A STATE WATER TRAIL GUIDE TO THE LONG PRAIRIE RIVER 1010 73 210210 210210 210210 7575 11 210210 2323 7777 C 21 r 210210 9 ow Motley CASS CO. 210210 Wing 2929 73 210210 10 7575 73 River Hewitt 7 5 O. Inman Route Description of the Long Prairie River 71 68 WMA Lawrence 28 WMA TODD C NOTE: (R) and (L) represent right and left banks of the river when facing downstream. 7676 7272 RIVER MILE 28 2323 Staples PRAIRIE 11 MORRISONMO CO 7777 9 WMA 93.7 Lake Carlos State Park and lake outlet. 47.3 Riverside Drive bridge. 73 7 47.2 2 Campround and access. Railroad bridge. 24 93.4 Dam. 47.2 State Highway 71 bridge. 2323 10 7575 91.9 State Highway 29 bridge. 37.5 County Highway 90 bridge. 2121 Elmo WMA Moran 91.9(R) State Highway 29 carry in access. 34.2 (R) Carry in access, city of Browerville. 2424 2424 202202 2424 91.1 Miltona Carlos Road bridge. 33.0 County Highway 14 bridge. Bertha 66 28 LONG 89.3 Soo Line Railroad bridge. 29.1 County Highway 79 bridge. 74 Philbrook 86.4 County Highway 65 bridge. 27.9- Long Prairie State WMA. WMA 40 Shamin 84.0 County Highway 3 bridge. 24.0 74 15 eau Lake 79.9 County Highway 3 bridge. 26.0 (R) Long Prairie WMA carry in access. 1 County Highway 3 bridge. 21.9 77.1 Oak Ridge Road bridge. 7 72.7 County Highway 1 bridge. 19.0 400th Street bridge. Brook 66.9 County Highway 69 bridge. 15.9 County Highway 26 bridge. 26 71 81 203203 64.1 County Highway 38 bridge. 12.3 County Highway 7 bridge. 9.7 1010 56.2 County Highway 11 bridge. Railroad bridge. 7575 Reynolds Township carry in access. 9.3 21 53.5 (R) 311th Ave. bridge. 7 136136 47.6 (R) Lions Westside Park and rest area. 3.4 State Highway 10 bridge 3 2020 47.3 (L) Carry in access, city of Long Prairie. 0.0 Crow Wing River confluence 11 Fish Trap Lake 20 29 136136 70 2222 Kobliska Lake 2222 WMA Eastern 1717 Alexander 136136 WMA SNA Pendergast 2222 79 Lake 2020 Horsehead 42 1 Eagle Lake Bend 6 89 21 Long West Prairie Annalaide Lake 2222 WMA Parkers 2222 7878 Prairie 42 1818 235235 25 46 46 71 Long Prairie 80 WMA 1010 46 11 3 1818 Lake 18 Rice Lake Mary Big Adley TODD CO. Lake Lake 7171 2020 63 1616 OTTER TAIL CO. OTTER TAIL 2020 6969 Ruff-Nik Turtle 1616 89 Creek WMA Clarissa 71 30 WMA OTTER TAIL CO. Thunder 62 Pine Island DOUGLAS CO. 21 18 L Schulke Lake 11 WMA Miltona 84 84 WMA 1 1616 60 63 3 Spruce Creek 11 Sheets 3 16 2929 WMA Lake 2525 Hartfiel WMA WMA ek 1414 re 36 36 C 66 1414 Browerville 14 1414 1414 Coal 1414 Lake O. Browerville 1414 5 Lake 64 35 1111 Irene 65 89 TODD C 66 71 Burleene MORRISON CO. 1414 3131 WMA Freemans 1414 Little Elk 1414 90 Hartford WMA Lake Spruce WMA Miltona 1 Iona Miltona 3 8787 WMA 2929 217217 3 5 2525 Creek Big Spruce TODD CO. Mill WMA DOUGLAS CO. 88 Lake Creek 11 Carry-in Access 5 tle 86 40 r 5 u 38 T 38 Water Access Lake Carlos Creek 60 30 2929 State Park 89 Campground 62 Dismal Beauty 85 PRAIRIE Lake Outfitter Lake Carlos 65 65 86 SPK 1 Dam NE 29 3 69 69 38 71 80 69 86 13 3 55 29 River Mile D 5 90 45 13 LONG Reynolds Long Designated Public Land Lake Carlos Township 38 Prairie Dam 13 75 50 86 Long Hwy 29 City Bounds Carlos 3636 Prairie 70 36 reek 27 30 C 27 3 WMA Wildlife Management Area 42 36 11 12 9 85 SNA Scientific and Natural Area 30 Holister McCarrahan WMA Belle River 7171 1 Lake 28Scale in Miles WMA 1010 1010 0 123 Lake 1010 287287 Osakis Charlotte 39 Carlos 74 lamus 3 2626 Lake Lake 0 12345 9 Ca 3737 71 1212 29 NORTH Kilometers © 2014 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources A STATE WATER TRAIL GUIDE TO THE LONG PRAIRIE RIVER LONG PRAIRIE A STATE WATER RIVER TRAIL Guide The Long Prairie River gently flows through a diverse landscape of Minnesota State Parks and Trails shaded woods, farm fields and floodplain meadows and forests. mndnr.gov/watertrails Red Eye The Long Prairie River when passing through the culverts to ensure not By 1877 the water level had fallen so that only of your plans including planned departure and • Be sanitary! Use designated toilet facilities or Crow River tipping your canoe. small watercrafts could navigate the river. Today, arrival times. bury human waste away from the river. Perham The Long Prairie River gently flows through a while wooded areas are returning, the majority of • Travel with a companion or group. 10 71 diverse landscape of shaded woods, farm fields Currently recreational facilities along the Long land around the river is cultivated, hay, pasture, or • Choose a distance that is comfortable for you, Wadena Wing Otter TailOttertail Brainerd and floodplain meadows and forests. The river Prairie River are somewhat limited. Because of a grassland. most people paddle two to three river miles per Motley River Staples winds its way eastward from its starting point at wide marshy floodplain and lack of suitable hour. Pine Lake Carlos in Eastern Douglas County for 95 public riparian land, access is limited to using Fishing • Wear a U. S. Coast Guard approved personal Mississippi RIVER miles until it flows into the Crow Wing River two bridge crossings and parking along road flotation device that state law requires be on miles southeast of Motley. shoulders. The City of Long Prairie does own The Long Prairie River provides a sport fishery board the boat for each person. Chippewa River PRAIRIE 10 parkland along the river that provides public for northern pike and walleye. Both small and • Bring a first aid kit that includes waterproof LONG Long Little Prairie Falls access to the river. large mouth bass are also found in the river. matches. 94 Alexandria 71 River Camping is limited to Lake Carlos State Park, at Recent fish surveys have • Bring an extra paddle in your canoe. the headwaters of the river. The park has two found high numbers of • Be cautious of river obstructions, such as Sauk campgrounds; a lakeside facility, and a second white sucker and shorthead overhanging and dead trees in the river. North Fork St. facility away from the lake up in the hills. A total redhorse. The upper • You must pack out all trash. 94 Cloud of 125 sites are available at the park. portions of the Long Prairie • Leave only footprints; take only photographs! Crow River River are stocked with 71 Historically, the Long Prairie River served as smallmouth bass in an Water levels can speed or slow you down. You hunting and fishing grounds for the Dakota and attempt to establish a can get information about water levels from the Sustainable Ecosystems “The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer” Ojibwa Native Americans. The river also served spawning population in regional DNR office, or check the DNR website, Outdoor recreation is dependent on a healthy as a means of transportation to the Crow Wing Lake Carlos. or the DNR Information Center. Remember that and attractive natural environment. Sustainable river otter This information is available in alternative Over the 95 mile length of the Long Prairie River River and then the Mississippi River. much of the shorelands are privately owned. outdoor recreation enables people to enjoy the format upon request. it drops from an initial elevation of 1360 feet Wildlife Respect and protect the water and shorelands. outdoors without negative impacts on the above sea level at Lake Carlos to approximately European settlers first started establishing environment. 1215 feet at the confluence with the Crow Wing themselves in the area in the 1840s. At this time A variety of wildlife species call the river home. Boating Information Communities working together can improve River. the river and connecting streams were much Different species of waterfowl, great blue herons water resources by promoting environmentally Minnesota State Parks and Trails deeper, and at one point a steamboat was able to and many kinds of songbirds along with the • Register your watercraft. All watercraft more Area Office sensitive land use practices along rivers and While the entire river is designated canoe and regularly travel part of the river. Originally the occasional muskrat, beaver, otter and mink can be than 9 feet in length, including nonmotorized 940 Industrial Drive South, #103 throughout watersheds. Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 boating route, low water levels may result in majority of the river flowed through forested found along the river. The few forested and canoes and kayaks, must be registered in 320-255-4279 portions of the river being impassable. The river areas. The woods consisted of a variety of hard grassland areas along the river are inhabited by Minnesota or your state of residence. Natural shoreline buffers improve water quality is generally considered accessible by novice woods and pines. One of the first industries was many game species such as grouse, pheasant, wild • Not all portions of this water trail are suitable by filtering out pollutants and sediments. Healthy Online water trail information and and diverse native shoreline plant communities maps can be found at canoers; however, snags can provide challenges logging.