See all 6 routes on Cottonwood River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cottonwood RiverHighway 4 Access to County Road 10
Official Cottonwood River focal-corridor day from Highway 4 south of Sleepy Eye to the County Road 10 / Marti Landing access, with wooded bends, public carry-ins, and an interpreted same-river DNR gauge upstream at Leavenworth.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Highway 4 and take out at County Road 10 / Marti Landing on the lower Cottonwood River. Check the live Leavenworth gauge, local depth, and wood before launch.
Access map
Put-in
Cottonwood River, Hwy 4 Public Water Access SiteMN DNR Map 4 places Highway 4 at river mile 31.6, Theden’s at river mile 29.0, and County Road 10 at river mile 23.5.
Take-out
Cottonwood River, Co Rd 10 Public Water Access SiteMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Highway 4 as WAS02675 and County Road 10 as WAS01423, both carry-in natural launches with parking and no restroom.
Road shuttle
Stage County Road 10 / Marti Landing first, then drive back to the Highway 4 access south of Sleepy Eye. Theden’s landing is a useful intermediate check but not the selected take-out.
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Cottonwood River, Hwy 4 Public Water Access Site to Cottonwood River, Co Rd 10 Public Water Access Site is about 8.1 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- The selected Leavenworth / County Road 8 gauge is upstream of the reach. Use it as an official interpreted same-river proxy, not a substitute for visual checks at the put-in and take-out.
More route and safety guidance
- The selected DNR gauge is upstream at Leavenworth on the same river; pair the interpreted band with visual depth checks at Highway 4, Theden’s, and County Road 10.
- Use only the named public accesses. Banks away from accesses are mostly private, and informal gravel or field stops should not be assumed legal.
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Sources and methodology
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Route milepointsHighway 4 RM 31.6 to County Road 10 RM 23.5
MN DNR Map 4 maps the selected Cottonwood reach and names the intermediate Theden’s landing at river mile 29.0.
- Public access recordsWAS02675 to WAS01423
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the Highway 4 and County Road 10 Cottonwood River accesses with carry-in launch type, parking, coordinates, 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-23967.04 ft at 2026-07-23 08:15
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Camping postureDay route, no selected campsite
DNR trip-planning guidance says to camp only in designated campsites; the selected Highway 4-to-County Road 10 reach has public accesses but no selected designated river campsite.
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Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Cottonwood River
All 6Nearby routes within 75 miles
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