretch of river anyway, as many portages await downstream. Portage either side of these dams, if you need to, though there is no marked trail at either dam
Hollister Dam -Vernon Hills
There's no actual "groove," but there is a small spot where the dam line jogs upstream a bit. The elevation of the dam line is not different here
than the rest of the dam, so there's no more depth here than anywhere else across the dam. If you can run over the "groove," you can run it anywhere else.
Wright Forest Preserve Dam -Vernon Hills
There is an actual "groove" in this dam (more left of center), where the top surface of the dam is lower than the rest of it, creating a small chute. If it's not blocked by a log, it's a nice little class 1 drop.
Ryerson Dam
Des Plaines River - Deerfield, IL
Dam #1
Des Plaines River - Wheeling, IL
Dam #2
Des Plaines River - Mount Prospect, IL
Touhy Dam
Des Plaines River - Park Ridge, IL
Dam #4
Des Plaines River - Park Ridge, IL
North Avenue Dam
Des Plaines River - River Forest, IL
Hoffman Dam
Des Plaines River - Lyons, IL
Weir Dam
Des Plaines River - Lyons, IL
Beartrap Dam
Des Plaines River - Romeoville, IL
Brandon Lock & Dam
Des Plaines River - Rockdale, IL
Big Bend Spillway
Des Plaines River - Des Plaines, IL
Dempster Street Dam
Des Plaines River - Park Ridge, IL
Rock Tiers
Des Plaines River - Gurnee, IL
Fishnet Rapids
Des Plaines River - Lockport, IL
Wadsworth
Des Plaines River - Wadsworth, IL
new beaver-built dam about 1.5 miles south of Route 173 on DesPlaines River, Lake County
Time has taken its toll on these. The first (actually a set of 2 or 3, the first being the biggest) is easily runnable with enough water. The second set, just above Gurnee Woods Pond, is nearly destroyed; if you can see any part of it, the water's so low you that should have chosen a different stretch of river anyway, as many portages await downstream. Portage either side of these dams, if you need to, though there is no marked trail at either dam
Hollister Dam -Vernon Hills
There's no actual "groove," but there is a small spot where the dam line jogs upstream a bit. The elevation of the dam line is not different here
than the rest of the dam, so there's no more depth here than anywhere else across the dam. If you can run over the "groove," you can run it anywhere else.
Wright Forest Preserve Dam -Vernon Hills
There is an actual "groove" in this dam (more left of center), where the top surface of the dam is lower than the rest of it, creating a small chute. If it's not blocked by a log, it's a nice little class 1 drop.
Ryerson Dam
Des Plaines River - Deerfield, IL
Dam #1
Des Plaines River - Wheeling, IL
Dam #2
Des Plaines River - Mount Prospect, IL
Touhy Dam
Des Plaines River - Park Ridge, IL
Dam #4
Des Plaines River - Park Ridge, IL
North Avenue Dam
Des Plaines River - River Forest, IL
Hoffman Dam
Des Plaines River - Lyons, IL
Weir Dam
Des Plaines River - Lyons, IL
Beartrap Dam
Des Plaines River - Romeoville, IL
Brandon Lock & Dam
Des Plaines River - Rockdale, IL
Big Bend Spillway
Des Plaines River - Des Plaines, IL
Dempster Street Dam
Des Plaines River - Park Ridge, IL
Rock Tiers
Des Plaines River - Gurnee, IL
Fishnet Rapids
Des Plaines River - Lockport, IL
Wadsworth
Des Plaines River - Wadsworth, IL
new beaver-built dam about 1.5 miles south of Route 173 on DesPlaines River, Lake County
