canoe & camp within 6-7 hours of Chicago?

We live in Chicago and are interested in doing a canoeing and camping
trip over the long 4th of July weekend. We've done the lower
Wisconsin River before and really enjoyed it, but would like to try
something different this time.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good river or lake/series of
lakes to canoe and camp? We'd love to find a place with:

-quiet water (no or few rapids)
-quiet canoeing (no or few motor boats)
-secluded camping (backcountry camping or quiet designated sites)
-pretty scenery
-good fishing
-within 6 or 7 hours of Chicagoland, but closer is better
-canoe outfitter/rental and shuttle/drop-off/pick-up services

Portaging is not be a problem.

Are we dreaming or does such a place exist? Any suggestions are
appreciated, thanks.

In article <6b16bee5.0404050916.f073a1b.DeleteThis@posting.google.com>,
jen.DeleteThis@jen-uine.com (hatmaer) wrote:

 > We live in Chicago and are interested in doing a canoeing and camping
 > trip over the long 4th of July weekend. We've done the lower
 > Wisconsin River before and really enjoyed it, but would like to try
 > something different this time.
 >
 > Does anyone have a recommendation for a good river or lake/series of
 > lakes to canoe and camp? We'd love to find a place with:
 >
 > -quiet water (no or few rapids)
 > -quiet canoeing (no or few motor boats)
 > -secluded camping (backcountry camping or quiet designated sites)
 > -pretty scenery
 > -good fishing
 > -within 6 or 7 hours of Chicagoland, but closer is better
 > -canoe outfitter/rental and shuttle/drop-off/pick-up services
 >
 > Portaging is not be a problem.
 >
 > Are we dreaming or does such a place exist? Any suggestions are
 > appreciated, thanks.

The Manistee River in Michigan has what you want with no portaging,
except at the dams. I have done 120 miles, in five days camping at the
canoe camp sites, without a portage, only encountering a few Class II
rapids.

Try the Pine River Outfitters, <http://www.thepineriver.com/>, in Wellston,
which is about a six hour drive from Chicago. They also outfit the Pine,
which is a shorter river with .<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->