Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
55Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 5 kn gusting 14, Air 10 °C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 24kntoo gusty
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 27kntoo gusty
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 3.2 mm
Thu 5 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kntoo gusty
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Sat 7 · 76 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 1.5 mm
Mon 9 · 71 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 280, good
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 569, good
- Fri 60, poor
- Sat 776, good
- Sun 867, good
- Mon 971, good
- Tue 1077, good
- Wed 1178, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Jun–Aug7 good days in 7
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 | 80, good | 6 kn | 13kntoo gusty | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 24kntoo gusty | 23°C | 0.4 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 27kntoo gusty | 18°C | 3.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 69, good | 7 kn | 16kntoo gusty | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 11°C | 2.7 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 76, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 67, good | 7 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 11°C | 1.5 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 71, good | 5 kn | 19kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 77, good | 5 kn | 17kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 78, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 11°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
best Jun–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 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
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Bunker Hill 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- LaBagh Woods Canoe Launch 5.3 km away
- River Park Canoe Landing 7.9 km away
- North Branch Chicago River 10.6 km away
- North Branch Chicago River 11.3 km away
- North Branch Chicago River 12.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Bunker Hill 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. None within 10 km, the nearest 11 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Chicago. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 11 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$891–US$1,590 each
about US$891–US$1,590 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 10 km there and back, shared | about US$0–US$0 |
| 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$891–US$1,590 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Chicago
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 35 min by car · 268 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Chicago 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 25 min
About 25 min door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 25 min
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Chicago · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Chicago · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at NORTH BRANCH CHICAGO RIVER AT NILES, IL, 1 km upstream: 0.827 m³/s, low 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
Bobby's Kayak 19 km
Urban Kayaks 20 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