Illinoistocht

Because it’s watered throughout, the Hennepin provides an excellent source of flatwater paddling.  As DNR indicates there are 29 miles (46.7 km) of flatwater portage-free paddling in the feeder canal as well as shorter sections between the locks in the main canal section (see also Canal Facts tab on this website).  (See the Illinois Paddling Council's website as well as Chicago paddling  for additional information.)  While the locks and some of the bridges need to be portaged on the Hennepin, they are never that difficult given the easy access of the trail. 

Who knows, maybe someday there could be a variety of summer adventure tour events to complement a winter Illinoistocht skate on the Hennepin.  While the inspiration for a marathon skate, the Dutch Elfstedentocht, is held infrequently owing to the lack of a regular deep freeze each winter in the Netherlands, there are summer events held there every year employing a variety of means of locomotion.  There is the 11 city rowing relay marathon held in the late spring for the last 25 years where 1,100 people participate in teams of 9 to 12 people to row the 200 km (124 mile) course in under 24 hours.    There is also the one-day 11 city bike tour with a RAGBRAI-sized 15,000 participants riding a 240 km (149 miles) route.  There are also multi-day canoe and kayak events in the area as well. 

As to the Illinois canals, I’ve corresponded with someone that went the length of the Hennepin in a square-backed canoe with an outboard—has anyone done a paddle trip of the entire Hennepin?  By the way, there’s an epic event now every year in Illinois' neighboring state, the Missouri River 340, a paddle trip from Kansas City across the state to St. Charles, MO of 340 miles (547 km).  Unlike the Elfsteden rowing relay, each participant paddles the entire course, either solo or in a boat with a crew, in under 88 hours—only 2/3 of the entrants made it within the time cutoff last year.

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