The Kenosha County Fox River Water Trail runs the distance of the Fox River through the county from north to south, and is in coordination with Walworth Village water trail stops to the north, and Illinois water trail stops to the south along the Fox River as well. Canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards are fantastic outdoor recreations to enjoy the Fox River, and with 4 non-motorized water trail boat landings along the way the access and route planning capabilities are very convenient and easy to use in the Kenosha County water trail system.
^Kenosha County's website has more maps of
each landing zone to help get familiar with the routes, distances, and landings of the water trail. The river flows from north to south so it is often easiest to organize shuttles along the trail to drive back to a start landing as opposed to paddling back up river. A local company, Tip-A-Canoe, rents canoes and kayaks, and also provides a shuttle service on the Fox River.
^The County Highway JB landing is the northern most launch zone in Kenosha County's section of water trail on the Fox River, but Walworth Village has a couple more to the north upstream of it. From the JB landing to the next landing on Highway W is approximately 2.9 miles of river.
^The river meanders through farmland, woods, and prairies as it flows towards Highway 50 to the south and the Highway W water trail landing. Birds of all kinds are busily flying up and down the shoreline and frogs leap from the shorelines into the water as boats float by.
^Give or take, but it is roughly a 1 to 2-hour float until Highway 50's bustling traffic comes into view to the south. In this picture above you can see the bridge in the distance, but also the Highway W landing just to the left side of the picture as well.
^The Highway W landing has a sign and some stairs on the east side of the river just before floating under busy Highway 50 running perpendicular to the river. From this point to the next landing is a longer distance in 5.6 miles to the next landing at Fox River Park in Silver Lake.
^This long stretch from the Highway W landing to the Fox River Park landing winds through woods, wetlands, and periodic scattered shoreline homes along Highway W as the river turns towards and away from it before coming into the town of Silver Lake and more quant houses along the river.
^The scenery is beautiful, and in this picture above a local bird, a crane, is chilling along the shoreline on the left side of the picture. Birds sounds and fly-bys are abound along the river, and nature of all kinds is busy working away at respective tasks. Fish jumping at river bugs, and ducks diving and paddling about are common sights throughout.
^A cooler for lunch and plenty of water is a good idea on this longer stretch of river that can take paddlers anywhere from 2.5 hours to as much as 4 hours depending on paddling ambition, head winds, and any other factors too.
^The Fox River Park landing is just after floating under the Highway F bridge in Silver Lake. Local knowledge also knows that the Silver Lake Dairy Queen is just a short walk over the bridge from the Fox River Park landing on the western shore after that same bridge.
^From the Fox River landing south to Kenosha County's southern most landing in the town of Wilmot is another 2.5 miles through Fox River Park until again turning back along Highway W past the Kenosha County Fair Grounds and into the town of Wilmot. The Wilmot landing is again on the eastern shore just after another bridge being Highway C that cuts across the river in Wilmot.
^Once onshore in Wilmot, Kenosha County's water trail landings end. The Fox River continues flowing south into Illinois, and there are more water trail landings running south along the way culminating in the Chain O'Lakes region of Illinois and many busy motorized lakes linked by the river flowing south. The Fox River allows motorized boats, but is mostly a "no-wake zone" through Kenosha County and sees very little motorized boat traffic typically. Local knowledge in Wilmot would tell you about Hansen's Ice Cream Parlor, and in this picture above the Wilmot Riverside is a bar and grill with a wonderful porch for dining and a popular $1 Burger deal on Thursdays for lunch. Each establishment is just a short walk over the Highway C bridge into the town of Wilmot, which is also home to Wilmot Mountain further southwest outside of town. Wilmot Mountain is probably too far for most to walk from the Wilmot landing, but it hosts all kinds of fun activities in spring, summer, and fall beyond its well-known skiing and tubing hills in winter. It can be a good way to incorporate more outdoor fun with a little route planning to stage transportation at the Wilmot Landing.
The Kenosha County Fox River Water Trail system offers amazing access to non-motorized paddlers to enjoy the Fox River. Whether in a kayak, canoe, or on a stand-up paddle board, the river offers enjoyment for all ages and interests be they fishing, paddling hard, or just enjoying the views of nature and some sunshine with friends and family on a beautiful day floating down the Fox River.
For more information about the Fox River Water Trail from Kenosha County's website, click here. To coordinate your river float with some Wilmot Mountain activities, click here, to see what is going on at Wilmot Mountain.