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Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Mississippi RiverFort Ripley Landing to Fletcher Creek Trailer Access
Official MN DNR Map 6 day trip past islands and wooded shoreline from Fort Ripley to Fletcher Creek, using the Brainerd interpreted gauge as an upstream same-corridor proxy.
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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 Fort Ripley and take out at Fletcher Creek for MN DNR Map 6 recommended central-Mississippi mileage below Camp Ripley. The route uses the Brainerd interpreted gauge as an upstream same-corridor proxy plus same-day landing checks.
Access map
Put-in
Mississippi River, Fort Ripley Landing Public Water Access SiteFort Ripley resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS. Fletcher Creek is named by DNR water-trail and county public-access materials, but the coordinate used here is from a paddling-access directory rather than the current GIS feature-service query.
Take-out
Fletcher Creek Trailer AccessCamp Ripley Training Center access is not allowed from the Mississippi or Crow Wing rivers; do not treat military shoreline as a bailout or stop.
Road shuttle
Stage Fletcher Creek first and confirm the take-out before driving back to Fort Ripley Landing. Do not launch if the Fletcher Creek landing, parking, or signage cannot be verified on arrival.
Additional access notes
- Do not extend toward Little Falls without a separate route plan and dam review.
More route and safety guidance
- The Fletcher Creek take-out is the required finish for this route. Confirm the landing and parking before launching because the coordinate source is not the DNR feature-service record.
- Shallow late-summer riffles, island-channel choices, wind, floating wood, storms, and cold water can override the upstream Brainerd gauge.
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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.
- Official routeFort Ripley RM 982.3 to Fletcher Creek RM 972.7, 9.6 miles
MN DNR Map 6 recommends Fort Ripley Landing Trailer Access to Fletcher Creek Trailer Access and describes islands, wooded shoreline, farmland, backwaters, and late-summer shallow-water risk.
- Public access supportFort Ripley WAS01026; Fletcher Creek DNR county-map access
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Fort Ripley Landing. DNR Morrison County public-water-access mapping lists Fletcher Creek as a concrete DNR access, and the DNR water-trail PDF names Fletcher Creek Trailer Access as the take-out.
- 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-23960 cfs at 2026-07-23 00:30 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.
- Take-out coordinate supportFletcher Creek 46.0651, -94.3363
The Paddling Hub lists Fletcher Creek as a public Mississippi River boat ramp with parking and publishes coordinates; use this as arrival guidance, not a substitute for same-day signage.
- Direct gauge corroborationUSGS 05261000 near Fort Ripley
USGS operates a direct Mississippi River near Fort Ripley monitoring location, but the app scores from DNR Brainerd because it has official paddling interpretation bands.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
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