The Spoon River is the most popular floating river in West Central Illinois due to its many miles of meandering floatable waters that offer excellent scenery and lots of solitude. The river has some steep banks and is never very wide so when there are downed trees and obstructions it can be difficult or even dangerous to navigate. The water flow is slow and steady though so the water is easy to paddle. The river does not have a lot of easy access and even the put-in and take-out spots for this trip are not very convenient so prepare for more primitive launching points.