Paddle It.

This summer, have an adventure right here in the Twin Cities!

The Mississippi River Challenge takes you through breathtaking natural scenery and historic urban settings.

The Mississippi River Challenge takes you on a journey from Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park in the north metro to Grey Cloud Island, south of the St. Paul. On your excursion, you will:

• Listen to the sounds of a Native American drum ceremony as you push off from shore
• Travel with voyageurs in historical dress, with vast river knowledge
• Experience the diversity of the prairie and floodplain reaches of the river
• Paddle the only gorge on the entire length of the Mississippi
• Travel urban riverfronts and stretches of what feel like near-pristine wilderness – all in the heart of the cities
• Negotiate the cavernous Upper and Lower St. Anthony and Ford Locks
• Camp inside a historic fort, and more!

On Saturday evening, at the Historic Fort Snelling overnight camp atop the river bluffs, you can explore the Fort and take in the fantastic view, enjoy a hearty meal and celebrate with an evening of live music, cold beverages, historic reenactment and revelry. For more information, check out the Night at the Fort page.

The Mississippi River Challenge IS a challenge – one that has been paddled by participants ranging in age from 5 to 82, of all skill and experience levels. Each day is a 22-mile stretch, but you are paddling downstream, and there are two rest stops and a lunch stop both Saturday and Sunday. Full SAG (safety and gear) support is available at each stop, and there are Safety Captains paddling with you who can provide paddling tips as well as any necessary assistance. The event is not a race, and most paddlers set their own speed. For more SAG and safety information, visit the Event Information page.

Along the route, you have the opportunity to learn unique and interesting facts about the river’s history and the community’s interaction with it, its ecology and wildlife, and Friends of the Mississippi River’s work to protect the Twin Cities stretch.

For more information and event specifics, check out the Event Information page.

Questions about the event? Check out our FAQ page or request more information.

Protect It.

Paddle the Mississippi River Challenge and help Friends of the Mississippi River protect, conserve and restore the Mississippi River. The pledge funds you raise will directly support our 2009 projects, including:

• Raising community awareness and developing grassroots initiatives to protect water quality, habitat and public health in rapidly developing areas
• Restoring and protecting hundreds of acres of oak savannah, prairie and wetland to provide ecological and recreational amenities to your community
• Engaging more than 3,500 volunteers and 1,500 members in activities such as river clean-ups, habitat restoration and Special Places Tours to restore and enjoy the vitality and beauty of the Mississippi River watershed.

Your pledges go right to work for the river and the community! And by raising pledges from people you know, you are helping us spread the word about the importance of the Mississippi River to the Twin Cities region and why protecting is so critical.

The Mississippi River is one of the world's great rivers and is considered a natural resource of global significance. It is a defining geographic feature of the North American mid-continent. It’s watershed, or the area that drains to the river, draws from 31 states and two Canadian provinces. It is a flyway for tropical songbirds, is home to bald eagles, and is traversed by 40% of North America's ducks, geese, swans and other waterfowl.

Here in the Twin Cities, the Mississippi provides recreational opportunities for thousands of people. Its numerous riverside parks and trails are used for hiking, biking, fishing and bird watching. Many Twin Cities residents consider the river essential to their quality of life.

The Mississippi River is also the source of the Twin Cities’ drinking water, and numerous municipal and private wells are within its local watershed. Keeping the Mississippi clean is essential for public health – it’s not just about the health of the river.

Visit the Raising Pledges page to get more information on ways to meet and exceed the pledge minimums, and how you can do your part for this great river!