Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today
RequestRequest

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 7 routes on North Fork Crow River

Minnesota | Central Minnesota

North Fork Crow River

Forest City to Kingston

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

Loading the route coverage map.

Open access map
DistanceAbout 12.0 mi
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 4 hr to 6 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Crow River flows under a railroad bridge in Rockford, Minnesota, with people sitting near the water at the landing.
River contextCrow River at Rockford river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Jerry Huddleston via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

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.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

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

On-water distanceAbout 12.0 miForest City to Kingston
DifficultymoderateDNR flags sandy erodible banks, silver maples, underwater branches, overhanging trees, low bridges, easy rapids, and possible fences on the upper North Fork Crow. Treat this as a moving-water route with frequent obstruction checks.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage Kingston first, then drive back to Forest City. Confirm both accesses from land because the Highway 22 DNR gauge is upstream and cannot show local tree or low-bridge conditions.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Use the named DNR public accesses, follow Minnesota boating/PFD rules, and respect private banks and posted local rules.
CampingDay tripNo on-route public watercraft campsite is documented for this Forest City-to-Kingston section. Plan it as a day trip or reserve lodging/camping away from the river.
SeasonApr-OctLate spring through early fall is realistic when the Highway 22 gauge is at or above the official low floor. Low water can make riffles too shallow; storms can move wood and increase bridge current.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Forest City and take out at Kingston for the DNR-recommended 12-mile upper North Fork Crow section. Use the Highway 22 gauge as a conservative floor, then make local visual checks for wood, low bridges, and depth.

DirectionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

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.

Download GPXAdd to calendar

Start

Put-in

North Fork Crow River, Forest City Public Water Access Site
Open map

Forest City resolves as WAS02367 at river mile 106.2 and Kingston resolves as WAS00687 at river mile 94.2 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.

Finish

Take-out

North Fork Crow River, Kingston Public Water Access Site
Open map

The selected gauge is upstream of the route and has no separate DNR very-high cutoff, so avoid high or rising water even if the card can only model a low-water floor.

Plan this segment

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Forest City resolves as WAS02367 at river mile 106.2 and Kingston resolves as WAS00687 at river mile 94.2 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
  • The selected gauge is upstream of the route and has no separate DNR very-high cutoff, so avoid high or rising water even if the card can only model a low-water floor.
  • Use only named public accesses or confirmed public land for stops.

Watch for

  • Easy rapids, shallow gravel, underwater branches, overhanging trees, and low bridge clearance.
  • Fallen trees, possible farm fences, private banks, cold water, and fresh obstruction after storms.
  • Low water when the Highway 22 gauge drops below the official 80.5 ft floor.

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.

The Crow River flows under a railroad bridge in Rockford, Minnesota, with people sitting near the water at the landing.
Crow River at Rockford river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Jerry Huddleston via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 2.0

Score & sources

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

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.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteNorth Fork Crow River nr Manannah, MN22
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor80.50 ft
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreMN DNR river-level interpretation bands for North Fork Crow River near Manannah / Highway 22
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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 recommended routeForest City to Kingston, 12.0 mi

    MN DNR recommended one-way sections list this North Fork Crow access pair and mileage.

    Source

  • Public access recordsForest City WAS02367 to Kingston WAS00687

    Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves both endpoints with official names, coordinates, and river-mile context.

    Source

  • Official DNR bands80.5 ft low floor; 80.5-82 ft medium

    MN DNR interprets the Highway 22 gauge as Low below 80.5 ft, Medium from 80.5 to 82 ft, and High above 82 ft. The current feed does not publish a separate very-high cutoff.

    Source

  • Current gauge check80.78 ft at 2026-07-23 14:30 CDT

    The current MN DNR feed placed Highway 22 in the official medium band during this run.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Minnesota

All 232 routes
Minnesota route guideBrowse every tracked Minnesota route.Central MinnesotaJump to routes in this region.

More on North Fork Crow River

All 7
Betty T. Mason River Access to Wildlife County ParkCentral MinnesotaModerate · 10.2 miBill Anderson Memorial County Park to Humphrey-Arends Memorial County ParkCentral MinnesotaModerate · 10.2 miHighway 4 to ManannahCentral MinnesotaModerate · About 5.7 miRiverside County Park to DaytonTwin Cities Northwest MetroModerate · 15.3 mi

Nearby routes by distance

Sauk RiverHorseshoe Lake Access to Lions Park · about 16 mi awayEasy · About 7.6 miSauk RiverFrogtown Park to Rockville County Park · about 17 mi awayEasy · 5.0 miSauk RiverFrogtown Park to Eagle Park · about 17 mi awayEasy · 5.6 miSauk RiverFrogtown Park to Miller Landing · about 17 mi awayEasy · 14.2 mi

Quick answers

North Fork Crow River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling North Fork Crow River?

Paddle Today watches North Fork Crow River nr Manannah, MN22 and uses 80.50 ft as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this North Fork Crow River route start and end?

This route starts at North Fork Crow River, Forest City Public Water Access Site and ends at North Fork Crow River, Kingston Public Water Access Site, about About 12.0 mi on the water.

Is this North Fork Crow 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

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update