Riverside Park Canoe Launch
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 3 kn gusting 9, Air 10 °C
Mon 2 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 11kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 21kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 30 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 5.9 mm
Thu 5 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 15kntoo gusty
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 1.5 mm
Fri 6 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 4.5 mm
Sat 7 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 199, good
- Mon 279, good
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 430, poor
- Thu 574, good
- Fri 683, good
- Sat 784, good
- Sun 867, good
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 100, poor
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 99, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 79, good | 6 kn | 11kntoo gusty | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 11 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 30, poor | 11 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 20°C | 5.9 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 74, good | 6 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 13°C | 1.5 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 83, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 13°C | 4.5 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 84, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 67, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 12°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 10°C | 1.2 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 9°C | 3 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. 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–Sep
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
- Mar4of 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
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec3of 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
Riverside Park 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
1 place
- McDonald Lake Canoe Launch 8.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Riverside Park Canoe Launch
A launch on the Thornapple River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 15 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and February, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Irving.
- River Thornapple 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 15 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$918–US$1,640 each
about US$918–US$1,640 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 490 km there and back, shared | about US$27–US$47 |
| 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$918–US$1,640 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Irving
8 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Irving its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Irving, 5 km. We have not checked places to stay in Irving yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in Hastings, 16 km away (about 30 min by car). Search before you plan on staying there.
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 3h 05m
About 3h 05m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 3h 05m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Irving · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Irving · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
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