See all 6 routes on Cottonwood River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cottonwood River
County Road 10 to County Road 11
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at County Road 10 / Marti Landing and take out at County Road 11 for a short maintained-corridor Cottonwood River connector. The route is straightforward at official medium levels, but low water, fresh wood, and private banks are the main constraints.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Cottonwood River, Co Rd 10 Public Water Access SiteMN DNR Map 4 places County Road 10 at river mile 23.5 and County Road 11 at river mile 16.8.
Take-out
Cottonwood River, Co Rd 11 Public Water Access SiteMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 10 as WAS01423 and County Road 11 as WAS01424, both carry-in natural launches with parking and no restroom.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- MN DNR Map 4 places County Road 10 at river mile 23.5 and County Road 11 at river mile 16.8.
- Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 10 as WAS01423 and County Road 11 as WAS01424, both carry-in natural launches with parking and no restroom.
- Brown County lists both County Road 10 / Marti Landing and County Road 11 as public canoe landings with put-in areas and parking.
Watch for
- Scraping and dragging if the Leavenworth DNR gauge falls below the official medium band or approaches the scrapable floor.
- Strainers, fresh wood, bridge debris, muddy banks, and quick rises after rain.
- Private shoreland and limited legal bailout options away from the two public endpoints.
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Cottonwood River nr Leavenworth, CR8 |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 967.00 ft to 971.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 963.00 ft |
| High threshold | 974.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MN DNR river-level interpretation bands for Cottonwood River near Leavenworth |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Route milepointsCounty Road 10 RM 23.5 to County Road 11 RM 16.8
MN DNR Map 4 maps the exact Cottonwood reach between the two selected public accesses.
- Public access recordsWAS01423 to WAS01424
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 10 and County Road 11 with coordinates, launch type, parking, managing authority, and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands963 / 967-971 / 974 ft
MN DNR interprets the Leavenworth gauge as Scrapable below 963 ft, Low from 963 to 967, Medium from 967 to 971, High from 971 to 974, and Very High above 974.
- Current gauge check967.04 ft at 2026-07-23 08:15
The current MN DNR feed placed Leavenworth just inside the official medium band during this run.
- Camping postureDay route, no selected campsite
DNR trip-planning guidance says to camp only in designated campsites; the selected County Road 10-to-County Road 11 reach has public accesses but no selected designated river campsite.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Cottonwood River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cottonwood River?
Paddle Today watches Cottonwood River nr Leavenworth, CR8 and treats 967.00 ft to 971.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cottonwood River route start and end?
This route starts at Cottonwood River, Co Rd 10 Public Water Access Site and ends at Cottonwood River, Co Rd 11 Public Water Access Site, about About 6.7 mi on the water.
Is this Cottonwood River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.