The Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails

The Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Plan was originally conceived by Gary Mechanic as national efforts to establish water trails and their benefits to local communities became better known. This plan established a vision for providing water trails for non-motorized boating on ten of the Chicago area’s waterways. Designed by representatives from local governments, tourism advocates, conservationists and paddlers, the plan designated nearly 500 miles of waterways as recreational water trails.

These water trails include the Calumet Area, Chicago River, Des Plaines, DuPage, Fox, Kankakee, Kishwaukee, Nippersink, Salt Creek and Lake Michigan. Details can be found on the OpenLands Website: https://paddleillinoiswatertrails.org/

FOR FURTHER READIND AND SOURCES USED:

Public Waters in Illinois

https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/waterresources/pages/publicwaters.aspx

For an interactive map of publicly navigable waters

http://idnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=b64decfb69504164a46badb2841ebb11

Water Trail details from the National Park Service

https://www.nps.gov/watertrails/

http://www.americantrails.org/resources/water/National-Water-Trails-overview.html

Lincoln Heritage River Trail Report

https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/recreation/greenwaysandtrails/Documents/LincolnHeritageRiverTrailReportPart1.pdf

http://illinoistimes.com/article-13054-paddling-the-sangamon-river-water-trail.html

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