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Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Mississippi River
Crow Wing State Park to Fort Ripley Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Mississippi River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
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.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Crow Wing State Park Public Water Access SiteOpen mapCrow 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 SiteOpen mapFort Ripley Landing resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01026 with DNR administration, coordinates, and river-mile context.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Crow 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.
- Fort Ripley Landing resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01026 with DNR administration, coordinates, and river-mile context.
- 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.
Watch for
- Wind and motorboat wake on broad mainstem water, cold water, fast rises, floating debris, and harder landings after rain.
- Camp Ripley shoreline restrictions, private banks, and limited legal exits between Crow Wing State Park and Fort Ripley. Islands may have public recreation context, but do not treat them as guaranteed bailout or camping sites.
- Low-water bars if Brainerd drops toward the official scrapable floor and stronger current above the medium band.
Route gallery
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Mississippi River at Brainerd, MN |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | 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 | 1,800 cfs to 7,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 908 cfs |
| High threshold | 10,000 cfs |
| Data confidence 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 at Brainerd |
| 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.
- Current gauge check1,960 cfs at 2026-07-17 02:30
The current MN DNR feed placed Brainerd inside the official medium band during this run.
- 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
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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Mississippi River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Mississippi River?
Paddle Today watches Mississippi River at Brainerd, MN and treats 1,800 cfs to 7,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Mississippi River route start and end?
This route starts at Mississippi River, Crow Wing State Park Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Fort Ripley Landing Public Water Access Site, about About 8.1 mi on the water.
Is this Mississippi River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.