The Mississippi River High School Paddle Challenge is a 5 mile paddling race.

Starting at 1:30pm on Sunday, June 9, 2024 paddlers (solo, tandem or as a team with any number of paddlers) have until 5pm to make it to the finish line.

The event starts at Mississippi West Regional Park in Ramsey and ends at Mississippi Point Park in Champlin.

The event is open to anyone in grade 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the 2023-2024 school year. Participants can use any boat as long as it is self-powered (for example, a canoe, kayak, surfski or stand-up paddleboard).

The event is open to paddlers of every skill level. 

Personal Flotation Devices (life jackets) must be worn at all times. 

Join us at the Mississippi River Community Festival from 12:00pm to 5:30pm on Sunday, June 9th at Mississippi Crossings in Champlin, with a closing ceremony at 5:30pm. All participants, family members, friends, and support crew are warmly encouraged to attend. There will be live music and food, carnival games as part of Champlin’s Father Hennepin Festival, and you can watch other boats paddle past the amphitheater to the finish line! All paddlers will be entered into a drawing for prizes (must be present to win; drawing happens at the Closing Ceremony).

All participants will receive an event T-shirt. All finishers will receive a finisher medal. Top three finishers in each of the competitive race divisions will receive a trophy.

Event fee (per person). Note: Thanks to the generosity of the Minnesota Canoe Association, Chase Bliss, and an anonymous donor, the first 30 registrants can receive 50% off—use discount code HALF OFF when registering.

$55 if you register before May 21st at 11:59pm (your event T-shirt and finisher medal may need to be mailed to you after the event).

$75 if you register after May 21st and before June 7th at 11:59pm (your event T-shirt and finisher medal will need to be mailed to you after the event).

Refund Policy: Full refunds available for cancellations up until April 15th at 11:59pm. No refunds after April 15th.

Aluminum canoes are available for rent; to reserve one add it to your cart in on the registration page.

The entire route is part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) “Mississippi Water Trail.” The DNR has excellent river maps made for paddlers that show all ramps, campsites, bridges and other waypoints. The route can be found on Mississippi River map 9 at this link: DNR map and a custom Google map makes it easy to get directions to the race start or finish: MR High School Challenge map. The entire route is within the 72 mile Mississippi National River and Recreation area administered by the national park service.

If you are interested in tracking your race you use the Webscorer app on your mobile device (see Paddler’s Guide for info).

All participants must check in with their boat and required safety gear between 11:15am and 12:45pm and attend the entire pre-event meeting at 1pm, at Mississippi West Regional Park.

When you register for the event you can also sign up for a shuttle service that will bring paddlers from Mississippi Crossings in Champlin to the event start (for more details see the Paddler’s Guide). All participants are required to read the Event Rules and the Paddler’s Guide.

Experience a grand adventure on America’s most famous river! Join us for the inaugural Mississippi River High School Paddle Challenge! Please like and follow our Facebook page for the latest updates.

Register HERE.