River guideIllinois and Minnesota
Mississippi River
Plan a paddle across 11 paddle areas. Compare distance, difficulty, and today’s conditions before choosing your stretch.
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Start with distance, then compare today’s conditions.
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End of mapRiver overview
Mississippi River paddle planning
What to verify before you commit.
Water levels
These Mississippi River routes use 13 gauge references depending on the stretch.
Route options
Compare 42 scored routes across Brainerd Lakes Area, Central Minnesota, Grand Rapids Area, Headwaters, Metro-East Illinois, Mississippi Headwaters, Northern Minnesota, Northwest Metro, St. Cloud Area, Twin Cities, Twin Cities Metro. Open a route page for put-in, take-out, distance, source confidence, and access notes.
Difficulty
Mississippi River routes here are marked easy and hard and moderate, so choose the stretch that fits your group and conditions.
Quick answers
Mississippi River paddling FAQ
Where can I paddle the Mississippi River?
Paddle Today tracks 42 Mississippi River routes across Brainerd Lakes Area, Central Minnesota, Grand Rapids Area, Headwaters, Metro-East Illinois, Mississippi Headwaters, Northern Minnesota, Northwest Metro, St. Cloud Area, Twin Cities, Twin Cities Metro. Compare the route cards on this page, then open an individual route for put-in, take-out, distance, and access notes.
How should I check Mississippi River water levels?
Start with the route score and gauge notes for the stretch you plan to paddle. This hub includes routes watched with 13 gauges or gauge references, and each route page explains its own target range or low-water floor.
Which Mississippi River route is best today?
Use the live route cards above to compare today's Paddle Today scores. The best stretch can change with water level, recent trend, weather, access, and route difficulty.