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Richard J. Daley Park Boat Launch
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
83Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 5 kn gusting 14, Air 12 °C
Tue 3 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 21kntoo gusty
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 71 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 25kntoo gusty
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 10.6 mm
Thu 5 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 88 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 87 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 3.3 mm
Mon 9 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 289, good
- Tue 385, good
- Wed 471, good
- Thu 579, good
- Fri 688, good
- Sat 787, good
- Sun 878, good
- Mon 982, good
- Tue 1086, good
- Wed 1185, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 28.8 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 | 89, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 16°C | 0.8 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 85, good | 10 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 71, good | 9 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 18°C | 10.6 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 79, good | 8 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 88, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 87, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 78, good | 7 kn | 15kn | 10°C | 3.3 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 82, good | 5 kn | 20kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 86, good | 5 kn | 18kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 85, good | 5 kn | 17kn | 10°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 grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 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
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 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
Richard J. Daley Park Boat 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.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Park No. 571 Boat Launch 2.1 km away
- Ping Tom Boat House 5 km away
- Chicago River 8.2 km away
- North Branch Canal 8.3 km away
- North Branch Chicago River 8.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Richard J. Daley Park Boat Launch
A river section on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 29 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 6 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 5.0 km away. The town to stay in is Chicago. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 29 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire 6 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 5.0 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$892–US$1,600 each
about US$892–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 2 November 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$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$892–US$1,600 |
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 15 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 2 November 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 CHICAGO SANITARY AND SHIP CANAL NR LEMONT, IL: 28.1 m³/s, low for November (updated 3 h ago). Low.
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
REI Co-op Kayak Rentals at Ping Tom Memorial Park 5.0 km
Ping Tom Boat House 5.0 km
Urban Kyaks 8.1 km
Urban Kayaks 8.1 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