Big Run State Park Boat Ramp
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
91Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 5 kn gusting 14, Air 19 °C
Tue 3 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Fri 6 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 8.1 mm
Sat 7 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 87 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 7.2 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 291, good
- Tue 397, good
- Wed 493, good
- Thu 592, good
- Fri 693, good
- Sat 782, good
- Sun 887, good
- Mon 981, good
- Tue 1081, good
- Wed 1129, poor
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 2.9 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 91, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 97, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 93, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 92, good | 7 kn | 21kn | 19°C | 1.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 93, good | 5 kn | 15kn | 15°C | 8.1 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 82, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 87, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 81, good | 7 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 7.2 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 81, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 9°C | 8.4 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 29, poor | 11 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 6°C | 1.8 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Big Run State Park Boat Ramp on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Big Run State Park Boat Ramp
A river section on the Savage River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 2.9 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 25 km away. The town to stay in is McHenry.
- River Savage River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 2.9 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 25 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,180–US$2,120 each
about US$1,180–US$2,120 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MGW, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$134–US$275 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$1,180–US$2,120 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: McHenry
about 35 min by car · 30 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About McHenry its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 5h 05m
About 5h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MGW, direct, then 1h 30m by road
Flights ORD → MGW on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in McHenry · GetYourGuideKayak hire in McHenry · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at SAVAGE RIVER NEAR BARTON, MD, 5 km upstream: 0.326 m³/s, normal for November (updated 3 h ago). Running.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits