Des Plaines River Canoe Launch at Gowe Park
About
Des Plaines River Canoe Launch at Gowe Park is a boat launch on the Des Plaines River in Illinois, set within the Lake Carina Forest Preserve area about a mile from Gurnee. It serves as a put-in for paddlers heading onto the river by canoe or kayak. For comfortable paddling weather, late spring through early fall works best. Typical averages from the nearby Waukegan station run from highs around 67°F in May to about 82°F in July, with September easing back to roughly 74°F. Winters are cold, with January highs near 30°F. Within about 7 miles, the Des Plaines River Trail and the Old School Yellow Trail both offer cross-country skiing in winter. The Marsh Trails, about 8.5 miles away, add a hiking option.
Location
Gurnee
Illinois
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). View or edit on OpenStreetMap.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 61–82°F and lows of 43–63°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Waukegan, IL weather station, 2.2 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan30° high16° low
- Feb34° high18° low
- Mar44° high27° low
- Apr55° high35° low
- May67° high47° low
- Jun76° high57° low
- Jul82° high63° low
- Aug80° high62° low
- Sep74° high54° low
- Oct61° high43° low
- Nov48° high31° low
- Dec36° high22° low
Where it is
- Lake Carina Forest Preserve · Public land
- Nearest town
- Gurnee, Illinois · 1 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Des Plaines River TrailCross-country skiing6.8 mi
- Old School Yellow TrailCross-country skiing6.8 mi
- Marsh TrailsHiking8.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
