PADDLE THE KISH IN MARENGO

DO NOT enter or leave the Kishwaukee River at or around Millstream Rd while the bridge is being rebuilt, through July 2025!

On most days you can paddle under the constructing bridge, as long as the “Proceed with Caution” sign is posted. If the “Waterway Closed” sign is posted construction that day is too dangerous to paddle beneath the bridges.

• You can still paddle from Siems Memorial Park in Union, and exit at the N Union Rd concrete ramp launch or near the Rt 176 bridge.
• You can enter the Kish at Woodbine Launch in Marengo and exit at Hwy 23.
• You can enter the Kish at Thorne Rd and paddle through to Boone or Winnebago Counties.

As of March 2024, none of the river has been cleared yet for spring, so take care. For sure there is original clearing to be done between Ritz and Thorne Rd and that is first on our list as soon as the water warms up enough to want to stand in it for hours.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. We will try to keep this site current so everyone paddles safely – patlawlor117@gmail.com

https://mchenrycountygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/ae23c7537c094152be9115a030eaaa83

Now that it is summer 2023, it is time to grab that kayak or canoe and check out the Kish.  Although the river runs 14 miles through McHenry County, only some of the river is paddleable.  The volunteers hope to open the last bit this summer.  The most accurate info is on our facebook page Paddle the Kish in Marengo.  We also have this website and a YouTube channel of the same name.  On the McHenry County portion of the Kish a smaller boat 6-10 feet is preferable due to the many switchbacks and narrow passages.

Siems Park on Highbridge Rd is the uppermost section that is cleared.  Paddling from Siems to Hwy 23 should be cleared of treefalls, unless there has been a big storm recently. Here is launch info:

Siems Park is open sunrise to sunset.  The gates are locked nightly, so don’t leave your car there too late.

Millstream Rd go under the bridge and take out / put in on the south side.  Don’t park on any bridge, but there is a wide shoulder on the southwest side of the bridge.

Deerpass Rd turn left at the fork, and there is a canal on the southeast side of the bridge along the road for easy access.  Again, no parking on any bridge.  If you are paddling through, make a right turn and go under the north bridge for easier paddling.

Woodbine Launch has about 75 feet of bank for access.  Look to your left as you approach and use the backwater (out of the current) for access.  No vehicles beyond the boat drop off please!  It is a 300 foot walk back to the boat drop off turn around.

Hwy 23 is on the City of Marengo water treatment site.  Exit before the bridge and walk outside the fence along 23.  Parking is available outside the fence to the left of the driveway, by the No Littering sign.  Don’t block the driveway.

DON’T PADDLE West of Hwy 23 to Thorne Rd.  There are more than 20 treefalls that need to be removed this summer with no way out.

Thorne Rd. access on the northwest side of the bridge.  There is an MCCD parking lot about a block back north where you can park also.  The paddle west of Thorne Rd is open and lovely.

County Line Rd Launch is through a pond to your right after you go under the bridge.  It is about a block or so across the pond, so don’t lose hope.  The launch is on the west side of County Line Rd and parking is on the east side.  In summer MCCD usually installs a porta potty.

Boone County usually does a good job of keeping the Kish open for paddling.  Don’t park at Epworth Rd, since the resident there has the police tow any parked cars after 30 minutes.  After the Red Horse Bend Launch the Kish gets considerably wider, so that a boat of 10 feet or longer is OK.

Feel free to contact Pat Lawlor any time for up-to-date info. patlawlor117@gmail.com 815.715.0592.  Happy and SAFE paddling!

WARNING! A Marengo paddler recently had his car towed as abandoned in Boone County at Epworth Road while kayaking. A $375 mistake! We’ve heard multiple stories of issues parking on Epworth Rd so please avoid parking there. In general, when parking on road shoulders put a sign or note on your dash saying you are kayaking with a name and phone. This usually informs the sheriff that your car is not abandoned. McHenry County sheriffs have been understanding so far, but as more people kayak the Kish, there could be similar issues.

Exciting News! Paddle the Kish has been welcomed as a Special Project of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, our county’s 50-year-old environmental advocacy organization. This will help us move forward with our plans to open more of the Kishwaukee River for paddling. About 50% of the river front west of Hwy 23 is owned by the McHenry County Conservation District, so this partnership will help facilitate our volunteers as they clean and paddle through those areas. The groundwork has been laid over the past four seasons and is still happening because of our fabulous volunteers. Our next challenge is working to clear and obtain access to the four miles of Kish between Hwy 23 and County Line Rd. This partnership will go a long way towards completing our mission. We encourage our volunteers to support the Environmental Defenders by joining them. Here is their website: http://mcdef.org/ Thank you for all you have done in the past and we look forward to a bright future for Paddle the Kish!

We DID it. We DID it!! The Kish is cleared for paddling from Siems Memorial Park in Union to Ritz Rd west of Marengo. Ten miles of no treefalls! Thank you to all the volunteers over the last 4 years who helped make this happen. It took a lot of gas, bar oil, and innumerable chains, and volunteers with a heart of gold to get this done. 10 miles of the Kish is cleared. Wowza!! The level of the water is even up 1 foot from last week, so after this week’s rain, Happy Paddling! Next we’ll begin clearing west of Ritz Road. Join us on future workdays!

We’ve created a YouTube channel to publicly share videos of the Kishwaukee River and our efforts to make it navigable in McHenry County. Check it out and subscribe for updates!

Click here to visit our YouTube page

This Saturday the youth hunting season starts in Illinois. Several of the private lands surrounding the Kish are owned and used specifically for hunting throughout the fall season. I would not recommend being in or around the Kish for the rest of the fall for your own safety. We can continue to dream about a clear Kish on which to paddle, and do paperwork and make other connections during the winter. We’ll get back at it in the spring. Our 700 volunteers are awesome! Thank you to everyone who pitched-in this summer!