See all 12 routes on Crow Wing River
Minnesota | Wadena Area
Crow Wing RiverMary Brown to Cottingham County Park
Full Mary Brown continuation through Nimrod and the lower county-park chain to Cottingham. It keeps the same official Nimrod gauge model while linking the upper rapids-bearing corridor to the busiest campground finish in the Wadena chain.
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Mary Brown and finish at Cottingham for the full upper-to-lower Crow Wing county-chain continuation. The route stays gauge-consistent, but the Nimrod-area rapids, low-water pace, and busy downstream finish make it a deliberate all-day plan.
Access map
Put-in
Mary Brown Rest Area #5 carry-in accessMary Brown is a remote carry-in access with few frills, so inspect the launch and parking setup before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in accessAnderson's Crossing is the natural early split point, and Stigman's Mound, Little White Dog, and Knob Hill remain the clearest later bailout or overnight options.
Road shuttle
Long Wadena County shuttle from Mary Brown to Cottingham. Stage the Cottingham take-out first because it is the busiest landing in this chain and the full route is long enough that finish logistics and daylight matter.
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Mary Brown Rest Area #5 carry-in access to Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in access is about 25.8 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Cottingham is a county park with heavier summer use for swimming and tubing, so expect a busier and less secluded take-out than the upstream landings.
More route and safety guidance
- Anderson's Crossing, Stigman's Mound, Little White Dog, and Knob Hill are the clearest bailout or overnight options before the Cottingham finish.
- Fresh wood after storms, low-water dragging, and heavier warm-weather traffic near the downstream county parks can all make this longer route feel bigger than the map alone suggests.
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Conditions
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Photos and recent reports
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Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
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Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Crow Wing River at Nimrod, MN |
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| Preferred range | 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 |
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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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-14Nimrod gauge 284 cfs
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.
- DNR bands300 / 400-800 / 1,100 cfs
MN DNR interprets Nimrod 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.
- Map supportMary Brown 75.3 to Cottingham 49.5
Crow Wing Maps 1 and 2 place Mary Brown at river mile 75.3 and Cottingham County Park at 49.5, supporting a 25.8-mile full continuation that bridges the upstream Mary Brown corridor to the lower county-park chain.
- Public access recordsMary Brown WAS02558 and Cottingham WAS01543
Minnesota public-water-access records resolve Mary Brown and Cottingham County Park as official Crow Wing accesses with corridor-matching endpoint support.
- Camping supportAnderson's, Little White Dog, Knob Hill, and Cottingham support
Wadena County still documents Anderson's Crossing, Little White Dog, Knob Hill, and Cottingham as campground or county-park properties, so this route has multiple legal split or bailout options without implying informal shoreline camping.
- Rapids supportWalkin's, Burrows, and Westra Rapids
Crow Wing Map 1 marks the named rapids on the Nimrod half of this longer route before the calmer but busier downstream county-park corridor.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- MN DNR river levels
- MN DNR Crow Wing River overview
- MN DNR Crow Wing River segments and maps
- MN DNR Crow Wing River Map 1 PDF
- MN DNR Crow Wing River Map 2 PDF
- Wadena County Anderson's Crossing Campground
- Wadena County Cottingham Park Campground
- Wadena County Knob Hill Campground
- Wadena County Little White Dog Campground
- Minnesota public water access feature service
Other routes nearby
More on Crow Wing River
All 12Nearby routes within 75 miles
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