Portage Creek Passage

Portage Creek Passage. . From the time people first came to this region, Portage Creek provided a natural connection between two great waterways - the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. A short canoe carry, or portage, was all that was needed for Indians, fur traders and explorers to cross the subcontinental divide between the Des Plaines River and Lake Michigan. , The portage itself may have been long or short, depending on the season. In dry weather, travelers portaged their canoes and goods between here and Lake Michigan over a sandy ridge just to the north. In flood times, they could paddle up Portage Creek into Mud Lake and then directly into the South Branch of the Chicago River. , What would early travelers have seen as they made the portage? To the east and south was a vast marsh. To the north, the portage trail passed along a ridge with prairie grasses and large oak trees.