See all 12 routes on Crow Wing River
Minnesota | Wadena Area
Crow Wing River
Cottingham County Park to Old Wadena County Park
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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 Cottingham, pass Bullard Bluff, and finish at Old Wadena for the consolidated lower Crow Wing county-park connector. The Nimrod gauge is upstream, so local depth checks matter.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in accessCottingham is a busy county-park access in warm weather; confirm parking and the signed launch before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Old Wadena County Park #13 carry-in accessThe Nimrod gauge is upstream and does not remove the need for local checks at Cottingham, Bullard Bluff, and Old Wadena.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Cottingham is a busy county-park access in warm weather; confirm parking and the signed launch before leaving a vehicle.
- The Nimrod gauge is upstream and does not remove the need for local checks at Cottingham, Bullard Bluff, and Old Wadena.
- Old Wadena is the selected take-out. Continuing downstream changes the trip plan and adds more remote county-park and dam/reservoir considerations.
Watch for
- Shallow sandbars and slow current when the upstream Nimrod gauge is below 300 cfs.
- Fresh wood, strainers, and Leaf River confluence debris after local rain.
- Private banks and rural rescue spacing between the county parks.
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 | Crow Wing River at Nimrod, MN |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | 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 | 400 cfs to 800 cfs |
| Low threshold | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,100 cfs |
| 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 Crow Wing River at Nimrod |
| 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.
- Map supportCottingham 49.5 to Old Wadena 38.9
MN DNR Map 2 places Cottingham, Bullard Bluff, and Old Wadena on the Crow Wing water trail and supports a 10.6-mile downstream connector across the Leaf River confluence area.
- Official DNR bands300 / 400-800 / 1,100 cfs
MN DNR interprets the upstream Nimrod gauge as Scrapable below 300 cfs, Low from 300 to 400, Medium from 400 to 800, High from 800 to 1,100, and Very High above 1,100.
- Current gauge check232 cfs at 2026-07-16 20:00
The current MN DNR feed placed Nimrod below the official low-water floor, so the route should be treated as shallow until a local access check confirms otherwise.
- Public access recordsWAS01325 / WAS01528 / WAS02504
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Cottingham County Park, Bullard Bluff County Park, and Old Wadena County Park as Wadena County Crow Wing River accesses.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Crow Wing River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Crow Wing River?
Paddle Today watches Crow Wing River at Nimrod, MN and treats 400 cfs to 800 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Crow Wing River route start and end?
This route starts at Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in access and ends at Old Wadena County Park #13 carry-in access, about 10.6 mi on the water.
Is this Crow Wing 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.