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Minnesota | Northwest Metro
Mississippi RiverBabcock Public Water Access to Peninsula Point Park
Twelve-mile free-flowing Mississippi day from the Elk River area to Anoka. Two Paddles uses this as the MR 12 race course, DNR public-water-access records resolve both endpoints, and the downstream Hwy 610 gauge gives the route an official Mississippi level ladder.
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Babcock and finish at Peninsula Point Park in Anoka for the 12-mile MR 12 Mississippi course. It is a free-flowing big-river day with official access support and a useful downstream Hwy 610 level ladder.
Access map
Put-in
Mississippi River, Babcock Public Water Access SiteBabcock is a DNR-listed Mississippi public water access at the Babcock Highway Rest Area with limited trailer parking and no restroom in the GIS record.
Take-out
Peninsula Point Park / Rum-Mississippi River accessThe Anoka finish uses the City of Anoka Rum/Mississippi public water access near Peninsula Point and the Rum River confluence. Confirm the exact landing and event/park conditions before launching.
Road shuttle
Set the take-out in Anoka first, then drive upstream to Babcock. This is a longer northwest-metro shuttle, so leave room for traffic near Elk River, Ramsey, Champlin, and downtown Anoka.
Additional access notes
- The Hwy 610 gauge is downstream of the Anoka finish and below the Coon Rapids Dam corridor, so use it as a conservative mainstem proxy and still make a same-day visual call at Babcock.
More route and safety guidance
- Two Paddles places the Babcock-to-Anoka course in the free-flowing Mississippi reach below the St. Cloud dam and says that reach has no dams or portages. The Coon Rapids Dam is downstream of this route, not an on-course hazard.
- The Hwy 610 gauge is downstream of the Anoka finish and below the Coon Rapids Dam, so use its DNR bands only as a mainstem proxy and confirm current, debris, wind, and landing conditions at Babcock before launching.
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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 bands3,060 / 8,670 / 28,300 / 33,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Hwy 610 gauge as Scrapable below 3,060 cfs, Low from 3,060 to 8,670, Medium from 8,670 to 28,300, High from 28,300 to 33,000, and Very High above 33,000.
- Race routeMR 12 / about 12 miles
Two Paddles describes Babcock Park at river mile 883.4 as the MR 12 start and says all events finish at Peninsula Point Park in Anoka near river mile 871.
- Official accessBabcock WAS01299 to Anoka WAS02198
Minnesota public-water-access GIS identifies Mississippi River, Babcock Public Water Access Site at river mile 883.4 and the City of Anoka Rum/Mississippi River Public Water Access Site near the Rum confluence.
- Route characterFree-flowing, no dams on course
Two Paddles says the MR 43, MR 20, MR 12, and 5-mile events start within the final free-flowing stretch below the St. Cloud dam and all end at Anoka.
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 Mississippi River overview
- MN DNR Mississippi River segments and maps
- MN DNR Mississippi River map 8 PDF
- MN DNR Mississippi River map 9 PDF
- Minnesota public water access feature service
- Two Paddles MR 12 overview
- Two Paddles Mississippi River background
- USGS 05288500 monitoring location
Other routes nearby
More on Mississippi River
All 39Nearby routes within 75 miles
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