THE FOX RIVER
CANOEING OPPORTUNITIES
CANOEING MAP
One of the most serious drawbacks for the canoeist on the Fox River is the frequency of dams. Dams are located at McHenry, Dayton, Yorkville, Algonquin, Carpentersville, St. Charles, two at Elgin, Geneva, two at Batavia, North Aurora, Aurora, South Aurora, Montgomery, and Wedron. The exact location of these dams are difficult to pin-point on the map. Watch carefully for them and follow the instructions for portage which is based on the most recent information available. There are shallow areas below all of the dams, and you will have to "push and drag" in most of them. In all cases but one, the bottoms are rock and gravel and walking is not difficult. Canoes are allowed through the locks at the McHenry Dam.
Trip reports for the upper reaches of the Fox indicate a good access point at Wilmot, Wisconsin and a scenic trip from there downstream to Island Lake. Those who canoe this section can enjoy the quiet, desolate swamp wilderness along Cotton Creek. For a trip through the Chain-of-Lakes region, it is suggested that you put in at one of the two public ramps at Oak Point State Park. The park is on Route 173, between Richmond and Antioch, and provides the first point of access south of the Wisconsin State Line. It is only a short paddle from here to Chain-of-Lakes State Park, where another public ramp is available. Grass Lake borders the park and has a marshy area which may be of interest.
There are no public access points on Fox Lake or Pistakee Lake. Except for those already mentioned, the launching areas are private and the owners charge a fee. There are more than 40 of these private docks on the Chain-of-Lakes in Lake County. The owners are helpful and cooperative. Please feel free to patronize them.
The McHenry Dam State Park is a short distance below the Route 120 Bridge. There is no public ramp here, but canoes may be put in or taken out. By all means plan for a stop here to visit the park.
Burton Bridge at Route 176 is just below McHenry Dam, but is not an access point, and neither is the next bridge downstream. The bridge on route 14, between Cary and Fox River Grove, is a good access point and there is limited parking space for cars on the south side.
The next free access point is at the city park at Algonquin. Launch or take out here on the west bank, north of the bridge. Do not attempt to run the dam at Algonquin. Several canoeists have drowned here. If you portage the dam on the right side, you will have to carry across a busy highway. The left bank makes an easier and safer portage.
There is another access point at the Standard Oil Station below the dam. From here it is a 3-hour paddle to the Masis Parking Lot at Dundee. Campsites are available along the way, including a commercial campsite at Buffalo Park which is about one-half mile below the dam. The charge is three dollars per night, but camping is encouraged and supplies may be obtained here. Portage the dam at Carpentersville on the right side. It is easier and shorter.
At East Dundee, there is an access point on the east bank, north of the bridge. From here to Yorkville, the river is heavily polluted and silted, but there are places to get food and drinks at the many towns along the river.
At the first Elgin dam, portage on the left bank at the Gail Borden Library. There is an island park there, but camping is not allowed. There is a campsite under a complex of Route 20 and two railroad trestles one mile below the dam.
At Elgin there is also an access point at the city park which is on the west bank of the river, just north of the bridge.
At the South Elgin Dam, portage on the right bank. The rocky shallows extend below the dam for about one-half mile.
There is a public access point at the Fabian Forest Preserve a few miles downstream from Elgin. It is a day's paddle from Elgin to Batavia.
At the St. Charles Dam, portage on the left bank at the city hall. There is a short portage and more shallows.
The dam at Geneva should be portaged on the left side at the old abandoned factory. One and one-half miles below Geneva is the pretty Geneva Park.
At Batavia, portage the first dam on the right side and at the second portage over the island in the middle of the river. There is an interesting outcrop of rock in the city park at Batavia. It consists of two types of rock, an upper bed of earthy dolomite weathered to a buff color, and lower beds of gray dolomite containing a considerable amount of chert. In the southwest part of the park, an angular nonconformity can be seen between the lower and upper beds.
A visit to Batavia Bog is a must for those who are interested in the scientific aspects of the area. The bog is located in an old channel of the Fox River that was formed when the Minooka Glacier blocked the Fox River north of St. Charles. The peat has a maximum thickness of 10 to 12 feet, and is composed of reed-type vegetation. It is relatively coarse and is used as a soil conditioner. It is underlain by a deep layer of marl.
Portage the dam at North Aurora on the left bank. In Aurora there
is a good access point at the Illinois Avenue bridge, three-fourths
of a mile above the Aurora Dam. Portage the Aurora Dam on the right
bank. This will involve a carry across a busy street in the heart
of town, but it is the only portage possible.
There is an access point at Montgomery from which it is about 13
miles and 6 hours paddling time to the new bridge south of Plano.
The banks along the river here are overgrow, and the water may be
shallow during the dry time of the year. The new dam at Montgomery
is completed, and trippers suggest portaging on the west side of
the river.
Trip report forms indicate that a good one-day trip can be made
from the Fabian Forest Preserve to the Route 30 bridge south of
Aurora, with a noon stop at Batavia. It is about a 4-hour paddle
from the Route 30 bridge to the dam at Yorkville. There is a launching
ramp at Yorkville dam. The dam must be portaged and the shallows
below it are easier to traverse if you use poles. The bottom is
muddy from here to Millington, and wading is not pleasant. It is
about 9 hours paddling time to Sheridan and another 4 hours to Wedron.
The most scenic and fascinating section of the entire watershed is the 35 miles between Yorkville and Wedron. In addition to the one at Yorkville Dam, accesses are available at Millbrook, Silver Springs State Park, Millington, Sheridan, Route 52, and at Wedron. It is now possible to camp at Silver Springs State Park south of Plano.
The banks in this area are St. Peters Sandstone, which date back to the ordovician geologic age. It is tragic that some parts of the river in this region have been used as a dump ground for old cars, wire and refrigerators. Some of them are in the channel and pose a threat to canoe bottoms.
Downstream from Yorkville, and near the Plano Road bridge, is the mouth of Big Rock Creek and Little Rock Creek. Get permission from the landowners to paddle up the creek for a mile or so to the Plano bridge and visit Meramech hill. This section of the river is especially beautiful in the autumn when the leaves in the second-growth hard-woods are changing colors.
On the right bank watch for an old three-story brick and stone mill and the remains of the mill dam. Across from the mill is Black Hawks Cave where local legend has it that Black Hawk slept. At Sheridan, cliffs of St. Peters sandstone outcrop and line the stream to Wedron. High on one of these bluffs is the stump of a 640-year-old red cedar which was, until a few years ago, the oldest living thing in Illinois. It was maliciously destroyed in 1967, but a section has been exhibited in the Illinois State Museum.
Throughout this stretch of the river one finds a unique flora, consisting of such species as white pine, white cedar, Canadian yew, many varieties of ferns, mosses and wild flowers. Keep in mind that it is illegal to pick the wild flowers or dig up any of the flora for transplanting.
From Millington, it is an easy trip to Sheridan and Wedron. The water is shallow, but the bottom is rocky and sandy. Expert paddlers can make the trip in 5 hours, but allow at least 7 if you are a novice or are out of shape. There are a few log jams in the cut-away limestone caves along the river's edge.
Stop at the Viking Campground, a good access, for a map of the stream. The Kane County Clean Streams group has worked hard to preserve the stream and deserves our support. They have supplies available. Below the Viking Campground are 3 springs of cool, clear water, and shoreline campsites are plentiful. Be sure to allow time to enjoy the beautiful bluffs called Bellrose Dells between Sheridan and Wedron.
North of Route 52 on Mission Creek, the site of an old Indian mission, is Girl Scout Camp Merrybrook. Below Route 52 is the Cloverleaf Council Girl Scout Camp, and not far away, on Route 71 south of Route 52, is the town of Norway. It is about 7 miles from the river of Norway. This is a region of beautiful canyons, caves and cliffs along the river. The flora in these canyons is a paradise for botanists. Trippers report that the tavern at Sheridan has excellent food. When paddling the Dells area, stay between the east bank and the small islands to get the best views of the scenic bluffs.
Indian Creek flows into the Fox from the west at Wedron. The valley of the creek is picturesque and is the site of an Indian massacre in 1832. Opposite the mouth of Indian Creek is a small box canyon with a beautiful 30-foot waterfall and an interesting cavern. Indian Creek marks the upper end of the pool of the Dayton Dam. There is a campground at the mouth of Indian Creek, and supplies are available there. Only a few primitive and muddy campsites are available between Indian Creek and Interstate 80.
From Indian Creek downstream to the Dayton Dam the river loses much of its wildness and charm and motorboats may interfere in the pool above the Dayton Dam. The dam is located about 400 yards north of Dayton Road. There is a portage train on the west side of the river just above the dam.
This path leads over the mill race, between the millrace and the river, and back to the river. This is a rather long portage, and there is a rocky bottom for a few yards when you first reenter the river; but canoe trippers recommend it, rather than putting into the swift waters of the millrace and making a second portage back into the river. Below Wedron. there are no campsites with facilities, but trippers have been given permission in the past by landowners for wilderness camping. Wedron has a restaurant on the waterfront.
High on the banks near the dam you can see the remains of the old feeder of the I and M Canal. The Fox is crossed by the I and M Canal in an old aquaduct just south of route 6 at Ottawa. There is a long walk through the rocky area below the dam, so you may wish to arrange for a pick-up here. It is only a few miles to the mouth of the Fox at Ottawa; but there is a rock area below Route 80 which may be difficult to get through, and you may wish to end your trips at the dam or at Dayton.
