See all 42 routes on Mississippi River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Mississippi River
Montissippi County Park to Norin 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
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 Montissippi County Park and take out at Norin Landing for the missing Map 8 connector above the already-live Norin-to-Babcock route. Use the St. Cloud gauge as an upstream same-map proxy.
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
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Montissippi Park Public Water Access SiteMontissippi Park resolves as WAS01292, Ellison Park resolves as WAS01310, and Norin Landing resolves as WAS02427 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Norin Landing Public Water Access SiteThe St. Cloud gauge is upstream of this route and should be treated as a same-map proxy. Make a local visual check for island-channel depth and wind before launching.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Montissippi Park resolves as WAS01292, Ellison Park resolves as WAS01310, and Norin Landing resolves as WAS02427 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
- The St. Cloud gauge is upstream of this route and should be treated as a same-map proxy. Make a local visual check for island-channel depth and wind before launching.
- Norin is the planned take-out for this card. The Norin-to-Babcock continuation is already modeled as a separate route.
Watch for
- Island channels, shallow bars, riffles, sweepers, and floating wood through the Mississippi River Islands corridor.
- Wind on open bends, motorboat wake, anglers, bridge current, cold water, and private banks.
- SNA and park rules. Use public accesses and legal public stops rather than improvising on islands or private shoreline.
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 St. Cloud, 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 | 3,000 cfs to 9,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| High threshold | 12,000 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 St. Cloud |
| 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 map sequenceMontissippi river mile 899-898.4 to Norin Landing river mile 891
MN DNR Mississippi Map 8 places Montissippi County Park, Bridgeview Park, Ellison Park, the Mississippi River Islands SNA, and Norin Landing in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWAS01292, WAS01310, and WAS02427
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Montissippi Park, Ellison Park, and Norin Landing with source-backed coordinates and river miles.
- DNR bands2,000 / 3,000-9,000 / 12,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the St. Cloud gauge as Scrapable below 2,000 cfs, Low from 2,000 to 3,000, Medium from 3,000 to 9,000, High from 9,000 to 12,000, and Very High above 12,000.
- Current gauge check4,490 cfs at 2026-07-16 04:45 PM
The current MN DNR feed placed St. Cloud in the official medium band during this run.
- Camping contextDay route only
Bridgeview Park camping is by permission only and Dimmick Island campsite is downstream of Norin, so this card does not assume on-route camping.
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.
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 St. Cloud, MN and treats 3,000 cfs to 9,000 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, Montissippi Park Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Norin Landing Public Water Access Site, about About 7.8 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.