See all 10 routes on Little Fork River
Minnesota | Northern Minnesota
Little Fork RiverHighway 73 Bridge to Samuelson Park
Long upstream-to-mid-corridor Little Fork run from the Highway 73 bridge down to Samuelson Park. Official DNR map support, a same-corridor Silverdale gauge, and a county-park campsite at the finish make this a defensible new northern day trip.
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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 the Highway 73 bridge and finish at Samuelson Park for a long Little Fork continuation below the Linden Grove gauge. Expect repeated rapids, remote wooded miles, and a county-park finish with real services.
Access map
Put-in
Highway 73 bridge carry-in accessThe Highway 73 bridge access is a bridge/gauge-area carry-in rather than a developed park.
Take-out
Samuelson Park Public Water Access SiteSamuelson Park is the intended finish. Do not casually continue toward Silverdale unless you have planned the extra mileage and checked the lower access story.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Samuelson Park before driving to the Highway 73 bridge. This is a long rural shuttle with limited services at the put-in, so handle daylight and backup-driver planning conservatively.
Additional access notes
- Most of the route remains remote despite the campground finish, so missed-shuttle or weather problems still feel expensive.
More route and safety guidance
- This is a remote northern route with cold water, brushy exits, and long distances between obvious recovery points.
- Fallen trees, undercut banks, and changing wood are a normal part of the risk story on this reach.
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Gauge source
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
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 | Little Fork River nr Silverdale, MN65 |
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| Preferred range | 500 cfs to 1,301 cfs |
| Low threshold | 400 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,835 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
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| Main source behind this score | MN DNR river-level interpretation bands for Little Fork River near Silverdale / MN 65 |
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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.
- DNR bands400 / 500-1,300.5 / 2,835 cfs
MN DNR interprets site 295 as Scrapable below 400 cfs, Low from 400 to 500, Medium from 500 to 1,300.5, High from 1,300.5 to 2,835, and Very High above 2,835.
- Map supportHighway 73 RM 126.8 to Samuelson RM about 104
DNR Map 1 places the Highway 73 bridge carry-in at river mile 126.8 and shows Samuelson County Park farther downstream on the same corridor near river mile 103.5.
- Access evidenceSamuelson WAS00502
Minnesota public-water-access data resolves Samuelson Park on river left with coordinates and a 104.0 river-mile value, matching the named county-park finish on the DNR map.
- Camping supportSamuelson County Park tent sites
DNR Map 1 says Samuelson County Park has a carry-in access, picnic table, toilet, drinking water, and tent sites, making it a legitimate endpoint-campground finish.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
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