Fay’s Point: Where Rivers Meet

Wait, you can review Fay’s Point? Where’s my sixth star?
Let me tell you a bit about me. I’m a proud Cal-​Sag junkie. So much local history can be found in our waterways and so little of it is known. Briefly: Blue Island really was an island. Some 15,000 years ago, when glacial Lake Chicago existed, Blue Island stood proud above the lake. As it receded our rivers, creeks and wetlands were formed. Fay’s Point, uniquely, sits just past where the Little Calumet River turns back on itself and empties into the Calumet River. Stony Creek meandered to the west. From the 1840s to the 1870s a feeder canal helped keep the I&M Canal filled, and in the 1910s the Cal-​Sag Channel was dug, reversing the flow of the Calumet River and altering Stony Creek forever. The Cal-​Sag Channel opens for business in 1921, at its widest only 60 feet across. In the 1960s it was expanded to its current width of 225 feet.
Go for a walk along the north bank of Fay’s Point. Across the Cal-​Sag, on the north bank, you’ll see some the «ruins» of the Blue Island lock. From the 1920s to 1960s this was the controlling works for the Cal-​Sag, the boundary between Lake Michigan, the Illinois Waterway and ultimately the Mississippi River. You can still tour this amazing waterway. Local boaters often complete a «triangle tour» down the Cal-​Sag, up the Ship and Sanitary Canal, into Lake Michigan and back to the Calumet River. The more adventurous might take the Cal-​Sag into the Desplaines and Illinois rivers, into the Mississippi and all the way to the gulf. Who knew you could connect to the whole world from Blue Island?!
Fay’s Point features a marina with 88 boat slips. This active marina can hold boats up to 40+ feet. It offers an idyllic setting on the bank of the Little Calumet River. The north bank has been restored with native wetland plants and is a haven for birds and other critters. Across the river is the Forest Preserve District and Joe Louis golf course. It might be worth renting a slip just for a chance to hang out on the river in such a relaxing setting. This safe and modern marina is the best in the region.
The Little Calumet River is also becoming popular with paddlers, and offers a great course for families and beginners looking to explore our region’s waterways. Check out the Calumet Waterway Stewards website for annual paddling and clean up events.