See all 5 routes on Red River of the North
Minnesota | Red River Valley
Red River of the North
Kidder Recreation Area to Brushvale Bridge Recreation Area
Check current paddling conditions for this Red River of the North route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Kidder Recreation Area and take out at Brushvale Bridge Recreation Area for MN DNR’s 10.4-mile Red River day trip. The RR1 gauge is at the take-out river mile and has official DNR bands.
Put-in
Kidder Recreation AreaOpen mapDNR says there are boat ramps at both the Kidder put-in and Brushvale take-out, but the route is on the Minnesota/North Dakota border and the access records are not in the Minnesota public-water-access GIS layer.
Take-out
Brushvale Bridge Recreation AreaOpen mapUse the RR1 gauge as the primary same-day level check, then inspect both ramps for mud, debris, closure signs, bank condition, and current.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- DNR says there are boat ramps at both the Kidder put-in and Brushvale take-out, but the route is on the Minnesota/North Dakota border and the access records are not in the Minnesota public-water-access GIS layer.
- Use the RR1 gauge as the primary same-day level check, then inspect both ramps for mud, debris, closure signs, bank condition, and current.
- The Red touches two states. Avoid private banks, farm approaches, and unmarked shore stops unless current public access is clear.
Watch for
- Low water below 3.8 ft at RR1, when mud, bars, and poor boat control can make the route unsuitable.
- High or rising water above 9.5 ft at RR1, floodplain debris, fast current, and harder recovery in a broad muddy channel.
- Snags, islands, bridge current, fishing lines, motorboats, wind exposure, storms, and limited quick exits.
Route gallery
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Red River - RR1 |
| Stage | 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 | 4.00 ft to 9.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.80 ft |
| High threshold | 9.50 ft |
| Data confidence 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 River RR1 |
| 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 check4.47 ft at 2026-07-22 17:30 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed RR1 in the official medium band during this run.
- Official DNR bands3.8 / 4.0-9.0 / 9.5 ft
MN DNR interprets RR1 as Scrapable below 3.8 ft, Low from 3.8 to 4.0, Medium from 4.0 to 9.0, High from 9.0 to 9.5, and Very High above 9.5.
- Recommended day trip10.4 river miles
MN DNR recommends Kidder Recreation Area at river mile 555.5 to Brushvale Bridge Recreation Area at river mile 545.1 and says both the put-in and take-out have boat ramps.
- Safety contextSnags, low water, flooding
DNR warns that Red River hazards include dams, widely fluctuating water levels, flooding during spring, summer and fall, unsuitable low-water conditions, and common snags.
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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Red River of the North paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Red River of the North?
Paddle Today watches Red River - RR1 and treats 4.00 ft to 9.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Red River of the North route start and end?
This route starts at Kidder Recreation Area and ends at Brushvale Bridge Recreation Area, about 10.4 mi on the water.
Is this Red River of the North 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.
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