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Minnesota | Duluth Area

St. Louis RiverToivola to County Road 29

Paddle 15.7 miles from the Toivola carry-in to County Road 29 on a remote St. Louis River reach with steady current and occasional shallow rapids. The Floodwood gauge is downstream of the take-out, so check local depth at both accesses; below DNR's 24.4-foot scrapable threshold, expect dragging and exposed rock. DNR maps a watercraft campsite near river mile 90.8; confirm current rules before planning an overnight.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 15.7 mi
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 6 hr to 9 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
The rocky St. Louis River spreads across a broad valley surrounded by fall foliage in Jay Cooke State Park, Minnesota.
River contextSt. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Lorie Shaull
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.

Permits, camping and season
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Use DNR public accesses, follow Minnesota boating/PFD rules, and obey state water-trail, forest, campsite, and private-bank rules.
CampingOptions nearbyDNR Map 1 marks a watercraft campsite near river mile 90.8 between Toivola and County Road 29. Use only designated or otherwise legal public-land sites, and do not camp on private banks or riverbed next to private property.
SeasonMay-SepDNR says this St. Louis segment usually peaks in late April and falls through summer, with enough water for paddling most of the season. Treat low Floodwood readings and local storms as route-changing conditions.

Access and shuttle

Launch at Toivola and take out at County Road 29 after 15.7 miles on a remote reach with occasional shallow rapids. Floodwood is a downstream proxy gauge, so check local depth at both accesses; when it is below DNR's 24.4-foot scrapable threshold, expect dragging and exposed rock. A mapped watercraft campsite near river mile 90.8 may support an overnight if current rules and conditions allow.

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Start

Put-in

St. Louis River, Toivola Public Water Access Site
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Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Toivola as WAS00615 at river mile 94.2 and County Road 29 as WAS02129 at river mile 78.5.

Finish

Take-out

St. Louis River, Co Rd 29 Public Water Access Site
DirectionsOpen map

The Floodwood gauge is downstream of the take-out. Treat it as a same-corridor proxy and check local depth at Toivola and County Road 29 before launching.

Road shuttle

Stage County Road 29 first, then drive back to Toivola. Confirm both DNR carry-in accesses, the Floodwood gauge, and whether the river mile 90.8 campsite is part of the plan before unloading.

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Additional access notes
  • County Road 29 is the planned finish. Do not continue toward Floodwood without a separate shuttle, daylight, and low/high-water plan.
More route and safety guidance
  • DNR Map 1 and Map 2 place this as a remote bridge-to-access connector with watercraft campsite context, wooded banks, and limited simple exits.
  • Do not extend past County Road 29 toward Floodwood unless the separate downstream route, daylight, and gauge caveats are accepted.
Terms and safety
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Sources and methodology

Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.

NotesPublished evidence and verification notes

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Map sequenceToivola RM 94.2 to County Road 29 RM 78.5

    MN DNR St. Louis Map 1 places Toivola and the upper campsite context; Map 2 continues the sequence to County Road 29 and the Floodwood corridor.

    Source

  • Public access recordsWAS00615 to WAS02129

    Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Toivola and County Road 29 as DNR-administered St. Louis River access sites with river miles and coordinates.

    Source

  • Official DNR bands24.4 / 28-37 / 42 ft

    MN DNR interprets the Floodwood gauge as Scrapable below 24.4 ft, Low from 24.4 to 28, Medium from 28 to 37, High from 37 to 42, and Very High above 42.

    Source

  • Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2223.26 ft at 2026-07-22 10:45 PM

    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.

    Source

  • Camping postureMapped watercraft campsite

    DNR Map 1 marks a watercraft campsite near river mile 90.8 between Toivola and County Road 29; use only designated or otherwise legal public-land sites.

    Source

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Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Other routes nearby

More on St. Louis River

All 9
County Road 29 to FloodwoodDuluth AreaModerate · About 6.4 mi including the Floodwood River take-out approach

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Mississippi RiverCounty Line Access to Jacobson Campground · about 27 straight-line mi awayEasy · About 4.9 mi

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