Kayaking & Canoeing in Iowa

A free guide to paddling every river in Iowa. Pick a river below for its boat launches and access points, nearby campgrounds, mileage and live USGS gauge readings — everything you need to plan a kayaking or canoeing trip on Iowa water.

74

Rivers mapped

1162+

Boat launches

331+

Campgrounds

Every river in Iowa

• Beaver Creek6.1 mi
• Big Cedar Creek42 mi · 5 launches
• Big Sioux River128 mi · 27 launches
• Black Hawk Creek35 mi · 6 launches
• Boone River76 mi · 15 launches
• Boyer River108 mi · 4 launches
• Buffalo Creek35 mi · 9 launches
• Catfish Creek3.2 mi · 1 launches
• Cedar Creek2.6 mi · 1 launches
• Cedar River275 mi · 129 launches
• Chariton River55 mi · 16 launches
• Clear Creek2.6 mi · 1 launches
• Des Moines River294 mi · 73 launches
• E Fork Wapsipinicon River0.8 mi · 3 launches
• E. Branch of West Nishnabotna26 mi · 5 launches
• East 102 River9.9 mi
• East Branch Boyer River1.8 mi · 1 launches
• East Branch Iowa River1.9 mi · 1 launches
• East Fork Des Moines River97 mi · 13 launches
• East Nishnabotna River105 mi · 13 launches
• English River34 mi · 2 launches
• Floyd River80 mi · 3 launches
• Grand River68 mi · 12 launches
• Iowa River324 mi · 120 launches
• Lake Odessa17 mi · 5 launches
• Lake Red Rock37 mi · 14 launches
• Little Cedar River54 mi · 4 launches
• Little Sioux River219 mi · 54 launches
• Little Turkey Creek18 mi · 3 launches
• Little Volga River3.3 mi · 1 launches
• Lizard Creek31 mi · 4 launches
• Maquoketa River124 mi · 33 launches
• Maquoketa River, North Fork72 mi · 5 launches
• Middle Raccoon River54 mi · 17 launches
• Middle River86 mi · 9 launches
• Milford Creek6.0 mi
• Mill Creek17 mi · 5 launches
• Mississippi River311 mi · 125 launches
• Missouri River177 mi · 39 launches
• Mosquito Creek50 mi · 1 launches
• Nishnabotna River5.4 mi · 1 launches
• Nodaway River28 mi · 3 launches
• North Fork Black Hawk Creek12 mi · 1 launches
• North Raccoon River155 mi · 36 launches
• North River93 mi · 4 launches
• North Skunk River90 mi · 6 launches
• Ocheyedan River39 mi · 10 launches
• Otter Creek39 mi · 3 launches
• Raccoon River30 mi · 9 launches
• Rock River51 mi · 12 launches
• Shell Rock River96 mi · 24 launches
• Skunk River93 mi · 14 launches
• Soldier River65 mi
• South Branch Lizard Creek8.3 mi
• South Fork Iowa River33 mi · 5 launches
• South Raccoon River55 mi · 5 launches
• South Skunk River146 mi · 28 launches
• Tarkio Creek29 mi
• Troublesome Creek1.7 mi
• Turkey River127 mi · 26 launches
• Upper Iowa River125 mi · 32 launches
• Volga River62 mi · 11 launches
• Walnut Creek51 mi
• Wapsipinicon River225 mi · 76 launches
• West Fork Cedar River47 mi · 10 launches
• West Fork Des Moines River89 mi · 28 launches
• West Fork Floyd River25 mi
• West Fork Little Sioux River67 mi · 2 launches
• West Nishnabotna River57 mi · 4 launches
• West Nodaway River27 mi · 1 launches
• Whitewater Creek6.7 mi · 1 launches
• Willow Creek24 mi · 1 launches
• Winnebago River80 mi · 23 launches
• Yellow River34 mi · 7 launches