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Minnesota | Mississippi Headwaters
Mississippi RiverCounty Road 25 to Knutson Dam Recreation Area
Missing Mississippi Headwaters link from the County Road 25 carry-in through the Cass Lake transition to Bimijiwan / Knutson Dam Recreation Area. It is official water-trail mileage with real public accesses, but wind, wetlands, big-water exposure, and rescue spacing make it a conservative planner card.
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at County Road 25 and paddle the missing headwaters connector to Knutson Dam Recreation Area. The route links official public accesses, but wind, large-water exposure, vegetation, and remote rescue spacing make this a conservative route-card add.
Access map
Put-in
Mississippi River, Co Rd 25 Public Water Access SiteCounty Road 25 resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00729 at Mississippi river mile 1273.9.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Knutson Dam Public Water Access SiteWolf Lake and Cass Lake accesses are route checks or bailouts, not excuses for open-water shortcuts.
Road shuttle
Stage Knutson Dam / Bimijiwan Recreation Area first, then drive back to County Road 25. Check the Stump Lake gauge, the downstream Days High trend, and same-day wind before launching because the route includes lake-transition exposure.
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Mississippi River, Co Rd 25 Public Water Access Site to Mississippi River, Knutson Dam Public Water Access Site is about 15.7 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Knutson Dam resolves as WAS02961 near river mile 1258.1 and is the required finish before the already-live Knutson-to-West-Winnie card.
More route and safety guidance
- Expect wetlands, aquatic vegetation, wood, private shoreline, and limited rescue spacing. A low gauge can still hide local shallow or blocked channels.
- Knutson Dam is the planned finish and the beginning of a separate downstream card. Do not continue into West Winnie mileage without a separate lake-wind and campsite plan.
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Sources and methodology
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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.
- Official map routeCounty Road 25 RM 1273.9 to Knutson Dam RM 1258.2, about 15.7 miles
MN DNR Maps 1 and 2 place the County Road 25 carry-in, Wolf Lake access, Cass Lake transition accesses, and Bimijiwan / Knutson Dam Recreation Area in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWAS00729 to WAS02961
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 25, Wolf Lake, and Knutson Dam with coordinates and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands1.8 / 2.8-3.6 / 5.0 ft
MN DNR interprets Stump Lake / County Road 12 as Scrapable below 1.8 ft, Low from 1.8 to 2.8, Medium from 2.8 to 3.6, High from 3.6 to 5.0, and Very High above 5.0.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-242.89 ft at 2026-07-24 02:30 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.
- Safety and camping contextLarge-lake warning and endpoint campground
DNR warns large open water on Cass Lake and Winnibigoshish can be dangerous for small craft. Knutson Dam Recreation Area / campground can support a legal endpoint overnight plan under current USFS rules.
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