We live in Chicago and are interested in doing a canoeing and camping
trip over the long 4th of July weekend. We've done the lower
Wisconsin River before and really enjoyed it, but would like to try
something different this time.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good river or lake/series of
lakes to canoe and camp? We'd love to find a place with:

-quiet water (no or few rapids)
-quiet canoeing (no or few motor boats)
-secluded camping (backcountry camping or quiet designated sites)
-pretty scenery
-good fishing
-within 6 or 7 hours of Chicagoland, but closer is better
-canoe outfitter/rental and shuttle/drop-off/pick-up services

Portaging is not be a problem.

Are we dreaming or does such a place exist? Any suggestions are
appreciated, thanks.

In article ,
(hatmaer) wrote:

We live in Chicago and are interested in doing a canoeing and camping
trip over the long 4th of July weekend. We've done the lower
Wisconsin River before and really enjoyed it, but would like to try
something different this time.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good river or lake/series of
lakes to canoe and camp? We'd love to find a place with:

-quiet water (no or few rapids)
-quiet canoeing (no or few motor boats)
-secluded camping (backcountry camping or quiet designated sites)
-pretty scenery
-good fishing
-within 6 or 7 hours of Chicagoland, but closer is better
-canoe outfitter/rental and shuttle/drop-off/pick-up services

Portaging is not be a problem.

Are we dreaming or does such a place exist? Any suggestions are
appreciated, thanks.

The Manistee River in Michigan has what you want with no portaging,
except at the dams. I have done 120 miles, in five days camping at the
canoe camp sites, without a portage, only encountering a few Class II
rapids.

Try the Pine River Outfitters, http://www.thepineriver.com/, in Wellston,
which is about a six hour drive from Chicago. They also outfit the Pine,
which is a shorter river with .

On 5 Apr 2004 10:16:07 -0700, (hatmaer) wrote:

We live in Chicago and are interested in doing a canoeing and camping
trip over the long 4th of July weekend. We've done the lower
Wisconsin River before and really enjoyed it, but would like to try
something different this time.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good river or lake/series of
lakes to canoe and camp? We'd love to find a place with:

-quiet water (no or few rapids)
-quiet canoeing (no or few motor boats)
-secluded camping (backcountry camping or quiet designated sites)
-pretty scenery
-good fishing
-within 6 or 7 hours of Chicagoland, but closer is better
-canoe outfitter/rental and shuttle/drop-off/pick-up services

Portaging is not be a problem.

Are we dreaming or does such a place exist? Any suggestions are
appreciated, thanks.


Sylvania Wilderness in the southern Upper Peneisula of Michigan would
be a place you might consider. Not sure if you can get a permit for
that time frame though.

g.c.

George Cleveland wrote in message . ..
On 5 Apr 2004 10:16:07 -0700, (hatmaer) wrote:

We live in Chicago and are interested in doing a canoeing and camping
trip over the long 4th of July weekend. We've done the lower
Wisconsin River before and really enjoyed it, but would like to try
something different this time.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good river or lake/series of
lakes to canoe and camp? We'd love to find a place with:

-quiet water (no or few rapids)
-quiet canoeing (no or few motor boats)
-secluded camping (backcountry camping or quiet designated sites)
-pretty scenery
-good fishing
-within 6 or 7 hours of Chicagoland, but closer is better
-canoe outfitter/rental and shuttle/drop-off/pick-up services

Portaging is not be a problem.

Are we dreaming or does such a place exist? Any suggestions are
appreciated, thanks.


Sylvania Wilderness in the southern Upper Peneisula of Michigan would
be a place you might consider. Not sure if you can get a permit for
that time frame though.

g.c.

The Kickapoo in southern Wisconsin is nice. The Upper Iowa near
Decorah in Northeast Iowa is nice river with a couple of camping
areas. Try your library for the book Whitewater Quie****er, it has
most of the rivers in northern Wisconsin and a few from Minnesota. I
liked it enough, I bought it.

Tubalardo

hatmaer wrote:
: We live in Chicago and are interested in doing a canoeing and camping
: trip over the long 4th of July weekend. We've done the lower
: Wisconsin River before and really enjoyed it, but would like to try
: something different this time.

: Does anyone have a recommendation for a good river or lake/series of
: lakes to canoe and camp? We'd love to find a place with:

: -quiet water (no or few rapids)
: -quiet canoeing (no or few motor boats)
: -secluded camping (backcountry camping or quiet designated sites)
: -pretty scenery
: -good fishing
: -within 6 or 7 hours of Chicagoland, but closer is better
: -canoe outfitter/rental and shuttle/drop-off/pick-up services

: Portaging is not be a problem.

: Are we dreaming or does such a place exist? Any suggestions are
: appreciated, thanks.

Hey... over if you head out to the Hennepin feeder, you can get over 20
miles of no portage before you hit lock 22. There aren't lots of places
in Illinois where you won't hear planes, trains or automobiles, but it
has places where all you hear is wind (and it's local).

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)