See all 9 routes on North Raccoon River
Iowa | Northwest Iowa
North Raccoon RiverGrant Park to Rainbow Bend Access
Lower Sac-to-Calhoun North Raccoon connector from campground-supported Grant Park to Rainbow Bend, with narrow pasture corridor, eroding banks, wood, and endpoint camping context.
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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 below the Grant Park rock-dam boundary and paddle the rural North Raccoon corridor to Rainbow Bend, where the existing downstream Rainbow-to-Richey card begins.
Access map
Put-in
Grant Park below-dam relaunchDo not launch above or run the Grant rock dam as part of this split. Stage the below-dam relaunch from land.
Take-out
Rainbow Bend AccessRainbow Bend no longer has the older ramp; DNR says paddlers should carry to the sand/silt beach.
Road shuttle
Stage Rainbow Bend south of Lake City and confirm the walk-down landing, then start only below the Grant Park rock-dam/portage boundary.
Additional access notes
- Grant coordinates are practical park/ramp anchors, and Rainbow Bend coordinates reuse the existing accepted V2 access point.
More route and safety guidance
- DNR says the corridor below Grant narrows through pasture, hay, and row-crop country with steep eroded banks and scattered trees before the wider Rainbow Bend area.
- Rainbow Bend is a walk-down access with primitive camping and toilets. Confirm the landing from land and avoid informal private-bank exits.
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Conditions
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Station details and river cameras
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Measurement notes and coverage
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River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
North Raccoon River near Lanesboro, IA. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
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.
- Official route familyWhite Horse Access to Grant Park to Rainbow Bend Access, 16.6 mi
Iowa DNR names the official water-trail section and describes the corridor from White Horse through Grant to Rainbow Bend.
- Grant-to-Rainbow corridorAbout 12.1 mi after the 4.5-mi White-Horse-to-Grant split
The route uses the downstream portion of DNR's 16.6-mile section after the documented 4.5-mile White-Horse-to-Grant reach.
- Camping and accessGrant amenities; Rainbow Bend primitive camping/toilets
DNR says Grant Park has camping and all amenities, and Rainbow Bend has primitive camping and toilets. MyCountyParks corroborates Grant's ramp and camping.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-24USGS 05482430 7.65 ft; USGS 05482300 54.3 cfs / 6.85 ft; USGS 05482500 218 cfs / 5.12 ft
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Other routes nearby
More on North Raccoon River
All 9Nearby routes within 75 miles
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