Navigating Portages, Locks, and Dams

View of Lock and Dam 1 (Ford Dam) from downstream.

Navigating the Mississippi River within the National River and Recreation Area presents unique challenges due to the presence of four dams and one waterfall along this section of the river. The Coon Rapids Dam and Upper St. Anthony Falls Dam do not have working locks, requiring all boaters to portage around them. The Lower St. Anthony Falls Dam is operational but generally inaccessible, necessitating a portage alongside the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. Lock and Dam 1 (Ford Dam) operates with limited hours, primarily during daytime on weekends, while Lock and Dam 2 offers full operational hours for its lock. It’s important to note that the portages for St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1 are quite lengthy, so shuttling is highly advised. Upcoming projects at Lock and Dam 1 and Upper St. Anthony Falls aim to significantly reduce these portage distances in the future. Paddlers should exercise extreme caution when approaching any dam, as these areas are dangerous and have unfortunately resulted in fatalities. Always prioritize safety and plan your route carefully.

 

Navigational Locks

While priority is given to government and commercial craft before recreational users. paddle craft have the right to using navigational locks. There are three operating locks on the National Water Trail, however Lower St Anthony Falls is not generally accessible to paddle craft and Lock and Dam 1 runs at reduced times. 

The five basic steps of locking through are:

1. Approach the Lock safely, avoiding restricted zones marked by large red signs.

2. Contact the lockmaster on marine channel 14, by pulling the signal rope, or calling the lockmaster directly.

3. Enter the lock when the gates are open and the signal light is green.

4. Hold on to the floating moring bits or hanging ropes as the water goes down to steddy yourself. Never tie off your boat to fixed points on the lock wall. 

5. Exit the lock when the lockmaster signals with either a horn or green light. 

For a more detailed guide on locking through you can watch this video from the US Army Corps of Engineers. 

Contact numbers for operating locks are:

• Lower St Anthony Falls: 651-290-5936

• Lock and Dam 1 (Ford): 651-290-5919

• Lock and Dam 2: 651-290-5828

 

Portages

These guides outline the different portages on the river. The interactive trip planning map (coming soon) will have more detailed information on portage routes.

 

Aerial map of Coon Rapids Dam, the yellow circle shows the take out point and the yellow square the put in point.

Coon Rapids Dam Portage

Portage distance: .31 miles
Trail Type: Most of the portage is paved surface, last hundred feet is a natural surface path. No stairs.

Take out point is river left, hug the river bank and enter the inlet river left. There is a public water access point on the bank.

Follow the road east from the take out point and walk towards the dam, cross the smaller dam structure before turning left onto the island. The island has a natural put in point to the north.

 

Map of the portage trail around the two lock and dams at St Anthony Falls. Take out point is a yellow circle, put in point is a yellow square.

Saint Anthony Falls Portage

Portage distance: 1.54 miles
Trail Type: Nearly all of the portage is paved surface. The take out point has a short flight of wide concrete steps.

Take out point is at Flag Poll Plaza upstream of the Hennepin Ave suspension bridge on river right across from Nicollette Island. The take out requires climbing up a number of steps.

The put in point is at Bohemian Flats which is a sandy beach.

 

Aerial map of the portage around Lock and Dam 1, yellow circle is the takeout point, yellow circle with the chevron is the staircase, and the yellow square is the put in point.

Lock and Dam 1 (Ford Dam)

Note: Due to the long portage using the this lock when operational is advised. Lock operations are: Saturdays and Sundays and on major holidays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the last lockage at 5:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the last lockage at 5:30 p.m. Outside of these hours paddlers must portage around Lock and Dam 1. This portage is currently the longest on the river. There is work to shorten this portage.

Portage distance: 2.85 miles
Trail Type: The first couple hundred feet of the portage is on natural surface trail, then a narrow and very steep staircase, remainder of trail is paved and crushed limestone.

Take out point is the beach on river right just past the Lake St. Bridge. Then you must climb a steep and narrow staircase. Following that the portage is a nearly 2 mile walk on paved trails until reaching Minnehaha Falls Park. At the park you descend to Minnehaha Creek and follow the creek path (crushed limetone) until reaching the river. Put in point is where Minnehaha Creek meets the river.

Paddling on this section of Minnehaha Creek is NOT advised as there are many down trees, rapids and hazards in the creek.