Directions: Voyageur Landing Forest Preserve is located one mile east of Route 31, just north of I-90 at the east end of Airport Road in Elgin, and is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve, also owned by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, is located just south of Route 31, approximately 0.7 miles east of McLean Boulevard in South Elgin.
Notes: This trip is currently not recommended for beginners and families below the Slade Avenue take-out at river mile 74 because of obstacles at Kimball Street Dam and South Elgin Dam. For expert paddlers, there are unimproved portages around the dams on river left. The Elgin Parks and Recreation Department and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have plans for improvements in the future. Downstream of the dams, the river is often shallow and turbulent.
Between the two access sites, there are at least four landings or access areas with picnic facilities, nearby hotels and restaurants, and the Grand Victoria Casino. Elgin’s Trout Park also has an accessibility-friendly canoe launch. There is an alternative take-out located a short distance downstream on the east side of the river.
The Forest Preserve District of Kane County and the Elgin Parks and Recreation Department are generally responsible for maintenance of this segment of the water trail.
Always check United States Geological Survey (USGS) water data before your trip.
