See all 42 routes on Mississippi River
Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Mississippi River
Crow Wing State Park to Fort Ripley Landing
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
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
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
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.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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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.
Plan this segment
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
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
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 |
| 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 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
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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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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