The Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail officially begins at Channahon State Park. Channahon is an Indian word that means “meeting of the waters” and refers to the confluence of the DuPage, Des Plaines, and Kankakee Rivers.
The Channahon Access was designated as a state park in 1932 and is now known as the Channahon State Parkway. With the opening of the Illinois Waterway in 1933, the canal was officially closed. The canal and its surroundings had been severely neglected and desperately needed cleaning and repair. The Civilian Conservation Corps, which the Department of the Interior employed, was tasked with cleaning and repairing the canal. Locks 6 and 7 in Channahon, as well as the lock tender’s house at Lock #6, were restored by the C.C.C. We bet you you’ll never resist yourself after reading about Old Joliet Prison. They built a large shelter in the park out of hand-hewn beams and flagstone flooring, which still stands as a testament to the young men who built it. Oasis Hospice is also located in Joliet, Il. You can contact them at any time at 708-564-4838.
