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Des Plaines River Canoe Launch at Gowe Park
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
62Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 3 kn gusting 10, Air 11 °C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 21kntoo gusty
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 1.3 mm
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sat 7 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 19kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 6.9 mm
Mon 9 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 1.5 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 237, poor
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 532, poor
- Fri 679, good
- Sat 780, good
- Sun 866, good
- Mon 979, good
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 1175, 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 | 37, poor | 7 kn | 14kntoo gusty | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 11 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0.1 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | 11 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 17°C | 1.3 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, poor | 9 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 79, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 12°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 66, good | 5 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 11°C | 6.9 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 79, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 11°C | 1.5 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 15 kn | 28kntoo gusty | 10°C | 0.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 75, good | 5 kn | 15kn | 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
Des Plaines River Canoe Launch at Gowe Park 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
3 places
- Wadsworth Canoe Launch 6.7 km away
- Independence Grove Canoe Rental 7 km away
- Oak Spring Road Canoe Launch 9.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Des Plaines River Canoe Launch at Gowe Park
A launch on the Des Plaines River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 7.0 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 Zion.
- River Des Plaines River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 7.0 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$1,610 each
about US$898–US$1,610 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 150 km there and back, shared | about US$7–US$13 |
| 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$1,610 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Zion
19 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Zion 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 1h 10m
About 1h 10m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 1h 10m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Zion · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Zion · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at DES PLAINES RIVER NEAR GURNEE, IL, 4 km downstream: 1.64 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
Lake Forest Club 14 km
Hawthorn Woods Country Club 18 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