| | Acknowledgements | p. ix |
| | Introduction | p. xiii |
| | Geography of Chicago's Waterways | p. 1 |
| | Chicago River and Waterways Timeline | p. 2 |
| | Waters on the Land | p. 5 |
| | The Physical Geography of the Chicago Region | p. 9 |
| | Changing Uses, Changing Waterways | p. 25 |
| | Guide to Chicago's Waterways | p. 55 |
| | Trips on and around Chicago's Waterways | p. 57 |
| | The Great Circle Tour | p. 115 |
| | Conclusion | p. 259 |
| | Organizations of the Chicago Region | p. 261 |
| | Tours and Recreation | p. 264 |
| | Canoeing Organizations | p. 267 |
| | References | p. 269 |
| | Postscript to the 2006 Edition | p. 275 |
| | Index | p. 279 |