River Trips

Map of the Upper Illinois River area showing camping sites, access points, and paddling routes with options and river miles.
Group of people kayaking on a calm river surrounded by green trees on a sunny day.

Lower Section

Launch: HWC

Takeout: Chewey Bridge (11.8 miles - About 7 hrs)

Takeout: Round Hollow (15.9 miles - About 8+ hrs)

Self Shuttle

Not recommended for paddle rafts or tubes.

Person hanging from a cliff above a river, with a paddleboard and someone swimming in the water below and lush green trees in the background.

Upper Section

Launch: WOKA (9.2 miles - About 6 hrs)

Launch: Hwy 59 Bridge OK (8.7 miles - About 5 hrs)

Takeout: HWC

Self Shuttle

Not recommended for paddle rafts or tubes.

A dog on a kayak in a river, wearing an orange life jacket, surrounded by green trees and hills in the background.

Short Run

Launch: Carnes River Ford “Low Water” (1.4 miles - About 30 min to 1 hr)

Takout: HWC

Self Shuttle

This is a quick trip and is a good place to “test the water” without committing to an all day river trip.

NO RENTAL OR SHUTTLE SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY OFFERED BY HWC.

It is your responsibility to plan your own trip. We are only assisting you in facilitating your adventure.

You must provide your own boat , equipment, life jackets, and set your own shuttle.

River trips are class 1 or 2 depending on water level and obstacles that constantly change with the river. River conditions warrant experienced paddlers and proper planning. We suggest departing earlier for a more leisure trip to accommodate for lunch stops, fishing or swimming.

If you do not want to paddle and are relying only on the current to carry you downriver, the trip could take significantly longer. Times can vary considerably based on flow and physical effort.

A reasonable average trip time when paddling is about 2 mph travel speed. Times will be significantly longer if you are in a tube or paddle raft. Do your own research of the river and weather conditions.

Go to the River Info Page for more details

Logo for Michigan Camp featuring a fish, a fishing rod, and the text 'Michigan Camp' and 'Illinois River Watts, OK'.