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Iowa | Central Iowa
North Raccoon River
Squirrel Hollow Park to Adkins Bridge Access
Check current paddling conditions for this North Raccoon River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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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 Squirrel Hollow Park and take out at Adkins Bridge for a short North Raccoon bluff-country split. The route is accessible, but DNR non-meandered-stream rules, wood, and rock-dam-style riffles keep it from being a casual no-check float.
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
Squirrel Hollow Park boat rampUse the Squirrel Hollow public boat ramp / park access, not informal wildlife-area banks.
Take-out
Adkins Bridge AccessAdkins Bridge is the planned take-out 3.8 miles downstream; verify it before launching because missing it turns a short trip into a longer private-bank problem.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Use the Squirrel Hollow public boat ramp / park access, not informal wildlife-area banks.
- Adkins Bridge is the planned take-out 3.8 miles downstream; verify it before launching because missing it turns a short trip into a longer private-bank problem.
- The North Raccoon is non-meandered in this corridor. Stay with public accesses and marked public areas.
Watch for
- Downed trees and log piles, especially on sharp wooded bends.
- Fishing riffles or rock-dam remnants that may need scouting or portaging at some levels.
- Fast rises after rain and colder, pushier water when the Jefferson gauge climbs toward the upper end of the selected band.
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
Why this score
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 | North Raccoon River near Jefferson, IA |
| 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 | 150 cfs to 2,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle North Raccoon Jefferson to Cooper estimated range |
| 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.
- Current gauge check243 cfs / 5.17 ft at 2026-07-22 22:15 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current North Raccoon near Jefferson discharge and stage during this run.
- Threshold range150-2,000 cfs
CanWePaddle ties the Jefferson-to-Cooper North Raccoon corridor to USGS 05482500 and estimates a 150 to 2,000 cfs runnable window.
- Public endpointsSquirrel Hollow Park to Adkins Bridge Access
Greene County / MyCountyParks says Squirrel Hollow offers canoeing and kayaking and that the Adkins Bridge boat ramp is 3.8 miles downstream.
- Official corridorGreene County North Raccoon bluff-country water trail
Iowa DNR water-trail material identifies the Squirrel Hollow to Adkins Bridge area inside the Greene County North Raccoon water-trail corridor.
- Safety contextWood, private banks, rock dams
Iowa DNR warns about downed trees and log piles, especially on sharp bends, and explains that land adjacent to and under this non-meandered river is private except at access sites and marked public areas.
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.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
North Raccoon River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling North Raccoon River?
Paddle Today watches North Raccoon River near Jefferson, IA and treats 150 cfs to 2,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this North Raccoon River route start and end?
This route starts at Squirrel Hollow Park boat ramp and ends at Adkins Bridge Access, about About 3.8 mi on the water.
Is this North Raccoon 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.