Blue Star Memorial Woods Canoe Launch
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
92Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 9 kn gusting 20, Air 23 °C
Mon 2 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Tue 3 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0.2 mm
Wed 4 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 7 mm
Thu 5 · 88 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Fri 6 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Sat 7 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 2.1 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 197, good
- Mon 295, good
- Tue 398, good
- Wed 495, good
- Thu 588, good
- Fri 686, good
- Sat 785, good
- Sun 883, good
- Mon 985, good
- Tue 1088, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 97, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 95, good | 8 kn | 21kn | 17°C | 0.4 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 98, good | 9 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 23°C | 0.2 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 95, good | 10 kn | 21kn | 18°C | 7 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 88, good | 10 kn | 24kn | 13°C | 0.6 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 86, good | 9 kn | 22kn | 11°C | 2.7 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 85, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 83, good | 10 kn | 23kn | 9°C | 2.1 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 85, good | 9 kn | 25kn | 11°C | 0.6 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 88, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 12°C | 0 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 expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 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
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec6of 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
the spot and its town
Blue Star Memorial Woods Canoe Launch 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 Blue Star Memorial Woods Canoe Launch
A launch on the North Branch Chicago River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.4 km away. The town to stay in is Skokie. Within 5 km we also list 3 kayak spots and 1 mountain bike area.
- River North Branch Chicago River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.4 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$898–US$1,600 each
about US$898–US$1,600 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 65 km there and back, shared | about US$7–US$7 |
| 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 bring your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$898–US$1,600 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Skokie
10 min by car · 14 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Skokie 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 40 min
About 40 min door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 40 min
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Skokie · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Skokie · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at NORTH BRANCH CHICAGO RIVER AT NILES, IL, 10 km downstream: 0.847 m³/s, low for November (updated 4 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
Lake Forest Club 21 km
Bobby's Kayak 25 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits