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Minnesota | Grand Rapids Area
Mississippi RiverSteamboat Landing to Blackberry Bridge
Official MN DNR Grand Rapids-area day trip from Steamboat Landing to Blackberry Bridge, starting below the Blandin dam/portage zone and using the nearby Grand Rapids interpreted gauge.
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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 Steamboat Landing in Grand Rapids and take out at Blackberry Bridge for DNR's 8-mile upper Map 3 day trip. The Grand Rapids DNR river-level site is in the launch corridor and provides official interpreted bands for the route.
Access map
Put-in
Mississippi River, Steamboat Landing Public Water Access SiteSteamboat Landing resolves as WAS00984 at river mile 1178.9; Blackberry Bridge resolves as WAS02539 at river mile 1170.9.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Blackberry Bridge Public Water Access SiteStart below the Blandin dam/Grand Rapids control corridor and do not improvise launch choices at the dam or mill area.
Road shuttle
Stage Blackberry Bridge first, then drive back to Steamboat Landing in Grand Rapids. This route starts below the Blandin dam corridor and should be treated as the upper half of the DNR Steamboat-to-County-Road-72 Map 3 trip chain, not as a reason to continue past the planned take-out.
Additional access notes
- Sucher's campsite is the only documented on-route overnight option in this short reach; confirm availability, water-trail rules, and weather before planning an overnight.
- The DNR trip description calls the reach easy but notes small riffles during low water, so make a same-day visual call at Steamboat even when the gauge is above the scrapable floor.
More route and safety guidance
- Low water creates shallow riffles and sandbars; high or rising water can add stronger current, debris, and pushy landings.
- Stop only at public accesses or designated campsites. DNR says riverbed camping next to private property is not permitted.
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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.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Mississippi River at Grand Rapids, MN |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| Preferred range | 44 cfs to 1,410 cfs |
| Low threshold | 30 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,910 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 Grand Rapids |
| Gauge source | Checking |
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Recommended day tripSteamboat Landing RM 1178.9 to Blackberry Bridge RM 1170.9
MN DNR recommends Steamboat Landing to Blackberry Bridge as an 8-mile Mississippi River day trip with easy paddling and low-water riffle caveats.
- Public access recordsWAS00984 to WAS02539
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Steamboat Landing and Blackberry Bridge with coordinates, administrators, and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands30 / 44-1,410 / 1,910 cfs
MN DNR interprets Grand Rapids as Scrapable below 30 cfs, Low from 30 to 44, Medium from 44 to 1,410, High from 1,410 to 1,910, and Very High above 1,910.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-22224 cfs at 2026-07-22 18:45 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.
- Camping and hazard contextSucher's campsite; Grand Rapids dam corridor upstream
MN DNR Map 3 places Sucher's watercraft campsite between the endpoints and maps the Blandin dam/portage upstream of Steamboat.
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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