Established in 1987, the club has over 250 members who mostly paddle sea kayaks on Lake Michigan for recreation. A calendar informs about social weekend paddling trips and conferences. Annual events include a New Year's Day paddle, spring picnic, summer sunset and moonlight paddles on Lake Michigan, fall doorslammer camping trip, and Equinox and Solstice celebrations. Top of the Page Illini Downstreamers Established in 1974, the Illini Downstreamers have been paddling the rivers of Illinois and surrounding states for more than 20 years. There are currently about 53 family and individual members.
Most members paddle open canoes and river kayaks on flat water, primarily for recreational purposes.
The club's major concern is to improve access for paddlers to Illinois Rivers as more and more rivers are becoming closed to paddlers. The club also is looking for more members. There is an outing of some type scheduled almost every weekend between late March and mid-November. Most trips are suitable for beginning and intermediate paddlers, with periodic outings on more challenging streams. Top of the Page Lincoln Park Boat Club Established in 1910, this is Chicago's oldest paddling club with 385 members in 1997 of which 200 are paddlers and 185 rowers.