Could this be the life you searching for?
“See why people are flocking to Heritage Harbor – The Hidden Gem of the Midwest”
An ideal day looks unique for different people; however, there are a few key underlying elements that tend to be similar. At the heart of what people are drawn to are the lifegiving aspects of connection, nature, and living an active life full of purpose. A life lived with passion and purpose is attractive, inspiring, and highly sought-after. A quick 90-minute drive leads you from the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago to the refreshing waterfront community of Heritage Harbor in the heart of Starved Rock Country. We recognize what your soul is searching for and can’t wait to share the Harbor Life with you!
Read MoreYou’ll want to be caught in THIS loop!
“We were not out of the lock until after dark. The marina had a guide boat lead us into the harbor, provided us with a late dinner, and exceeded all of our expectations. This is one excellent marina.” -sminard “
If you haven’t yet heard of the Great Loop, it is a continuous waterway including part of the Atlantic, Gulf Intracoastal Waterways, the Great Lakes, Canadian Heritage Canals, and the inland rivers of America’s heartland. Any mariner who completes the full journey officially earns the ‘Looper’ title.

Hassle Free Boating
“Enjoy boating and watercraft adventures, without the hassle of owning a boat.”

Enjoy boating and watercraft adventures, without the hassle of owning a boat.
The vibrant marina at Heritage Harbor is literally at the heart of the Harbor Life. The central feature of our beloved resort is the site of endless summer fun. Our marina is positioned on the Illinois Waterway, just 90 minutes from Chicago, and is waiting to offer you the boating experience you’ve been dreaming of. The marina amenities, including restrooms and shower facilities, ATM, TV, WiFi, dry storage, pump out, security, and many more, are something to be rivaled.

Heritage Harbor is making a splash and big things are happening! Our 140-slip harbor is expanding the current capacity to accommodate more families. The 2018 addition of the floating Event Pavilion has expanded the entertainment capability of the resort, as we now offer facility rental for private events right on the water.
For those interested in water craft rentals, our marina offers jet ski, electric boat and pontoon boat rentals. Quest Watersports offers Hobie pedal board, SUP, and kayak rentals for your enjoyment. Our staff will ensure that all the necessary equipment is transported to the marina and will retrieve it when you’re done – no stress!

Book your watercraft of choice by visiting https://www.visitheritageharbor.com/watersports/.
If you are interested in regular boating, but would rather skip the hassles that accompany ownership, then Quest Watersport’s Quest Express membership is for you! Quest Express provides access to a range of premium boats at your leisure. This means you can have countless boating adventures and endless fun without the burden of maintenance, storage, and other ownership hassles. you like. Just choose a boat online, pick a time to go boating, and that boat will be ready & waiting for you at the marina. All fun, no fuss…then do it again next time, all summer long!
Try some tubing or wakeboarding behind a nimble sport boat, or perhaps a relaxing cruise on a luxury pontoon. Bring your friends & family, enjoy a spectacular day on the water, and then moor your boat when you’re done. It’s like having your own fleet of boats and a personal butler to take care of the details! Affordable membership plans are offered, and coaching is available if needed.

Find out more about Quest Express Boat Membership by visiting www.questwatersports.com/questexpress.htm
Book a cottage stay or take a discovery tour of real estate opportunities available at the Harbor. Spend the day on the water and then return to your Harbor Home to continue your Harbor Life experience. See you on the water! Book your stay at The Harbor Inn, online at https://www.visitheritageharborinn.com/
Learn more about Heritage Harbor at www.visitheritageharbor.com/ or call 815.433.5000
Have you ever been to the Heritage Harbor Marina? Tell us about your experience. Comment Below
‘Slip’ Into the Harbor Life at Heritage Harbor
“ With daylight saving time 2019 just around the corner, you should start getting your summer plans in order… “
With daylight saving time 2019 just around the corner, you should start getting your summer plans in order. Heritage Harbor is planning a summer to remember full of sun, sand, water, friends and fun!

Heritage Harbor’s vibrant marina was voted Boaters’ Choice 2018 by marinas.com, and you only must stop in to see why. Just 90 minutes from Chicago, our vibrant marina is ready and waiting to give you the boating experience you’ve been looking for.

Positioned on the Illinois Waterway, Heritage Harbor Marina offers 32 acres of harbor, boasts a harbor opening width of 200 feet, and hosts 140 boat slips ranging between 35 and 60 feet. You’ll enjoy the single-load floating docks and private dock boxes for each slip. Due to demand, our marina is expanding with a summer 2019 addition of 20 new small-craft boat slips. We have been operating at near-full capacity and are ready to welcome more families into our harbor community with this expansion.

The gorgeous Illinois River provides an incredible backdrop to our amazing resort. Our additional marina services and amenities set us apart. We offer poolside beverage service, concierge-level dock service, dock staff assistance with fueling, pump out, and deliveries, full-service boat dealership with an on-call mechanical staff, Internationally Accredited Marina Manager and on-call management staff, and 24/7 on-site Harbor Hosts. Restrooms and shower facilities, restaurant, ship store, swimming pool, ATM, cable/satellite TV, wireless internet, ice, dry storage, floating docks, fuel, oil recycling, pump out, and winter storage are just some of the numerous amenities available for your enjoyment at our marina. We really are a ‘home away from home’ for all who stop here.

Want to try out our harbor before making it your home away from home?
Heritage Harbor offers on-site rentals of jet skis, pontoon boats, and electric boats. The Heritage Harbor Marina is also in association with Quest Watersports, offering rentals of Hobie pedal boards, kayaks and Stand Up Paddle boards. Our staff will ensure that all the necessary equipment is transported to the marina, and we will retrieve it when you’re done—no stress! .

Heritage Harbor Marina is a stopover point of choice for many mariners committed to completing the Great Loop. Our marina is on the map for an average of 140 loopers each season. These loopers take advantage of all that Heritage Harbor and Historic Downtown Ottawa have to offer. Follow their example and make us your port of choice!
What are your favorite memories about waterfront resorts or marinas? Comment Below

To book a cottage, boat rental or a resort tour call us: 815.433.5000
Life’s A Beach! Knots Landing
Life’s A Beach!
Or at least it should be!!! If yours isn’t exactly ‘beachy’, then you’re in luck! The Heritage Harbor crew has been hard at work planning and creating yet another new oasis of fun for your entertainment pleasure. Knots Landing is a fun collection of relaxing areas, including North Beach, the Harbor Walk, Activity Wharf, and the Event Center Pavilion. Knots Landing is your ‘one-stop-wharf’ for all entertainment needs.
Relax…Unwind…Get in a flip-flop state of mind at the North Beach
Looking for a place where you can unwind, sink your toes in the sand, and soak in the harbor views? North Beach will be your retreat of choice! Our soft white sand beach is fully equipped with lounge chairs, umbrellas, fire pit, and games for your recreational pleasure. Settle into the comfortable reclining loungers under an umbrella, and feel the stress melt away. Situated right on the harbor, you can watch the goings on of our vibrant marina. The Beach Shack at Knots Landing will soon make its appearance, offering visitor information, drink service, and light snacks for beach goers on weekends, holidays, or for special events.
Guess what’s currently in the works?
The large floating Activity Wharf will reside below North Beach. This floating structure will provide water sport equipment rental services, the opportunity for pop-up artisan kiosks, group exercise classes, and other great activities. The sky is the limit! The Wharf adjoins the Event Center Pavilion and acts as the grand entrance to be utilized as a pre-event and reception area for social gatherings.
You don’t want to miss this…
Reserve the floating Event Center Pavilion for your next private special event and dazzle your guests with a memorable experience. This floating entertainment space can comfortably accommodate around 200 people, and is well-suited for any event including weddings, parties, classes and seminars. This unique gathering place is one-of-a kind and will be the location of many resort special events including music festivals, beer gardens, and other community social gatherings.
Knots Landing will be unrivaled in Starved Rock Country for entertainment and fun as an outdoor activity and event space.
The Top Tow Boating Location in The Midwest
20 Miles of Boating Bliss along the Illinois Waterway
Tow boaters are coming out in force as a long and dreary winter’s icy fingers slowly lose grip of the Illinois Waterway. The air is crisp, the water is flowing, the sun is beginning to shine, and any tow boater who’s really a tow boater wholeheartedly intends to make good of it all!
Tow boating between Marseilles Lock and Starved Rock Lock
What many of us boarding and ski enthusiasts don’t know, is that, basking in the Starved Rock Country Sun, is a stretch of nearly 20 miles of smooth, ski-worthy waterways that should really be called the mecca of tow boating in the Midwest.
Situated between the Marseilles and Starved Rock Lock, the water is mostly still and undisturbed, which is great for powering up and crafting the perfect wake. As your board skims along the glassy surface, you charge up for the next thrill maneuver and aim to pull off the trick which you will boast about in the weeks to follow, the rush is real. We all dream of pulling off the perfect Heelside Mobe or Whirlybird, but the truth is, whether you’re a beginner, trying your first Toeside Edge, or are more advanced, there is no doubt, that this body of water will give you the thrill you are seeking. And let’s not forget that this stretch of the Illinois waterway warms up much earlier than the great lakes, so you can drop the wetsuit much earlier than you think.
More on the Illinois Waterway
A quick Wikipedia read-up reveals that the “Illinois Waterway system consists of 336 miles (541 km) of water. The Waterway was a project designed to provide a navigable channel from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. The Starved Rock Lock and Dam was constructed between 1926 and 1933 as an element of the Illinois Waterway. The body of water up river from the Starved Rock Lock and Dam provides the perfect place to get great views of nature while you gear up for your next tow.
Perfectly positioned, state-of-the-art marina infrastructure
If you are a water sports and towboat enthusiast, then you will discover that Heritage Harbor’s state-of-the-art marina facilities and waterfront dining at the Red Dog Grill, is the perfect location to launch and end your boating day. Together with neat, well-maintained and cutting-edge marina facilities, you will realize that you are quite literally in the tow boating haven of the Midwest. Let us not forget to mention that should you want to make your trip into a boating vacation then the Harbor Inn has wonderfully appointed rental cottages for your next stay.
Whetting the appetite of Tow Boaters in 2018
Boats.com gets the juices going as they profile some of the top tow boats for skiing, wakeboarding and value-for-money.
For straight-up water skiing, check out the specifications of the MasterCraft ProStar and Malibu TXi MO river-rage machines. If Wake surfing and Wakeboarding is your gig, then, according to Boats.com, you’ll do well to explore the capabilities of the Tigé RZX3 or the Malibu M235.
We look forward to seeing you on the water this summer! Let’s make it HUGE!
Heritage Harbor ~ This is the Place Video
Click here for video: This is the Place
Heritage Harbor is a quaint marina resort community. It is conveniently located 90 minutes from Chicago in beautiful Starved Rock Country on the Illinois River. This community features elegant homes, walk-able neighborhoods, a world-class marina, dining, activities, adventure and more. Here you will find pocket neighborhoods, traditional neighborhood designs, and inspired architecture. This is the Place to escape, to play and to live!
Video Tour of Heritage Condo Series ~ Garden Level
Click here for the video tour!
Welcome to Heritage Condo Series ~ Garden Level Plan! These new vacation condos are ideally situated just steps from the marina. This garden level plan is located on the first level and offers an open floor plan, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a full basement and an attached 1 car garage. Enjoy the tour!
Video Tour of Heritage Condo Series ~ Scenic Level
Click here for the video tour!
Welcome to the Heritage Condo Series ~ Scenic Level! This new vacation condo is ideally located mere steps from the marina. The scenic level plan is situated on the second floor and features 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an open floor plan, spacious master bedroom, screened-in deck and an attached 1 car garage. Enjoy the tour!