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Minnesota | Northwest Metro
Mississippi RiverNorin Landing to Babcock Public Water Access
Upper split of the Two Paddles MR 20 route from Norin Landing near Otsego to Babcock. This keeps the full Norin-to-Anoka course usable in PaddleToday without duplicating the already-added Babcock-to-Peninsula Point finish leg.
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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 Norin Landing and take out at Babcock for the upper split of the Two Paddles MR 20 course. It is a shorter big-river leg that connects cleanly to the existing Babcock-to-Anoka route.
Access map
Put-in
Mississippi River, Norin Landing Public Water Access SiteNorin Landing is a City of Otsego public water access on Kadler Avenue with a DNR GIS record, but same-day parking and ramp conditions should still be checked before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Babcock Public Water Access SiteBabcock is a DNR-listed Mississippi access at the Babcock Highway Rest Area with limited trailer parking and no restroom in the GIS record.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Babcock, then drive upstream to Norin Landing. To paddle the full MR 20-style day, continue from Babcock onto the separate Babcock-to-Peninsula Point route.
Additional access notes
- The Hwy 610 gauge is far downstream of this split and below the Coon Rapids Dam corridor. Use it as a conservative mainstem proxy and make a visual call at Norin before launching.
More route and safety guidance
- Islands, bridge approaches, motorboat wakes, floating debris, and bank snags require active channel selection after storms.
- The gauge is a downstream mainstem proxy; make a same-day visual call at Norin and use only the named public accesses.
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Conditions
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Photos and recent reports
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Recent notes from paddlers
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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.
- 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.
- MR 20 splitNorin to Babcock, then Babcock to Anoka
Two Paddles presents MR 20 as the Norin/Kadler-to-Peninsula Point course. PaddleToday splits it here so the upstream Norin-to-Babcock leg pairs with the existing Babcock-to-Peninsula Point route.
- Official accessNorin WAS02427 to Babcock WAS01299
Minnesota public-water-access GIS identifies Norin Landing at river mile 891.0 and Babcock at river mile 883.4 on the Mississippi State Water Trail.
- Put-in photosUser-provided Norin images
The route gallery uses two user-provided Norin Landing photos showing the rocky launch, shoreline, and open Mississippi channel at the put-in.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
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