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Minnesota | Upper Minnesota River Valley
Minnesota RiverHighway 4 Access to Harkin Store
Map 4 Minnesota River connector below the existing Morton-to-Highway-4 card, finishing at the official Harkin Store public access. It fills a real public-access gap while keeping proxy-gauge and private-bank caveats visible.
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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 Highway 4 and take out at Harkin Store for a Map 4 public-access connector below the existing Morton-to-Highway-4 card. The Morton gauge is an upstream same-map proxy, so visual landing checks matter.
Access map
Put-in
Minnesota River, Highway 4 Public Water Access SiteHighway 4 resolves as WAS00644 at GIS river mile 163.3, and Harkin Store resolves as WAS02302 at GIS river mile 152.0.
Take-out
Minnesota River, Harkin Store Public Water Access SiteDNR Map 4 documents the larger Highway-4-to-Buessman corridor; Harkin Store is supported by the official public-access GIS, not by the recommended-one-way PDF.
Road shuttle
Stage Harkin Store first, then drive back to the Highway 4 access south of Fairfax. This is a rural big-river shuttle with limited intermediate public exits.
Additional access notes
- Do not rely on private banks, farm lanes, sandbars, or wildlife-management-area frontage for bailout or camping.
More route and safety guidance
- DNR Map 4 lists wildlife-management areas, tributary mouths, bridge crossings, and private-bank camping limits in this corridor; do not assume informal exits are legal.
- High water can cover mud edges and add floating wood, while low water can slow the route around bars and shallow bends.
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Conditions
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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.
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 corridor mapHighway 4 RM 163.6 downstream toward Buessman RM 143.3
MN DNR Map 4 lists the Highway 4 trailer access and bridge, Minnriver Wildlife Management Area, tributary confluences, 250th Avenue bridge, Boesch WMA, River Valley WMA, and Buessman Bridge downstream of this selected split.
- Public access recordsWAS00644 to WAS02302
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the Highway 4 access and the Harkin Store public access with coordinates, administrators, directions, and river-mile fields.
- Official DNR bands307 / 1,330-3,750 / 10,900 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Morton gauge as Scrapable below 307 cfs, Low from 307 to 1,330, Medium from 1,330 to 3,750, High from 3,750 to 10,900, and Very High above 10,900.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-161,900 cfs at 2026-07-16 21:00 CDT
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.
- Safety rulesPrivate shoreland and designated stops
DNR Map 4 warns that river levels affect safety, paddlers should avoid overhanging and dead trees, and riverbed camping next to private property is not permitted.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
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