See all 10 routes on Little Fork River
Minnesota | Northern Minnesota
Little Fork RiverHighway 73 Bridge to Silverdale
Fuller Map 1 continuation from the Highway 73 bridge to the Silverdale access. This route keeps the same official Silverdale gauge but stretches into a longer remote northern day with on-route campground context.
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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 continue past Samuelson to finish at Silverdale for one of the longest official Little Fork corridor options currently in the app. This is a remote northern run with repeated rapids and a useful named bailout at Samuelson Park.
Access map
Put-in
Highway 73 bridge carry-in accessSamuelson Park is the best intermediate bailout and should be treated as a real decision point, not just a landmark.
Take-out
Silverdale Public Water Access SiteSilverdale is a simpler public access finish than Samuelson, so do not expect campground services at the take-out.
Road shuttle
Use a conservative two-car shuttle from the Highway 73 bridge to Silverdale and treat the route like a full-day remote commitment. The longer downstream finish means late starts and marginal weather are bad bets.
Additional access notes
- Long mileage plus rural roads make the shuttle more consequential than the access names alone suggest.
More route and safety guidance
- This is a remote wooded route where cold water, long shuttle consequences, and sparse exits matter more than the simple access names suggest.
- Watch for fresh wood and sweeper changes after storms or spring runoff.
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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
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 |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| 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 Silverdale RM 99.9
DNR Map 1 places the Highway 73 bridge at river mile 126.8, and Minnesota public-water-access data resolves the Silverdale access at river mile 99.9 on the same corridor below Samuelson Park.
- Access evidenceSamuelson WAS00502 and Silverdale WAS03037
Minnesota public-water-access data resolves both Samuelson Park and Silverdale on the downstream continuation, giving this route an official intermediate bailout plus a named public take-out.
- Camping supportSamuelson County Park tent sites on route
DNR Map 1 says Samuelson County Park has drinking water and tent sites, giving this longer route real on-route campground support even though the planned take-out is the simpler Silverdale access.
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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 Little Fork River
All 10Nearby routes within 75 miles
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