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Minnesota | Mississippi Headwaters
Mississippi RiverBear Den to Iron Bridge
Short Mississippi headwaters connector from Bear Den to Iron Bridge, passing Fox Trap and Pine Point watercraft campsites before finishing at the Wilton interpreted DNR gauge.
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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 Bear Den and take out at Iron Bridge for the lower Map 1 headwaters connector to the Wilton DNR gauge. This is mostly easy water, but wetland vegetation, wood, private banks, and the mandatory bridge take-out still matter.
Access map
Put-in
Mississippi River, Bear Den Public Water Access SiteBear Den and Iron Bridge are DNR-administered public accesses in the Minnesota public-water-access layer.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Iron Bridge Public Water Access SitePine Point is a mapped intermediate carry-in/campsite access, but use it only if current signs, landing condition, and site availability are clear.
Road shuttle
Stage Iron Bridge first, then drive back to Bear Den. Confirm the bridge/gauge take-out and parking before committing because downstream continuation enters different Bemidji-area water-trail planning.
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Mississippi River, Bear Den Public Water Access Site to Mississippi River, Iron Bridge Public Water Access Site is about 10.8 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Iron Bridge is the planned finish at the gauge. Do not turn this into a lake-transition or Bemidji route without separate route review.
More route and safety guidance
- Iron Bridge is the planned finish at the DNR river-level gauge. Do not drift into Bemidji lake-transition or dam-adjacent planning without a separate reviewed route.
- Use only public accesses and designated watercraft campsites. Riverbed camping next to private property is not permitted.
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Conditions
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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 | Mississippi River near Wilton, CSAH7 |
| 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 |
| Preferred range | 40.00 ft to 42.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 39.10 ft |
| High threshold | 45.00 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 Mississippi River near Wilton |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official map routeBear Den RM 1311.4 to Iron Bridge RM 1300.6, 10.8 miles
MN DNR Map 1 labels Bear Den, Fox Trap campsite, Pine Point carry-in and campsite, the wetland caution area, Iron Bridge campsite, Iron Bridge access, and the river-level gauge.
- Public access recordsWAS02254 to WAS00519
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Bear Den and Iron Bridge as DNR-administered public accesses with launch data, parking, coordinates, directions, and river miles.
- Official DNR bands39.1 / 40.0-42.5 / 45.0 ft
MN DNR interprets the Wilton gauge as Scrapable below 39.1 ft, Low from 39.1 to 40.0, Medium from 40.0 to 42.5, High from 42.5 to 45.0, and Very High above 45.0.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2341.69 ft at 2026-07-23 01:30 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.
- Camping contextFox Trap, Pine Point, and Iron Bridge watercraft campsite context
DNR Map 1 marks watercraft campsites on or near this short connector; campsite use remains first-come and subject to DNR water-trail rules.
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
More on Mississippi River
All 39Nearby routes within 75 miles
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