State routes

Illinois Rivers

Compare 11 tracked Illinois paddle routes with route links, water-level context, difficulty, and access planning details.

Paddle Today only lists routes when the gauge, threshold, and source support are defensible enough for live route scoring.

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11 routes11 rivers8 regions1 beginner routes

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Coverage snapshot

Explore supported Illinois rivers

Scan the highlighted river network from above, then use the route guides and access markers to find a supported reach.

11 route markers0 multi-route rivers1 beginner routes

Supported riverSelected reachAccess-point connectionStrong conditionsGood conditionsWatch closelySkip

Northeastern Illinois 3 Northern Illinois 3 East-Central Illinois 1 Metro-East Illinois 1 North-Central Illinois 1 North-central Illinois 1 Southern Illinois 1 Northwest Illinois 0

Live conditions

Best Illinois routes today

Loading current scores, gauge reads, and weather signals.

--Live

Metro-East Illinois

Mississippi River

Piasa Harbor to Alton Riverfront

Hard | About 7 mi | About 3–5 hr depending on wind, current, stops, and traffic

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Northern Illinois

Fox River

Marge Cline Whitewater Course

Moderate | 0.23 mi / about 1,100 ft | Play-park session; laps vary by level and skill

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--Live

Northern Illinois

Kishwaukee River

Hickory Bills Canoe Launch to Distillery Road Conservation Area

Easy | About 4.4 mi | About 1.5 hr to 2.5 hr, longer in low water or headwind

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North-Central Illinois

Vermilion River

Lowell to Oglesby Boat Launch

Hard | 8.2 mi | About 3 hr to 4 hr for a competent whitewater group

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Current scores load here when available. You can still open the route links to check details and sources if this update fails.

Best route options

Good starting points in Illinois

Ranked from route metadata, source support, difficulty, and logistics.

Sunset reflects across the Mississippi River backwaters near Weaver, Minnesota.

Illinois routeMetro-East IllinoisMississippi RiverPiasa Harbor to Alton RiverfrontThis guarded Pool 26 water-trail reach follows the documented Piasa Harbor-to-Alton Riverfront itinerary. It is a broad commercial navigation pool, not...

Route facts

Hard | About 7 mi | About 3–5 hr depending on wind, current, stops, and trafficofficial source support

The Fox River flows past trees and low banks in Illinois.

Illinois routeNorthern IllinoisFox RiverMarge Cline Whitewater CourseUse Marge Cline Whitewater Course for short Fox River laps around the Glen D. Palmer Dam bypass. Score it off USGS 05551580 with a conservative 250 cfs...

Route facts

Moderate | 0.23 mi / about 1,100 ft | Play-park session; laps vary by level and skillmixed source support

A low bridge crosses the Kishwaukee River in a wooded state fish and wildlife area corridor.

Illinois routeNorthern IllinoisKishwaukee RiverHickory Bills Canoe Launch to Distillery Road Conservation AreaLaunch at Hickory Bills Canoe Launch in Belvidere and take out at the Distillery Road Conservation Area canoe launch. This avoids the upstream Belvidere...

Route facts

Easy | About 4.4 mi | About 1.5 hr to 2.5 hr, longer in low water or headwindcommunity source support

The Vermilion River reflects autumn trees and a pale sky along a wooded Illinois riverbank.

Illinois routeNorth-Central IllinoisVermilion RiverLowell to Oglesby Boat LaunchLaunch at the Lowell-side rafting put-in and take out at the Oglesby Vermilion River Boat Launch. The route follows American Whitewater's Wildcat Canyon...

Route facts

Hard | 8.2 mi | About 3 hr to 4 hr for a competent whitewater groupmixed source support

The Middle Fork of the Vermilion River runs through the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve in Illinois.

Illinois routeEast-Central IllinoisMiddle Fork Vermilion RiverKinney's Ford Canoe Access to Kickapoo Bridge AccessThe full Middle Fork Vermilion corridor starts at the named Kinney's Ford access and ends at the Kickapoo Bridge take-out. Kickapoo Adventures documents...

Route facts

Moderate | About 12.8–13.5 mi | About 6–8 hr for the full corridor, depending on stage, stops, and portagescommunity source support

A wooded Illinois riverbank with calm moving water.

Illinois routeNorthern IllinoisSouth Branch Kishwaukee RiverKingston Park to Irene RoadLaunch at Kingston Park and take out at Irene Road. The route begins with gentle riffles and becomes more technical through the forest preserves, includ...

Route facts

Moderate | 11.5 mi | About 3 hr on-water; allow extra time for scouting and portagecommunity source support

Beginner routes

Illinois beginner routes

These routes are tagged easy in the route data. Today's water can still change the call.

Kishwaukee RiverHickory Bills Canoe Launch to Distillery Road Conservation AreaNorthern Illinois | About 4.4 mi

Weekend planning

Routes with practical logistics

Use the live weekend board for score-based recommendations.

Big Bureau CreekRed Covered Bridge Park to County Road 1150Approximately 13 river miles | About 5–8 hours depending on level, scouting, and portage decisions Blackberry CreekJaycee Pond Park to River RoadApproximately 0.34 river miles | About 30–90 minutes including scouting and repeated feature runs Hickory CreekPilcher Park to S. Joliet StreetApproximately 4.2 river miles | About 2–4 hours including scouting and portage decisions Kishwaukee RiverHickory Bills Canoe Launch to Distillery Road Conservation AreaAbout 4.4 mi | About 1.5 hr to 2.5 hr, longer in low water or headwind Lusk CreekSaltpeter Cave Crossing to Eddyville Blacktop Road8.1 mi | About 5 hr including wilderness carry-in, scouting, and portage decisions Middle Fork Vermilion RiverKinney's Ford Canoe Access to Kickapoo Bridge AccessAbout 12.8–13.5 mi | About 6–8 hr for the full corridor, depending on stage, stops, and portages

Browse coverage

Rivers and regions

Expand a river or region to browse its routes.

By river

Big Bureau Creek1

Red Covered Bridge Park to County Road 1150

Blackberry Creek1

Jaycee Pond Park to River Road

Fox River1

Fox River hub Marge Cline Whitewater Course

Hickory Creek1

Pilcher Park to S. Joliet Street

Kishwaukee River1

Hickory Bills Canoe Launch to Distillery Road Conservation Area

Lusk Creek1

Saltpeter Cave Crossing to Eddyville Blacktop Road

Middle Fork Vermilion River1

Kinney's Ford Canoe Access to Kickapoo Bridge Access

Mississippi River1

Mississippi River hub Piasa Harbor to Alton Riverfront

South Branch Kishwaukee River1

Kingston Park to Irene Road

Vermilion River1

Lowell to Oglesby Boat Launch

West Branch Du Page River1

McDowell Grove to Knoch Knolls Park

By region

East-Central Illinois1

Middle Fork Vermilion River: Kinney's Ford Canoe Access to Kickapoo Bridge Access

Metro-East Illinois1

Mississippi River: Piasa Harbor to Alton Riverfront

North-Central Illinois1

Vermilion River: Lowell to Oglesby Boat Launch

North-central Illinois1

Big Bureau Creek: Red Covered Bridge Park to County Road 1150

Northeastern Illinois3

Blackberry Creek: Jaycee Pond Park to River Road Hickory Creek: Pilcher Park to S. Joliet Street West Branch Du Page River: McDowell Grove to Knoch Knolls Park

Northern Illinois3

Fox River: Marge Cline Whitewater Course Kishwaukee River: Hickory Bills Canoe Launch to Distillery Road Conservation Area South Branch Kishwaukee River: Kingston Park to Irene Road

Northwest Illinois0

Southern Illinois1

Lusk Creek: Saltpeter Cave Crossing to Eddyville Blacktop Road

Need broader planning context?

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All tracked routes

Every Illinois route on Paddle Today

11 routes with condition and access details.

Showing all 11 routes.

Big Bureau CreekRed Covered Bridge Park to County Road 1150North-central Illinois | Hard Blackberry CreekJaycee Pond Park to River RoadNortheastern Illinois | Hard Fox RiverMarge Cline Whitewater CourseNorthern Illinois | Moderate Hickory CreekPilcher Park to S. Joliet StreetNortheastern Illinois | Hard Kishwaukee RiverHickory Bills Canoe Launch to Distillery Road Conservation AreaNorthern Illinois | Easy Lusk CreekSaltpeter Cave Crossing to Eddyville Blacktop RoadSouthern Illinois | Hard Middle Fork Vermilion RiverKinney's Ford Canoe Access to Kickapoo Bridge AccessEast-Central Illinois | Moderate Mississippi RiverPiasa Harbor to Alton RiverfrontMetro-East Illinois | Hard South Branch Kishwaukee RiverKingston Park to Irene RoadNorthern Illinois | Moderate Vermilion RiverLowell to Oglesby Boat LaunchNorth-Central Illinois | Hard West Branch Du Page RiverMcDowell Grove to Knoch Knolls ParkNortheastern Illinois | Moderate

Quick answers

Illinois paddling FAQ

How does Paddle Today choose Illinois paddle routes?

Paddle Today lists Illinois routes when the route has enough defensible gauge, threshold, source, and logistics support to make a live route score useful. The current Illinois page includes 11 scored routes across 11 rivers.

Are these Illinois river conditions live?

Open a route page for the latest available gauge readings, weather, water-level context, and route score. Check the update times and any missing-data notices, then verify conditions with the linked sources before leaving.

Can I request another Illinois route?

Yes. Use the request form to send the river, reach, access points, and any source links. Paddle Today prioritizes routes where a public gauge or defensible threshold support can back the live score.