Schmidt’s Canoeing Service offers an enjoyable (2-3 hour) canoe trip.  It starts at Buffalo Park in Algonquin and ends at Voyageur Landing in Elgin.

This trip is a custom trip with little or no waiting to start and end your trip.  It is a scenic trip and is suitable for beginning and novice canoeists.  It runs through mostly rural areas of farmland and forest preserves.  It also passes through a couple of towns where you can buy food and/or stop at a Dairy Queen.

 This trip is very popular with our customers.  Many of them like getting away from the “Big City” and suburbs.  They enjoy the scenery of the river, which is similar to that in southern Wisconsin.  They also enjoy seeing the wildlife, such as: ducks, Canadian geese, great blue herons, kingfishers, and swans.  Occasionally, they see turtles, frogs, deer and other small animals.

 We recommend that you come prepared to enjoy your canoe trip.  Dress comfortably and wear shoes that you can get wet.  Bring a lunch and beverages in a small cooler, if you like.  Also, bring your sunglasses, sunscreen or sun tan lotion and brimmed or peaked hat.  Those who wear glasses may want to bring a strap for them (so not to lose them in the water).  Bring a waterproof bag or container if you have any electronic items, such as: cameras, cell phones, etc.

 This trip gets many favorable comments from our paddlers.  They say that they really enjoyed paddling on the Fox River.  They didn’t realize that this trip was so nearby and so much fun.  Finally they enjoyed “getting away from it all” for a while and experiencing the River and Wildlife with friends and Family.  

 Now – How to start your trip.  Call us (847) 697-1678, and ask any questions you may have.  We will answer your questions and give you more information.  Then you make an appointment (for large groups we need a (48) hour notice).  We meet you at Voyageur Landing at the scheduled time.  After you park your vehicle(s), we will drive you to Buffalo Park in Algonquin where you start your trip (large groups will need to use some of their vehicles to help transport everybody to the start, we will transport as many people as we can in our vehicles).  On the way to Buffalo Park, we stop at the dam in Carpentersville.  It is an easy portage (the only portage), and to help insure it goes easy, we explain it to you right there on location.  When you finish the trip, you will be at the park with your vehicle.  Just give us call on your cell phone or from a nearby public phone.  Within a few minutes we will be there to clean and load any boats/equipment used, and that is all there is to it.  (Of course, with large groups, there will be some vehicles at the start to be picked up.  We will help with this, if needed)

This trip requires a security deposit for the canoe(s) and equipment.  It also requires that that you sign a waiver of liability and acknowledgement of risk form.  We have included a link to this waiver on the Prices & Waiver page.   Large groups can print and maybe photocopy this in advance, saving time at the start of the trip.

Click here for a map of the Fox River Trip