See all 12 routes on Crow Wing River
Minnesota | Wadena Area
Crow Wing River
Little White Dog County Park to Cottingham 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.
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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 Little White Dog and finish at Cottingham for the official DNR Map 2 lower Crow Wing day trip through forested bends, islands, and busier summer recreation near the lower parks.
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
Little White Dog County Park #9 carry-in accessThe Nimrod DNR gauge is upstream of the route; use it as an official corridor check and make a same-day visual call at Little White Dog.
Take-out
Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in accessKnob Hill is the cleanest midpoint public access and campground option if the group needs an exit or planned overnight split.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Nimrod DNR gauge is upstream of the route; use it as an official corridor check and make a same-day visual call at Little White Dog.
- Knob Hill is the cleanest midpoint public access and campground option if the group needs an exit or planned overnight split.
- Cottingham can be busy with tubing, swimming, and county-park use during summer weekends.
Watch for
- Low-water scraping and slow travel while Nimrod is below 300 cfs.
- Fresh wood, sweepers, and outside-bend strainers after storms.
- Private banks and designated-site-only camping rules along the corridor.
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.
- Official recommended routeLittle White Dog to Cottingham, 9.8 river miles
MN DNR Map 2 names Little White Dog to Cottingham County Park as the recommended day trip for this map section.
- Official DNR bands300 / 400-800 / 1,100 cfs
MN DNR interprets the 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 this card ships with low-water caution rather than a good-day assumption.
- Public access recordsWAS01527 to WAS01325
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Little White Dog, Knob Hill, and Cottingham as Wadena County Crow Wing River accesses with river-mile support.
- Camping supportLittle White Dog, Knob Hill, and Cottingham campgrounds
DNR Map 2 marks primitive campsites, water, rest areas, and camping fees at the county parks on this route; treat overnight use as posted county-campground use only.
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 Little White Dog County Park #9 carry-in access and ends at Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in access, about 9.8 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.