Chicago Portage National Historic Site

As one of only two National Historic Sites in Illinois, the grounds commemorate the passage connecting the Des Plaines River to the Chicago River's South Branch. Long before modern channels reshaped the Midwest, this corridor served as a seasonal water route used by Native Americans, paving the way for the later I&M and Chicago Sanitary and Ship canals. Today, the site on the east bank of the Des Plaines features monuments dedicated to early exploration alongside an unpaved loop trail connected to the Salt Creek Trail System.