Des Moines River Water Trail
Mileage estimates are based on Corps
river gauges, printed distances in various guides, and my own GPS readings.
This chart includes the river mile for each access point, dam, or bridge.
| Access | In or Near | County | Approximate Distance |
River Mile |
| 17 county conservation boards . . including Hamilton County and Kossuth County have endorsed the river trail | *Corps River Gauge | |||
| 4th St. | Estherville | Emmet | 1 | 405 |
| City Park | Estherville | Emmet | 9 | 404* |
| Peterson | Wallingford | Emmet | 17 | 395 |
| Basswood | Emmetsburg | Palo Alto | 13 | 380* |
| Mulroney | Rodman | Palo Alto | 8 | 367 |
| River Runner | West Bend | Palo Alto | 6 | 359 |
| Hamm's Bridge | Rolfe | Pocahontas | 4 | 353 |
| Willow | Bradgate | Humboldt | 10 | 349 |
| Rutland Dam | Rutland | Humboldt | 3 | 341 |
| Oxbow Park | Humboldt | Humboldt | 2 | 338 |
| Lower Sheldon | Humboldt | Humboldt | 2 | 336 |
| Hydo dam | Humboldt | Humboldt | 1 | 335 |
| First Ave. bridge | Humboldt | Humboldt | 6 | 334* |
| Gotch Park | Humboldt | Humboldt | .2 | 328 |
| REC Cornbelt dam | Humboldt | Humboldt | 7 | 328 |
| Deer Creek access | Ft. Dodge | Webster | 7 | 321 |
| Hydo dam | Ft. Dodge | Webster | 3 | 314* |
Top of page  |
Estherville to Ft. Dodge | . . . . . . . . | 91 | |
| Low head dam, boat ramp | Ft. Dodge | Webster | 13 | 311 |
| Dolliver State Park | Lehigh | Webster | 3 | 297 |
| Lehigh, upper and lower | Lehigh | Webster | 3 | 294 |
| Deception Hollow | Lehigh | Webster | 14 | 291 |
| Skillet | Dayton | Webster | 1 | 277* |
| Hwy. 175 bridge | Stratford | Webster | 1 | 276 |
| Carlson Recreation area | Webster | 9 | 275 | |
| Fraser, upper and lower | Fraser | Boone | 6 | 266 |
| Boone Waterworks | Boone | Boone | 7 | 261 |
| Boone Hwy. 30 | Boone | Boone | 5 | 254 |
| Ledges | Luther | Boone | 3 | 249 |
| Luther | Luther | Boone | 4 | 246 |
| Sportsman's Access | Luther | Boone | 5 | 242 |
| Madrid | Madrid | Boone | 3 | 237 |
| Woodward sub-1 ramp | Woodward | Dallas | 9 | 233 |
| Jester Park | Saylorville Dam | Polk | 11 | 224 |
| Saylorville dam | Polk | 1 | 213* | |
Top of page |
Ft. Dodge to Saylorville | . . . . . . . . | 102 | |
| Cottonwood | Saylorville Dam | Polk | 1 | 212 |
| Sycamore | Des Moines | Polk | 6 | 211 |
| Prospect | Des Moines | Polk | 2 | 205 |
| Birdland | Des Moines | Polk | 3 | 203 |
| Scott Ave. dam | Des Moines | Polk | 1 | 200* |
| Harriet St. | Des Moines | Polk | 6 | 199 |
| Vandalia Rd./Hwy. 65 | Pleasant Hill | Polk | 4 | 195 |
| Yellowbanks State Park | Vandalia | Polk | 10 | 191 |
| Hartford | Hartford | Polk/Warren | 2 | 182 |
| Hwy. 316 bridge access | Runnels | Polk/Warren | 6 | 180* |
| Bennington | Runnels | Marion | 8 | 173 |
| Boxcars | Monroe | Marion | 8 | 164 |
| Elk Rock | Lake Red Rock | Marion | 9 | 153 |
| South Access | Lake Red Rock | Marion | 1 | 143* |
Top of page  |
Saylorville dam to Red Rock dam | . . . . . . . . . . . . | 72 | |
| Tailwater | Lake Red Rock | Marion | 19 | 142* |
| Eveland | Bussey | Mahaska | 8 | 122 |
| Hardfish | Eddyville | Monroe | 16 | 114 |
| Black Hawk | Ottumwa | Wapello | 2 | 98 |
| City Park | Ottumwa | Wapello | 1 | 96 |
| Hydro dam | Ottumwa | Wapello | 1 | 95 |
| Coliseum | Ottumwa | Wapello | 4 | 94* |
| Cliffland | Agency | Wapello | 11 | 89 |
| Eldon | Eldon | Wapello | 5 | 78 |
| Shidepoke | Selma | Van Buren | 5 | 73 |
| Douds | Douds | Van Buren | 10 | 68 |
| Austin Park | Keosauqua | Van Buren | 6 | 59 |
| Keosauqua | Keosauqua | Van Buren | 8 | 51* |
| Bentonsport | Bentonsport | Van Buren | 4 | 44 |
| Bonaparte | Bonaparte | Van Buren | 4 | 39 |
| Des Moines River | Bonaparte | Van Buren | 3 | 35 |
| Farmington | Farmington | Van Buren | 10 | 32 |
| Turkey Run | Argyle | Lee | 10 | 22 |
| St. Francisville | St. Francisville, Mo. | 11 | 12 | |
| Red Wing | Keokuk | Lee | 1 | 1 |
| Red Rock to the Mississippi | . . . . . . | 141 | ||
Top of page |
Total River Miles | 404 | ||
