Kankakee Has the Cool Factor When it Comes to Fun and Adventure
If finding adventure in the great outdoors is your idea of a good time, you’ve come to the right place. Kankakee County is jam-packed with recreation opportunities, from scuba diving and powerboat racing to kayaking, golf and flying lessons.
Brothers Jim and Larry Reed and their parents, Dorothy and Orville, offer Kankakee residents and visitors the chance to explore the Kankakee River through their company, Reed’s Canoe Trips. The family provides more than 4,000 canoe and kayak trips annually, with excursions ranging from two to six hours and stretching from six to 12 miles.
“We provide the kayaks, canoes, paddles and life jackets, and you bring your own drinks, snacks and food if you want to stop and have a shore lunch,” Jim Reed says. “We have a minimum age of three years or 35 pounds, but other than that, everyone is welcome.”
The Kankakee River is an ideal place for water sports enthusiasts, thanks to its natural beauty and cleanliness.
“It’s one of the cleanest rivers in the Midwest, and though it’s semi-populated, you’re still in the woods most of the time,” Reed says. “There are scenic rock bluffs on the sides of the river and some old Indian caves that are really interesting. People have found drawings in them. I used to crawl around in them as a kid.”
The river is also a perfect spot for wildlife watching. Ducks, geese, swans, eagles, osprey, heron, beavers and deer are common sights.
“The fishing is great, too – a lot of people fish from the canoe,” Reed says.
Crappie, catfish, bass and pike are all abundant in the Kankakee, and many state-record catches have been caught in its waters.
Speaking of the Kankakee River, it has played host to the highly anticipated Powerboat National Championships for the last 24 years. Held over Labor Day weekend, the Powerboat Nationals on the Kankakee River attract more than 125 competing boats and more than 30,000 spectators from as far away as Canada and Mexico.
Kankakee County also garners national attention as the training grounds for the Chicago Bears. Since 2002, the Bears have trained on the Bourbonnais campus of Olivet Nazarene University during the months of July and August, giving thousands of Bears fans the chance to watch the NFL team practice and see their favorite players up close.
Kankakee River State Park is another valuable asset for recreation in the community, offering 4,000 acres for biking, hiking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, camping and sightseeing, all in pristine scenery.
At the Greater Kankakee Airport, people can enjoy that scenery from the sky while learning how to pilot airplanes and helicopters. Rotors and Wings Aviation offers flying lessons both for pleasure and commercial pilot licensing.
“It’s fun giving people a new perspective of the region – it’s a whole different world up in the air,” says Tim Swanson, co-owner of Rotors and Wings Aviation. “You get up in the Chicago area and see all the commuters stopped in traffic, and you’re soaring high above them.”
In addition to flying lessons, Rotors and Wings Aviation gives sightseeing tours and provides various special services.
“We did an Easter egg drop for kids over in Morton this year, and we often take people up for photography work,” Swanson explains. “Last week, we took a man and woman up, and he had put a big banner on the ground proposing to her. She said yes.”
Both Swanson and Reed say they love being able to provide outdoor opportunities for people in Kankakee County.
“I enjoy the outdoors, and I want to get as many people out there as I can,” Reed says. “People spend way too much time inside these days.”
