Iowa | Central Iowa
South Raccoon RiverSouth Raccoon River Access to Van Meter Access
Dallas County South Raccoon route from the Redfield-area access down through the confluence corridor to Van Meter, with riffles, sweepers, private-bank limits, and a direct Redfield gauge range.
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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 from the Dallas County South Raccoon River Access near Redfield and paddle the South Raccoon to Van Meter before the lower Raccoon greenbelt route begins. The direct Van Meter gauge controls the score, with the conservative floor set at the route-specific 150 cfs minimum.
Access map
Put-in
South Raccoon River Access / Redfield corridorDallas County describes the South Raccoon River Access as a small gravel carry-down access south of Redfield near the F-60 corridor. Confirm the signed access and parking before unloading.
Take-out
Van Meter AccessVan Meter Access is the required take-out for this route. Continuing to Walnut Woods is a separate lower-Raccoon route with additional ledge and urban-water hazards.
Road shuttle
Use a two-car shuttle between the South Raccoon River Access south of Redfield and Van Meter Access. Check the Van Meter gauge and make a visual call at the put-in because the Dallas County corridor can rise quickly after rain.
Additional access notes
- Pleasant Valley and Earlham Bridge are useful official corridor names for shortening or bailout planning, but the default app route uses Redfield-to-Van Meter endpoints.
- Most banks are private outside public access points. Do not assume sandbars, farm banks, or bridge rights-of-way are legal stops.
More route and safety guidance
- Iowa DNR describes the Redfield-area Raccoon water-trail corridor as intermediate because frequent riffles and occasional sweepers occur even though access spacing is beginner-sized.
- The Van Meter finish is also the start of the lower Raccoon card. Do not drift past the planned take-out unless the group has separately planned the downstream Walnut Woods / Commerce Ledges route.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
South Raccoon River at Redfield, 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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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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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 | South Raccoon River at Redfield, 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 |
| Preferred range | 150 cfs to 2,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,500 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle South Raccoon River Redfield-to-Van-Meter estimated range |
| 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.
- Public put-in supportSouth Raccoon River Access south of Redfield
Dallas County says the South Raccoon River Access is south of Redfield just off F-60 before the confluence, with a small carry-down gravel-pad access.
- Official corridor supportMiddle/South Raccoon River Water Trail
Travel Iowa describes the Middle/South Raccoon River Water Trail as two water trails in one with routes through Redfield and Van Meter, while the Iowa DNR guide documents the Redfield-area access chain and intermediate-skill riffle/sweeper context.
- Published range150 to 2,500 cfs
CanWePaddle publishes a route-specific estimated runnable range of 150 to 2,500 cfs for South Raccoon River Redfield to Van Meter using USGS 05484000.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-22150 cfs / 2.57 ft
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.
- Take-out supportVan Meter Access
Van Meter is an existing app-vetted public Raccoon access and the start of the downstream Van-Meter-to-Walnut-Woods card; this route ends there rather than extending into the Commerce Ledges and Water Works dam boundary.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
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