See all 11 routes on North Raccoon River
Iowa | Northwest Iowa
North Raccoon River
White Horse Access to Grant Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
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.
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
Checking the next several hours.
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
Paddle the short wooded White Horse-to-Grant split, ending at Grant Park before the rock-dam decision and campground area.
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
White Horse AccessDNR says the Grant Park rock-dam take-out requires scouting because no signs are visible from the river.
Take-out
Grant ParkGrant Park's coordinate is a practical park/ramp anchor derived from the named park location and North Raccoon shoreline context; verify the actual ramp before launching.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- DNR says the Grant Park rock-dam take-out requires scouting because no signs are visible from the river.
- Grant Park's coordinate is a practical park/ramp anchor derived from the named park location and North Raccoon shoreline context; verify the actual ramp before launching.
- Do not drift past Grant unless the Grant-to-Rainbow route is staged from below the rock-dam boundary.
Watch for
- White Horse rock-dam context at the put-in and low-water scrape points.
- Unsigned Grant Park rock-dam approach and portage/take-out decision.
- Wood, private banks, fast rises, and short-route timing into the take-out.
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
Data and sources
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 Lanesboro, IA |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 0.00 ft to 11.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 0.00 ft |
| High threshold | 11.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Iowa DNR North Raccoon Sac/Calhoun/Carroll guide Lanesboro/Jefferson guidance |
| 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.
- Official splitWhite Horse Access to Grant Park, 4.5 mi
Iowa DNR describes the 4.5 miles between White Horse Access and Grant Park as a wooded lower-North-Raccoon water-trail reach.
- Grant portageScout; portage recommended at normal levels
DNR says the Grant Park rock-dam take-out needs scouting because no signs are visible from the river, and portaging is recommended for all except skilled whitewater paddlers.
- Endpoint supportWhite Horse public access; Grant hard-surface ramp and campground
Iowa DNR says White Horse was created to provide paddler access, and MyCountyParks says Grant Park has a hard-surface boat ramp and three camping areas.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05482430 7.65 ft; USGS 05482300 54.3 cfs / 6.85 ft; USGS 05482500 218 cfs / 5.12 ft
USGS Water Services returned current North Raccoon values at 2026-07-24 02:15 CDT during this run.
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
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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 Lanesboro, IA and treats 0.00 ft to 11.00 ft 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 White Horse Access and ends at Grant Park, about 4.5 mi on the water.
Is this North Raccoon River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.