Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Other Canoe Camping Locations :: Hennepin Canal, IL
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jcavenagh |
MAP They are pretty easy going folks and I'm sure they would welcome anyone who shows up. Unfortunately, I must be in Bloomington for state championship marching band competition with my son. I&M Canal Info - DNR |
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mirth |
The canal stretches from East Moline to Bureau, IL where it joins the Illinois River. There are established campsites along the way and some have well water. We camped at Lock 22 and did a 12 mile daytrip to the visitor's center and back before heading home. The Friends of the Hennepin Canal website has some maps. The IL DNR does not have maps online for some reason, but if you contact the DNR they'll send you maps and all sorts of other info. In the end it was a neat paddle. I suspect I'll be back at some point whether its with the Scouts or family/friends. I'd like to fish the canal, as the fishing is reportedly quite good. |
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billconner |
Wonder when the ice is out on the Hennepin. So is this an interesting trip? Seesm like you could do east to west in a long weekend with two nights on the canal? 60 miles or so? |
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mirth |
Hoping to spend a weekend on the canal with some friends this year. |
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labman |
quote billconner: "Not sure about all from Cook County but I am. My wife and i have only paddled day trips. It is interesting and worth fishing. We catch crappie, bass, gills, channels and flathead. There are walleye west of the feeder. I am sure there are other fish too. There is some current in most stretches. I would think the ice will come off sooner than lakes. The feeder has a bit more current than the main. |
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labman |
quote mirth: "I think each campsite may have a self pay box. We had a ranger pay us a visit the night we were there because the DNR knew we were coming." Are all of you folks from the area or from cook county? BTW, the pipes look like this: |
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plexmidwest |
John |
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OldFingers57 |
Camping Class "C" and Youth Group camping are allowed along the Hennepin Canal Parkway at the following locations: Lock 6, north bank East of lock Lock 11, west of the Canal Prism Lock 17, northwest of the lock Lock 21, North Day Use Area Bridge 14, north bank. Lock 22, southwest of the lift bridge (drinking water available) Bridge 23, south bank Lock 23, just west of the parking lot. Lock 26, south bank |
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plexmidwest |
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mirth |
There's no camping on the feeder canal, which runs N-S from Rock Falls down to the summit pool near Mineral. All of the camping is along the main canal which runs West from the Illinois River at Bureau to where it joins the Rock at Colona. Our troop camped at Lock 26 last year, just West of the summit pool and did a day paddle of about 12 miles to the main state park and back. This campsite has a restored lock gate and restored bridge so you can get a sense of how the canal was 'back in the day'. There is also a decent vault toilet and well water at this site. Most road crossings over the canal are accomplished by 1 or a pair of 6' wide corrugated steel pipes that the canal runs through. Many of the locks are open on both sides, so you can just paddle through, or they're completely missing. I know I said it before, but I'll try to get the stuff scanned and online. I see the envelope every day when I get home from work. |
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billconner |
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mirth |
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Legacy13 |
Thanks, Cary |
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jcavenagh |
The sticker is good from 1/1 thru 12/31 each year. And pfd is now required. |
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mirth |
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jcavenagh |
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labman |
quote mirth: "quote billconner: "So this is interesting. Have you paddled on it? Seems like a lot of locks at eastern end ton portage around. Is camping first come first served? And I don't see camping on the north branch - which has no locks" |
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OldFingers57 |
quote plexmidwest: "I have paddled the north section of the canal starting from Rock Falls, the origin. I am interested in doing the east to west branch this summer, so I would also be interested in the camping locations and comments. Off of Rt 82 by Geneseo,IL there is the Geneseo Campground (privately owned) and right across the canal from it is Geneseo Prairie Park. I've camped with Boy Scout groups at the Prairie Park down by the canal. It's a nice park. |
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mirth |
quote billconner: "So this is interesting. Have you paddled on it? Seems like a lot of locks at eastern end ton portage around. Is camping first come first served? And I don't see camping on the north branch - which has no locks" Bill - talking about Hennepin? The feeder canal is 30 miles of portage free paddling. No campsites along it whatsoever. Except for a couple miles at the Des Plaines/Illinois River confluence end and the very Western edge, you can paddle across the state and end up just a couple miles upstream of the Miss on the Rock River. I'll see if I can get my stuff from the DNR scanned & linked as PDFs. May take a few days. |
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labman |
quote mirth: "quote billconner: "So this is interesting. Have you paddled on it? Seems like a lot of locks at eastern end ton portage around. Is camping first come first served? And I don't see camping on the north branch - which has no locks" Are you confusing both canals in the above post? The feeder starts on the Rock river and enters the Henny west of the visitors center. The I and M starts near the Des Plaines and Illinois confluence and empties into the Illinois near LaSalle. |
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billconner |
quote mirth: "quote billconner: "So this is interesting. Have you paddled on it? Seems like a lot of locks at eastern end ton portage around. Is camping first come first served? And I don't see camping on the north branch - which has no locks" Yes. Help me out with your comments about no camping since the link above includes IDNR activities that list camping and camp sites. Also since that site indicates it was the Illinois and Mississippi canal originally, I can see I&M confusion possibilities with Illinois and Michigan. I thought most locks were not operational so am surprised you can go so far without portage. Trying to figure this out - it is a thread on the Hennnepin Canal isn't it? There is another on the I&M.:) |
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jcavenagh |
41.386818 -88.246963" |
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billconner |
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jcavenagh |
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mirth |
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billconner |
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mirth |
Thanks for the heads up. I won't be able to make it this weekend. Its my one weekend home in between campouts this month... I'll add it to my 'places I want to paddle' list. |