Hennepin Canal Towpath (Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park)

Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (Rock Falls to Colona, with the visitor center near Sheffield)

The Hennepin Canal crosses northwestern Illinois, and its old towpath now carries a long, flat trail from Rock Falls toward Colona. The Illinois DNR says more than 100 miles of hiking trail follow the towpaths, with nine designated campgrounds at locks and bridges along the way. It’s not a wilderness trip, but it makes a multi-day walk with a camp each night.

Camping is only at the designated sites, and drinking water is scarce, so plan each day around them.

The hike

The DNR’s recreational guide describes more than 70 miles on the main canal, 29 miles on the feeder canal, and a 3-mile Milan section. Starting from the feeder canal at Rock Falls, the guide marks Lock 17 at 50 miles and the finish at Colona at 100. The towpath surface is gravel and aggregate lime in places and oil and chip in others. The visitor center sits near Sheffield and keeps weekday hours.

The DNR camping page lists campgrounds near Locks 6, 11, 17, 21, 22, 23, and 26 and at Bridges 14 and 23. The recreational guide says each site has toilets but no running water, showers, or electricity.

Dyrt reviewers give a sense of the camps. Stuart K. called the towpath “a cyclist’s and hiker’s dream” and described the Bridge 23 campground as “a pristine bit of nature to explore,” with “the never-ending swooshing of nearby Interstate 80 traffic, which you very quickly get over.” Another reviewer warned that the canal’s still water is “a breeding ground for millions of mosquitos.”

Tips

Carry water. The DNR lists drinking water only at the visitor center and at Locks 21 and 22; plan the rest of the route around carrying or filtering.
Camp only at designated sites. Camping along the towpath is prohibited.
Bring bug spray. Reviewers warn about mosquitoes near the canal.
Don’t swim. The DNR prohibits swimming in the canal.
Plan your stops. Campgrounds are first come, first served; reservations aren’t accepted.

Camping

The DNR says camping on the canal is “on a first-come, first-serve basis” at Class C primitive campgrounds, with no showers or electricity. Camping along the towpath itself is prohibited, and so is camping in the main visitor-center complex. Fires are allowed only in designated fire pits. Equestrian camping is limited to the south side of Lock 21. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Inside Intel: A Dyrt reviewer suggests picking “campsites closest to the canal but slightly back from parking,” which they found flatter, more scenic, and quieter. At Bridge 23, expect highway noise from I-80.

Trail facts

Distance: About 100 miles, Rock Falls to Colona (DNR); hike any section
Route type: Point-to-point
Difficulty: Easy grade; long days
Campsites: Designated campgrounds near Locks 6, 11, 17, 21, 22, 23, and 26 and Bridges 14 and 23
Water: At the visitor center and Locks 21 and 22 (DNR); carry or filter elsewhere
Permits: No reservations; first come, first served
Fires: Designated fire pits only
Trailheads: Rock Falls (feeder canal), the visitor center near Sheffield, Colona, and lock access points
Last verified: October 7, 2026

The Lowdown

Lock-to-lock cooking on the Hennepin:

With fires limited to designated pits and drinking water at only a few locks, a compact stove and filtered canal water keep dinner simple. See the stoves testers like.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.