Unless you are looking to paddle the river for some historical or bucket list reason, I doubt this would be a destination for most people. But since the Des Plaines is one of the closest rivers to put in at in our area, I have consequently spent some time on it, mainly on the upper sections of the river.

The upper river is fairly narrow, has a few twists and turns to it, and some areas contain a few tree snags which may need to be negotiated. I counted twelve snags or beaver dams to get across between Wadsworth Rd and Rt 120 in one day. In most sections there are only a few (if any), trees in the water.

The majority of the river flows through a narrow corridor of forest preserve. Much of the river is relatively quiet, and the banks have a somewhat unaltered 'feel' to them. The river hosts many species of birds, especially at migration, as well as other wildlife. My favorite part of the river is from the Oak Springs canoe launch north into WI. Most of this southern section has a fairly thick tree growth on both sides of the river and is generally a good place to get out of the wind.

Some parts of the river contain wetlands or flood plain along the banks, especially the first 10 miles from Wisconsin downstream in lake county. A lot of this area is flat and open with a nice view of the oak savannahs'. Some adjacent areas to the upper river have been purchased by the county and have been restored back to the original flood plain, or are in the process of being restored. Most of the water in this section is probably the slowest of the whole upper river.

One other area to paddle on the upper river is from the WI line north. Generally the water level needs to be at 4 feet or higher to consider paddling in this section. At slightly lower levels some of the wider sections are more like 'poling'. At 6-7 feet the log jams and snags start to become much less of a problem. At 9 feet it is clear sailing up to Hwy MB if you can follow the river channel.

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MT- I agree the trail system is a nice place for a bike ride or a walk as well. The whole length of river is good for traveling. In the area down by lemont rd the river is quite a bit wider, but lots of wildlife and a nice view also.

As far as the fishing goes I don't have a lot of first hand knowledge or experience with that one.

OK you've got my attention...again. Strangely, I live 10 min from the DesPlaines and have never been on it. There's a section of it where I walk the dog, but that's along side the river and doesn't count.