Canoe the Fox River the right way
The Fox River carves through northwestern Chicago, providing scenic downtown views from downtown Algonquin to Lions Park in Fox River Grove. But the river has more to offer than a view, and for those who wish to really enjoy it, a canoe may be the best way.
Ken Michaelis, owner of The Canoe Shack, 10 S. River St., Elgin, regularly sends customers south onto the Fox River from Elgin, and picks them up in St. Charles.
“You go through [ the John Duerr] Forest Preserve. There’s a nice pavilion there to stop and have lunch, and some nice hiking trails,” he said.
Former gang hangout and speakeasy, Al Capone’s Hideaway and Steakhouse, is a popular stop on the trip, Michaelis said.
The river starts in southern Wisconsin, flows through Lake Barrington, Fox River Grove, and Algonquin down south from Elgin to Aurora before finally joining the Illinois River in Ottawa. It is a highly trafficked river, especially during the summer.
“I like [canoeing during] fall myself,” Michaelis said. “There’s not quite as many power boats, and the colors of the trees are beautiful.”
He also tries not to venture out on the water on big holiday weekends, when the waterways are jammed with bigger, faster water vehicles.
In these northern areas, canoeing the river can be difficult because of the large number of dams. Canoeists that want to paddle closer to home will have to portage, or remove the canoe from the water and carry it to a new launch spot. Besides the hassle, the waters directly upriver of a dam can also be dangerous.
“You could paddle around in one of the pools above a dam, but most people don’t do that,” said Ralph Frese, owner of Chicagoland Canoe Base, 4019 N. Narragansett Ave., Portage Park, and canoeing legend inducted into the Illinois Outdoors Hall of Fame.
Like Michaelis, Frese also recommends going south as opposed to going north, near the Chain of Lakes area, because of the fees involved with the Fox Waterways Agency, which monitors the Chain of Lakes area.
“You need a license to paddle [from Wisconsin] down to McHenry County,” he said. “It has nothing to do with canoeists, who use the waterway and do no damage…it’s just to raise money to drudge the river.”
Picnic Grove Park in Fox River Grove offers a launch point with parking, a sand beach and ramps, but. It is part of the Fox Waterways Agency and therefore requires canoeists to have a permit. Go to www.foxwaterway.org for more information on pricing and options.
Buffalo Park Forest Preserve, located on the south side of Algonquin near Arbor Lane, has parking and a sandy put-in. Fox River Shores Forest Preserve in Carpentersville has a boat launch at its shelter area, off Williams Road. Like Algonquin, Carpentersville also has a dam, which canoeists and kayakers will have to portage.
Because of frequent dams and suburban development on the northern parts of the Fox River, Frese recommends making the trip to the dells of the lower Fox River.
“There are scenic caves and rocks,” he said. “I’ve even seen eagles nesting down there.”
The area has riverside cliffs made of sandstone, islands and a multitude of fauna along the river.
Besides, he believes the suburban and urban environment detracts from the tranquility of canoeing. “The farther north you go, the more intensely developed the area is.”
Development has been plaguing the Fox River recently, and the river has popped on and off of the endangered rivers list, despite cleanup efforts. Friends of the Fox River hosts events and raises awareness about the state of this weaving waterway. For more information, see go to www.friendsofthefox.org.
-By Michelle Stoffel/Triblocal.com reporter
