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Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Mississippi RiverCrow Wing State Park to Fort Ripley Landing
Short Map 6 Mississippi connector below Crow Wing State Park, filling the public-access gap between the Brainerd/Crow-Wing cards and the existing Fort-Ripley-to-Belle-Prairie route without touching the Brainerd or Little Falls dam corridors.
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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 Crow Wing State Park and take out at Fort Ripley Landing for the short Mississippi Map 6 gap below the Crow Wing confluence. The route uses the upstream Brainerd DNR gauge but keeps Camp Ripley and private-bank restrictions front and center.
Access map
Put-in
Mississippi River, Crow Wing State Park Public Water Access SiteCrow Wing State Park is the planned put-in, using the same state-park Mississippi access coordinates already used by the adjacent Kiwanis-to-Crow-Wing route.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Fort Ripley Landing Public Water Access SiteFort Ripley Landing resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01026 with DNR administration, coordinates, and river-mile context.
Road shuttle
Stage Fort Ripley Landing first, then drive back to Crow Wing State Park. Confirm state-park vehicle, launch, and parking rules before leaving a vehicle at the put-in.
Additional access notes
- DNR Map 6 says access to Camp Ripley Training Center is not allowed from the Mississippi or Crow Wing rivers. Use mapped public accesses and signed state-park or DNR facilities only.
More route and safety guidance
- Camp Ripley Training Center access is not allowed from the Mississippi or Crow Wing rivers. DNR notes only islands along the Camp Ripley corridor are open to public recreation.
- The Brainerd gauge is upstream of the route and below the Brainerd dam corridor, so pair it with visual checks at Crow Wing State Park and Fort Ripley before launching.
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Conditions
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Photos and recent reports
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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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-171,960 cfs at 2026-07-17 02:30
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.
- Official DNR bands908 / 1,800-7,000 / 10,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Brainerd gauge as Scrapable below 908 cfs, Low from 908 to 1,800, Medium from 1,800 to 7,000, High from 7,000 to 10,000, and Very High above 10,000.
- Route shapeAbout 8.1 river miles
MN DNR Map 6 places Crow Wing State Park access near river mile 990.4 and Fort Ripley Landing at river mile 982.3, with the Crow Wing River confluence immediately upstream.
- Public access recordFort Ripley WAS01026
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Fort Ripley Landing as a DNR-administered Mississippi River public access with coordinates and river-mile context.
- Camping and shoreline rulesState-park basecamp; Camp Ripley restrictions
DNR Map 6 identifies Crow Wing State Park camping/access context and warns that access to Camp Ripley Training Center is not allowed from the Mississippi or Crow Wing rivers.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
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