C & M Canoe Rental

This was a wonderful experience for my 8-​year old daughter, 14-​year old niece and I. The weather was perfect and the river calm. We couldn’t get lost. We did the 12 mile and reveled in the first 2.5 hours, but then realized we had no idea where we were. There are no mile or other markers so you have to be patient and not plan any activities right after you «think» you’ll be back to the rental place. It took us 4 hours of some drifting, some heavy paddling, some light paddling, and a stop for lunch on a rock patch.
And know that since you can’t wiggle a lot in a canoe, your butt may be very sore by the time you see that sand plant landmark. I would have brought a cushion for each of us had I known. My other tip is that someone wear waterproof shoes in case you have to push your canoe off one of the shallow patches. We got stuck a few times and had to push/​rock ourselves back into slightly deeper water.

We camped 2 nights and did the 12 mile trip. Everything was great. The only reason I did not give the place 5 stars is because they allow smoking in the bar. I personally cannot stand the smell of smoke, and a member of my party is allergic to the smoke. We were really looking forward to hanging out in the bar while we were there that weekend but because of the smoke we could barley walk in there to use the rest room with out my friend getting sick.
The employees were all super friendly. The canoe trip was great. Nice river, easy paddle/​float with lots of little places to go explore along the way. Our campsite was right on the river and we lucked out to be the only people camping the weekend we were there.
We will return for more canoe trips, but sadly cannot patronize the bar because they ignore Illinois anti smoking laws.

c’mon this place is a winning combination of fun. Its run by a bar… nuff said. You book a reservation, unless its a weekend you have a good chance of booking that morning or night before and finding availability. The ladies who helped me are sweet as pie! They were cool enough to call me on the day of and let me know the winds were high and if I still wanted to stop in, I of course said yes anyway cuz im a beast,
You start of your adventure by checking in at the bar, signing some forms and then you load your party up and they bus you down to the start point. From there you are on your own, for those that hate services that monitor everything you do you will love C&M. the river is the fox river and its full of great sights. I brought a huge cooler loaded with lunch and booze.
It makes for a great day and at 50 dollars a canoe why not? Bring a huge party and you can tie canoes together and have a gangsta party on the river.

Coming from Oak Park… this was almost a two hour ride. After a the ride on I55, and I80 we wound through corn fields and country roads to find our way to C & M. When we pulled up we were a little confused, the parking was on the street and you had to walk down a steep drive to get to the actual business. The business is a bar, and we were late (18 mins), and we did get scolded by the bartender. They were able to take us anyways, but we had to wait about a half hour before they could get us a canoe.
The service? Well I feel like you get what you pay for. They only take CASH AND CHECK. The prices are amazing…$ 45 bucks to rent a canoe for the 6 mile trip. basically take your check, put you in a bus drop you off a few miles up the river from their bar and hand you canoe with 2 paddles, and 2 life jackets. Then they push you into the water and tell you they will see you in a bit. It wasn’t exactly friendly ‘country’ service… it was more like they were looking at us like we were crazy city people. When I asked them if they had any advice for me about the trip they said stay to the left after I pass the bridge and that once we finished to pull our canoe up shore. The other places that rent around here charge by the hour, so C & M really is the best bet.
There was no instructions, no classes, and basically no rules. You could take about as long as you wanted on the trip… and that was awesome. You are allowed to bring coolers, booze (cans and plastic only) and any food you want! The trip down the river is beautiful and can even be a bit challenging at some points. If the rip tides and the currents become too strong you will really have to put some muscle into your paddling. The scenery is beautiful, with lots of trees, rock cliffs and caves lining your trip… you will not be disappointed. It takes an average of 3 hrs to complete, but we took our time and had a picnic so it was about 5 hrs for us.
Once you are done you pull your boat up on shore and you are done! We went home, but I guess you could celebrate in the bar if you want. We didn’t feel like we ‘blended’ well at the bar so we opted out.
My advice: Do this, do it with your girlfriend or boyfriend or your bratty teenager who you can’t seem to spend any time with. Do this with a bunch of your friends and tie your canoes together and make it a floating party…
but most importantly:
Bring something to sit on. The seats are metal and narrow, and my butt is still sore and we went 4 days ago. A beach towel was not sufficient to keep my little toosh unbruised.

Very laid back company. Start and end at the bar — do pretty much whatever you want in between. There’s no guide, no seat cushions, no maps, just a metal canoe, paddles and life jackets.
Very reasonable price. Rental places that advertise in Starved Rock charge by the hour — since C&M charges by the length of your trip, you can go as fast or as slow as you want for the same price.
The Fox River is gorgeous! There are a few residential/​campground areas, but there’s plenty of time next to the cliffs. In mid-​July, there were a few exposed rocks to avoid and a slight current, but overall a very easy ride.
We did the 12-​mile paddle in about 4 hours, but we were paddling pretty quickly toward the end when we realized SPF 15 wasn’t getting the job done. It usually takes about 5 hours. We saw other people with C&M canoes fishing on the river, so it may have taken them all day.
Recommend bringing high-​SPF sunscreen, plenty of water and a camera — you’ll need all three!

Chet and Mary’s not only provides fabulous and fun canoe adventures, but also has a cool tavern to celebrate at after your day on the Fox River.
Park at C&M and they drive you and canoes to a place upriver depending on how long you want your trip to last. The drivers are super helpful, and even took us on a side tour when we asked about some local flood damage to show us the reconstruction in progress.
Paddle or float as you wish because you’re your own guide. The river is peaceful and the scenery is gorgeous. There are several areas lined with sandstone cliffs and even a few islands to stop at.
After the trip, have a pizza and try the apple cider shots at Chet’s Fox River Tavern.
They are priced very reasonably and even provide primitive camping. They were cool with my dog going along and even hanging out with us at the bar after.