Paddle Rules Finder

Des Plaines River access points and trip distances, Illinois

18 access points (18 public) along 107.6 river miles of the Des Plaines River in Illinois. Distances are measured along the river on the NHDPlus V2 main-stem flowline, not straight-line. River mile 0 is the farthest-upstream access listed here.

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Time estimates use the speed above; 2 mph is a typical relaxed recreational pace with light current. Set your own.

Map

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Dark dots are public access points; brown dots are private, members-only or agency-land access. Tap a dot for its river mile and coordinates.

Access points in river order

River mileAccessLatitude, longitudeTo next (river mi)
0.0Van Patten Woods Canoe Launch
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.48903, -87.92533 6.2
6.2Sedge Meadow Canoe Launch
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.42848, -87.92970 6.0
12.2Des Plaines River Canoe Launch at Gowe Park
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.36870, -87.91774 5.2
17.4Boat ramp near Bull Creek (north ramp)
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
About 0.14 mi from the mapped river line.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.31517, -87.95465 0.5
17.9Boat ramp near Bull Creek (south ramp)
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
About 0.14 mi from the mapped river line.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.30919, -87.95350 2.2
20.0Oak Spring Canoe Launch
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.28861, -87.93763 4.5
24.5Captain Daniel Wright Woods Canoe Launch
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.23964, -87.93957 13.1
37.6Allison Woods Canoe Landing
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.10095, -87.88589 1.6
39.1Dam No. 2 Woods Canoe Landing
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.08290, -87.89063 4.7
43.8Northwestern Woods Canoe Landing
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
42.03697, -87.88192 7.6
51.4Irving Park Rd. Picnic Area Canoe Landing
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.95411, -87.85587 5.0
56.4Boat ramp near Silver Creek
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.89863, -87.83574 0.9
57.3Maywood Grove Canoe Landing
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.88853, -87.83276 3.1
60.4Schuth's Grove
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.85088, -87.82561 2.8
63.2Boat ramp near Salt Creek (east ramp)
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.81792, -87.83178 43.0
106.2Boat ramp near Grant Creek Cut-Off (north ramp)
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.39175, -88.23067 0.6
106.8Boat ramp near Grant Creek Cut-Off (south ramp)
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.38376, -88.23404 0.8
107.6Boat ramp near Kankakee River
Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally.
Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab)
41.38555, -88.24862 end
Data notes: 2 access points are more than 0.1 mi from the mapped line; its river mile is where it meets the line.

Sources: river line and lengths from NHDPlus V2 via EPA WATERS (lengths scaled to each reach's published length); access points from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Only access points in our launch data are shown, so there may be others. Check access, dams and conditions before you go.

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