Calumet Area Water Trails

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The Little Calumet River, a number of connected natural and manmade waterways, begins in Indiana and crosses the Illinois border, just south of 173rd Street, in Lansing.

It meanders in a generally northwest direction through wooded areas and neighborhoods to its confluence with the Cal-Sag Channel, between Calumet Park and Riverdale.

The river changes its nature at that point to become a wide industrial waterway that continues east and north to its confluence with the Grand Calumet at which point it becomes the historic Calumet River. Just north of 130th Street, the river branches to lead west into Lake Calumet and northeast to its mouth at Lake Michigan. The manmade Cal-Sag Channel runs mostly west from the Little Calumet to its confluence with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Lemont.

Descriptions of Calumet area paddling trips and detailed trip maps can be accessed from the list at the very bottom of this page.

Upper Little Calumet River—Shallow water, and a prohibition against powered boat use upstream of the Little Calumet Boat Ramp near the confluence with the Cal-Sag Channel make this stretch ideal for use by less experienced paddlers. Canoe and kayak access at Calumet Memorial Park District's River Front Park in South Holland begins this water trail in Illinois. An access at the Village of South Holland's Gouwen's Park, one and a half miles downstream of River Front Park, creates a short stretch for paddling. It is then approximately seven miles from Gouwen's Park to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County's Little Calumet Boat Ramp, and the public access at Fay's Point, just downstream and near the confluence with the Cal-Sag Channel.

The upper part of the Little Calumet River is a small, shallow stream that runs through a number of southern suburbs. Much of this stretch it looks very much like the popular canoe trail on the North Branch of the Chicago River.

Lower Little Calumet River and Calumet River—Between the confluence with the Cal-Sag Channel and mouth of the river at Lake Michigan, industrial traffic, concrete and steel vertical bulkhead walls, and powered boats make this stretch a place for more experienced paddlers. However, the O’Brien Locks at 134th Street, Lake Calumet and the monumental, hulking, and rusting relics of the river’s industrial past, create an interesting and unique river trip in this section. The Little Calumet Boat Ramp, the access at Fay's Point, and the boat ramp in Beaubien Woods create the water trail on this stretch.

The Cal-Sag Channel—The banks of this manmade canal are lined along much of its western third with large stone rip rap that makes access either to or from the water difficult, especially while carrying a boat. For this reason, the west end of the publicly accessible water trail on this stretch of river currently ends (or begins) at the Worth Village Boat Ramp in Worth on 115th Street, two blocks west of Harlem Avenue. It is a little over two miles from Worth to Howe’s Landing boat launch (also called Alsip), north of 127th Street at Laramie Avenue, and another six miles to the access at Fay's Point. Between the confluence with the Little Calumet River and Worth Village Boat Ramp, concrete and steel vertical bulkhead walls, industrial traffic, jetskis, and powered boats make this stretch a place for more experienced paddlers.

When paddling the Calumet River, Little Calumet River and Cal-Sag Channel, keep in mind that although water quality has improved over the last several decades there are still bacteria and other pollution in these rivers. Remember to wash your hands before eating or touching anything that will go in your mouth and to keep open wounds clean and dry.