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Minnesota | Southwest Minnesota
Minnesota River
War Memorial Park to Kinney Access
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 War Memorial Park and take out at Kinney to cover the short Map 3 gap above the existing Kinney-to-Skalbekken card. Use the Montevideo DNR gauge conservatively and scout Minnesota Falls context.
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
Minnesota River, War Memorial City Park Public Water Access SiteWar Memorial and Kinney are both DNR/public-access-backed endpoints already used by adjacent current route cards.
Take-out
Minnesota River, Kinney Public Water Access SiteThe Montevideo gauge is upstream of Granite Falls and the dam/rapid corridor, so visual checks below War Memorial matter.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- War Memorial and Kinney are both DNR/public-access-backed endpoints already used by adjacent current route cards.
- The Montevideo gauge is upstream of Granite Falls and the dam/rapid corridor, so visual checks below War Memorial matter.
- Do not continue past Kinney unless using the separate Kinney-to-Skalbekken plan.
Watch for
- Minnesota Falls and small-rapid or ledge context below Granite Falls, especially at low, high, or rising water.
- Floating debris, strainers, muddy landings, cold water, and private banks.
- Residual dam-release or local conditions that can make the upstream Montevideo gauge imperfect for this short reach.
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 | Minnesota River at Montevideo |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 5.00 ft to 9.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.00 ft |
| High threshold | 14.00 ft |
| 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 Minnesota River at Montevideo |
| 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.
- Recommended corridorWar Memorial Park to Morton, 49.0 miles
MN DNR recommended-one-way materials list the larger War Memorial Park-to-Morton Map 3 section; this card isolates the public-access gap to Kinney above the already-live Kinney-to-Skalbekken route.
- Map 3 supportWar Memorial RM 238.9 to Kinney RM 233.7
MN DNR Map 3 places War Memorial Park, Minnesota Falls context, Kinney Access, Fredrickson, and Skalbekken in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWar Memorial WAS00692 and Kinney WAS00694
The current app's adjacent DNR-backed trip details resolve War Memorial Park and Kinney Access with Minnesota public-water-access GIS coordinates and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands3 / 5-9 / 14 ft
MN DNR interprets the Montevideo gauge as Scrapable below 3 ft, Low from 3 to 5, Medium from 5 to 9, High from 9 to 14, and Very High above 14.
- Current gauge check4.55 ft at 2026-07-23 19:00 CDT
The official DNR feed placed Montevideo in the low band during this run, below the medium recommendation band.
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.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Minnesota River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Minnesota River?
Paddle Today watches Minnesota River at Montevideo and treats 5.00 ft to 9.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Minnesota River route start and end?
This route starts at Minnesota River, War Memorial City Park Public Water Access Site and ends at Minnesota River, Kinney Public Water Access Site, about 5.2 mi on the water.
Is this Minnesota River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.