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Minnesota | Twin Cities Metro
Mississippi River
Dayton to Mississippi Gateway Regional Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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 Dayton and take out at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park before Coon Rapids Dam. This fills the official DNR Map 9 upstream metro section above the already-live below-dam Coon-Rapids-to-Riverfront card.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Crow/Mississippi River, Dayton Public Water Access SiteDayton resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS with a public access ID and coordinates; Mississippi Gateway is anchored by DNR Map 9 and Three Rivers / Paddle Share access guidance.
Take-out
Mississippi Gateway Regional Park carry-in accessThe Mississippi Gateway carry-in is the required take-out before Coon Rapids Dam. Identify it from shore before launching and do not drift toward the dam if you are uncertain.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Dayton resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS with a public access ID and coordinates; Mississippi Gateway is anchored by DNR Map 9 and Three Rivers / Paddle Share access guidance.
- The Mississippi Gateway carry-in is the required take-out before Coon Rapids Dam. Identify it from shore before launching and do not drift toward the dam if you are uncertain.
- The Hwy 610 gauge is downstream of Coon Rapids Dam. Use it as the DNR same-map flow check, then make a visual call at Dayton and Mississippi Gateway for pool level, wind, wake, and dam conditions.
Watch for
- Mandatory take-out before Coon Rapids Dam and nearby portage/dam infrastructure.
- Island channels, shallow bars, floating wood, bridge current, and changed routes when water is low.
- Wind, motorboat wake, storm runoff, and metro Mississippi water-quality advisories.
- Park-managed and private banks; use public accesses and legal stops only.
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 Hwy 610 in Brooklyn Park, 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 | 8,670 cfs to 28,300 cfs |
| Low threshold | 3,060 cfs |
| High threshold | 33,000 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 Hwy 610 |
| 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.
- Official route13.4 river miles
The statewide DNR recommended paddling sections list Dayton trailer access to Mississippi Gateway Regional Park as a 13.4-mile Mississippi River route.
- Map supportDayton RM 879.6 to Mississippi Gateway RM 866.2
MN DNR Mississippi Map 9 places Dayton at river mile 879.6 and Mississippi Gateway Regional Park at river mile 866.2, explicitly marking it as the recommended take-out before Coon Rapids Dam.
- Public access recordsDayton WAS01718; Gateway carry-in above dam
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the Crow/Mississippi Dayton public access. DNR Map 9 and Three Rivers/Paddle Share materials anchor the Mississippi Gateway carry-in on the Brooklyn Park side above the dam.
- Official DNR bands3,060 / 8,670-28,300 / 33,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Hwy 610 gauge as Scrapable below 3,060 cfs, Low from 3,060 to 8,670, Medium from 8,670 to 28,300, High from 28,300 to 33,000, and Very High above 33,000.
- Current gauge check3,610 cfs at 2026-07-23 23:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Hwy 610 in the official low band during this run, below the preferred medium target.
- Dam and access contextGateway carry-in; Coon Rapids Dam portage
DNR Map 9 says Mississippi Gateway is the recommended carry-in take-out before the dam and marks the Coon Rapids Dam portage nearby; Paddle Share notes the carry-in launch is reached from the Mississippi Gateway parking and trail network.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- MN DNR Mississippi River segments and maps
- MN DNR recommended paddling sections
- MN DNR Mississippi River Map 9 PDF
- Three Rivers Mississippi Gateway Regional Park
- Paddle Share Mississippi Gateway access note
- MN DNR river-level site data
- Minnesota public water access feature service
- USGS 05288500 monitoring location
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Mississippi River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Mississippi River?
Paddle Today watches Mississippi River at Hwy 610 in Brooklyn Park, MN and treats 8,670 cfs to 28,300 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 Crow/Mississippi River, Dayton Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park carry-in access, about About 13.4 mi on the water.
Is this Mississippi River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.