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Minnesota | Northwest Minnesota
Red Lake RiverSt. Hilaire City Park to Sportsman's Park
Long Red Lake River connector from St. Hilaire to Sportsman's Park, filling the gap between the existing upstream St. Hilaire card and the downstream Sportsman's-to-Huot route.
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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
Put in at St. Hilaire City Park and take out at Sportsman's Park for the missing Red Lake River connector between the existing Highway-1-to-St.-Hilaire and Sportsman's-to-Huot cards. The Red Lake Falls gauge is current and in the official medium band.
Access map
Put-in
Red Lake River, St. Hilaire City Park Public Water Access SiteSt. Hilaire City Park resolves as WAS00808 at river mile 114.8 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Red Lake River, Sportsman's Park / Red Lake Falls trailer accessThe Sportsman's Park access is represented in public-water-access GIS by the Clearwater River / Sportsman Park record at the confluence area; DNR Map 2 names it as the Red Lake River trailer access at river mile 93.0.
Road shuttle
Stage Sportsman's Park in Red Lake Falls first, then drive upstream to St. Hilaire City Park. This is a long rural shuttle and should be shortened or postponed if the group cannot launch early.
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Red Lake River, St. Hilaire City Park Public Water Access Site to Red Lake River, Sportsman's Park / Red Lake Falls trailer access is about 21.8 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- The CR 13 gauge is near the lower end of the route. Make a visual check at St. Hilaire before committing the upstream miles to that reading.
More route and safety guidance
- DNR notes high tuber frequency from about river mile 96.5 to 93.9; expect crowding, blind bends, and slower passage near Red Lake Falls in season.
- Finish at Sportsman's Park unless a separate downstream plan is staged. Do not improvise extra miles into the Huot reach late in the day.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
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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 | Red Lake River nr Red Lake Falls, CR13 |
| 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 |
| Preferred range | 8.00 ft to 11.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 5.00 ft |
| High threshold | 15.00 ft |
| 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 Red Lake River near Red Lake Falls / County Road 13 |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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 shapeSt. Hilaire RM 114.8 to Sportsman's Park RM 93.0
MN DNR Red Lake River Map 2 places St. Hilaire City Park and Sportsman's Park in sequence, with the CR 13 river-level gauge just upstream of the take-out.
- Public access recordsWAS00808 to WAS01943
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves St. Hilaire City Park and the Sportsman Park / Clearwater River confluence access with source-backed coordinates; DNR Map 2 identifies Sportsman's Park as the Red Lake River trailer access.
- Official DNR bands5 / 8-11 / 15 ft
MN DNR interprets Red Lake Falls CR 13 as Scrapable below 5 ft, Low from 5 to 8, Medium from 8 to 11, High from 11 to 15, and Very High above 15.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-229.97 ft at 2026-07-22 15:30 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.
- Safety contextClass I-II rapids and tuber zone
DNR Map 2 notes intermittent Class I-II rapids below St. Hilaire and high tuber frequency near Red Lake Falls before Sportsman's Park.
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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