The canoeable portion of the Cottonwood River begins in the city of Springfield and ends 58 river miles later when it empties into the Minnesota River near New Ulm. There are no major rapids, which makes this a good river for beginning paddlers.
Alert:
Carry in access sites at Brown County Road 11 and Flandrau State Park are closed due to flood damage.
Updated April 21, 2023
- Cottonwood River State Water Trail
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About this segment
Carved out some 10,000 years ago, the steep slopes are now covered with maple, basswood and hackberry trees, with oak and red cedar on the sunny side.
Near the confluence with the Minnesota, the river flows through Flandrau State Park, which offers some great hiking and overnight stay opportunities. The focal point for snag removal and maintenance on this river is from river mile 31.4 to the confluence with the Minnesota River.
The best place to begin a trip is at the Highway 4 access south of Sleepy Eye, or several miles downstream at the County Road 11 access. The take-out point is either at the Cottonwood Street Bridge near Highway 15, or you can continue on down to the confluence of the Minnesota River and then several miles downstream to the Courtland access.
Explore on shore
River mile 6. Beautiful, treed campsites (fee), hiking trails and a sand-bottomed pool.
Local contacts
DNR Southern Region Headquarters, 21371 State Highway 15, New Ulm, MN 56073
507-233-1200Flandrau State Park, 1300 Summit Avenue, New Ulm, MN 56073
507-233-1260Nearest medical facility
New Ulm Medical Center, 1324 5th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073
507-217-5000Sleepy Eye Medical Center, 400 4th Avenue Northwest, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085
507-794-3571
The Cottonwood River in late fall.