Whatever type of water adventure floats your boat, Chicago’s got it. From kayaking on the Chicago River and fishing at Jackson Park Lagoon to exploring The Wild Mile, Chicago’s diverse waterways are a highlight of what makes this city such a beautiful place to live and play.

While some folks might scoff at the river for its quality and chemistry, we argue you shouldn’t be so quick to judge. It’s undeniable the river’s health has improved over the last few decades due to the city’s efforts through the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, local non-profits such as Friends of the Chicago River and Openlands, and community organizations’ conservation efforts.

From river exploration to basking in the lake, Chicago is full of small businesses and local groups that help make it easy to join an adventure on one of the city’s many waterways. Chicago Adventure Therapy, for example, works to build connections between urban youth and the outdoors through programming within Chicago Public Schools and at local parks. And vendors like Kayak Chicago, Urban Kayaks, Waterider, and REI lead tours and offer rentals across the city during warmer months.

Eager to hit the water but don’t know where to start? We’re here to help. Get out and explore a wilder side of Chicago on these WBEZ-approved water adventures within city limits.

Kayaking | Stand-up paddleboarding | The Wild Mile | Boat rentals | Rowing | Fishing

What’s 156 miles long, green on St. Patrick’s Day, and flows backward year-round? You guessed it: The Chicago River. This central vein of the city travels west from Lake Michigan to the north and south sides of the city, eventually meeting up with the Des Plaines River. Kayak Chicago, Urban Kayaks, and Wateriders offer tours at multiple locations along the river and Lake Michigan.

If you’ve walked along the Chicago Riverwalk, you’ve likely spotted Urban Kayaks’ lime green boats with paddlers heading through an urban canyon of skyscrapers. The outfitter offers several popular guided trips (from $45) such as a Chicago history kayak tour and night-time Navy Pier fireworks paddle. (Tours daily during summer; 435 E. Riverwalk South, urbankayaks.com)

Or, launch a kayak onto Lake Michigan at Kayak Chicago’s Montrose Beach and North Ave Beach locations to get an epic view of the skyline from the water. You can even hang out on the beach after to watch the sunset. (Tours typically run on weekend nights; 200 W. Montrose Harbor Dr., kayakchicago.com)

The Shedd Aquarium hosts pay-what-you-can conservation kayak tours (recommended amount is $45) during the summer where paddlers can learn about past, present, and future Chicago River ecology from a Shedd nature expert. There’s also the opportunity to participate in conservation work like fish, turtle and waterfowl monitoring as well as river clean-ups. (Tours offered Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in the summer; 1220 W. LeMoyne St., sheddaquarium.org)

Further north on a quieter pocket of the river, you can kayak from the River Park Boathouse through a densely tree-lined section of the waterway. Grab a spot on a RiverLab paddle trip (from $8), which is managed by the Chicago Park District, to explore this dense, green pocket of the river. (Tours offered weekly during summer; 5100 N. Francisco Ave., chicagoparkdistrict.com)

Chicago’s boathouses are also a great place to rent a kayak or canoe to paddle the water. You can rent a canoe or kayak from Chicago River Canoe & Kayak at the Clark Park Boathouse (3400 N. Rockwell), a canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddle board from the Lincoln Park Boat Club at the Lincoln Park Boathouse (2341 N. Cannon Dr.), and kayaks from REI the Ping Tom Memorial Park Boathouse in Chinatown (300 W. 19th St.).

The Chicago River shouldn’t get all the attention. Other waterways such as the Little Calumet River offers an amazing escape into urban nature, too. This far South Side waterway with deep-rooted history played a vital role in the Underground Railroad.

The African American Heritage Water Trail begins at the Little Calumet River boat ramp in the Cook County Forest Preserves’ Beaubien Woods and ends at the Village of Robbins — highlighting African American history and stories at 29 landmarks along the seven-mile paddle. Sign-up for a guided tour along a smaller section of the trail with Openlands or rent a kayak to travel the route yourself. (East 132nd St., east of S. Greenwood Ave., openlands.org)

Want to paddle outside of the city? Rent a boat, canoe, or kayak from one of four Forest Preserves of Cook County locations, most of which are within a 40-minute drive from downtown Chicago. A WBEZ guide to kayaking outside the city includes more than a dozen other recommendations.

If you’re up for a different kind of challenge, give stand-up paddle boarding – also called SUP – a go on Lake Michigan.

If you’re new to the sport and want to give it a try with some help, local outfitter Chicago SUP offers private lessons ($100) and group lessons (from $75) from its locations at North Avenue Beach and Diversey Harbor. You can even book a one-on-one lesson with professional racer Kirsten Lefeldt, a two-time Midwest Paddle League Champion and world-ranked ultra-endurance racer. (Tours offered weekly during summer; 1601 N. Lake Shore Dr., chicagosup.com)

Further north at Montrose Beach, Kayak Chicago also rents stand-up paddle boards on the lakefront. Closer to downtown, Urban Kayaks offers rentals at Monroe Harbor.

If you’re a yoga fan, Chicago SUP’s on-paddleboard yoga class (from $75) challenges your balance while stretching your body. You can even take their full moon SUP yoga class on Lake Michigan under the glow of the night sky.

Tip for first-timers: You’ll want to pick a non-windy day to avoid the waves. We also recommend bringing a dry bag for your wallet and phone, waterproof sandals (such as Chacos), and a carabineer to clip your keys to your belt loop so you don’t drop them in the lake.

Get a glimpse into how urban waterways can be transformed into urban wildlife sanctuaries at The Wild Mile. Spearheaded by local river conservation non-profit Urban Rivers, the 17-acre oasis of native plants and wildlife opened to the public in 2022. It’s the first-ever, mile-long floating eco-park in the world tucked behind the REI Lincoln Park store on the eastern shoreline of Goose Island. (1550 N. Kingsbury St., wildmilechicago.org)

The boardwalk-meets-public-garden does much more than beautify this once-industrial hub along the Chicago River — the Wild Mile gardens overflow with native wetland plants and provide food, shelter, and high-quality habitat for native wildlife while also improving water chemistry through natural filtration of the river.

Walk The Wild Mile at your own leisure, take a tour, launch a kayak from its public boat ramp, or attend a public program, led by the group Urban Rivers every Thursday night at 6 p.m. on the boardwalk throughout summer. The group is looking to expand the concept into other areas of the river such as Bubbly Creek on Chicago’s South Side and north of downtown at River Park.

You’re likely familiar with one of the most popular boat experiences on the Chicago River: The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s boat tour (from $54). (Tours offered daily; 11 E. Wacker Dr., architecture.org)

But why not be the captain of your own boat for a day? Rent an electric boat and cruise down the Chicago River (at your own leisure) through the heart of the city.

Chicago Electric Boat Company’s diverse fleet of boats ranges from comfortable cruisers like the Duffy electric boats (rentals from $155), which are prime for sitting back and relaxing with drinks and snacks on the water, to modern classics like the Retro Boats, which are refurbished and retrofitted with eco-friendly electric motors (rentals from $145). The company also rents cycleboats, donut boats, and a 57-foot 1964 Chris Craft that fits up to 12 passengers and cruises out on Lake Michigan. Chicago Electric Boat Company has four locations on the river, including Marina City, the Chicago Water Plaza, the Chicago Riverwalk downtown, and at the new Rockwell on the River on the north branch. (300 N. State St. Marina Level – Unit EE, chicagoelectricboats.com)

You can even hire a certified captain to drive if your whole crew wants to take advantage of a day on the water without the stress of manning the ship.