A canoe launch will be built this summer at Gowe Memorial Beach, Gurnee Park District officials have announced.
The new launch at the park on the Des Plaines River was made possible through a $20,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, officials said. The 20-acre park is south of Illinois Highway 132 and west of O’Plaine Road.
The launch will bridge the gap between canoe access points in Wadsworth and Libertyville, which are maintained by the Lake Country Forest Preserve District, officials said.
“The plan is to have the launch in place by late summer,” said Park District Executive Director Charles Balling. “The new site is not only a natural midpoint . . . but it is also a beautiful asset for our community and for canoe enthusiasts.”
The grant will pay for the entire project, including shoreline stabilization and restoration, parking improvements, restrooms and signs, officials said. Two other canoe launches on the Des Plaines River, also maintained by the Forest Preserve District, are just east of Vernon Hills and near the Illinois-Wisconsin state line, officials said.
