Is there a good set of maps for navigating the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers? I can't seem to find what I'm looking for online. I was hoping to find something with about as much detail as typical BWCA maps.

There are several maps of both rivers. Poke around on the MN DNR website. I know they have maps of most of the navigable rivers (outside the BWCA) in the state. And, as a general rule, state parks also offer maps of rivers that are close to that park.

If you can make it to Midwest Mountaineerings spring expo in April? Just locate the MN DNR booth there and pick out the maps you're interested in. They are FREE!

Perhaps of use? Upper Mississippi River Navigation

chefcycle --- What thegildegopher posted is your best bet to learn where the wing dams are located.

Less than half of them are marked you can usually tell were they are by watching the water. It can be a learning curve I may or may not have hit a few of them dams make sure you carry extra prop if your in a boat.

I believe there is no camping allowed on the Minnesota side from Hastings to Red wing its all wildlife management but open to hunting.

And don't go behind Prescott Island unless you know the channel you WILL beach the boat. There only a spot about 10 feet wide on the down river side of the island thats deep enough to pass in a small boat in mid summer. Even high water it can be tricky behind the Island.

What kind of detail are you looking for ?

Ive spent lot time on the river between Hastings and Red Wing.

I'm really looking for canoeing and camping info. I live in Prescott so I'm looking for impromptu multi day camping and canoeing trips ending or starting in Prescott.

All of it is in preparation for an eventual goal of canoeing the entire Mississippi. (Not anytime in the near future) I have tons of bwca experience and a fair amount of river experience but none on the Mississippi and none on the saint Croix since I was a kid. I'm concerned about where I need to portage and where the lock and dams are. I admit I'm a little fearful of accidentally going too far or getting stuck in a dangerous spot by a dam.

I never really canoe the Croix or Miss. But from what I seen not a place to be on the weekends. Maybe the weekday//nights. Far as I know I don't think you can camp anywhere south of Hudson legally. Maybe the south Washington county park (MN) there on the river 2-3 miles of from P-town might have camping. Haven't been in there since Control Data owned it before the county took it over.

Along the Miss. you can always canoe the river bottoms lots of back channels and ponds. The channels will have log jambs in some you'll have to portage around. Can also be fun when its flooded. Current is moving pretty go even though the woods.
But no camping I believe ....and BW skeets don't got anything on skeets from the Bottoms these one will bleed you out. Then theres the Burning Needles weed get that on your skin you'll think it was on fire. Best quick fix is the mud.
I have day camped when duck hunting. We'll go back to the ponds in morning bang some Woodys back out to the boat for lunch and little nap then back to hunt the evening then we head back up to Hastings. We beach a boat on the Miss.

On the link (gopher) made chart 18 on Stpaul - RedWing
Be Careful around Truedale slough its about 2 mile below P-town on (MN) side there a holding dike there can be Very Dangerous if the water is flowing over it. Water does also flow under it too in the rocks under the concrete. And theres a drainage culvert that comes out just around the first bend on the downriver side.

But can be good fishing just above it if the waters not flowing over. Use to catch Sauger on the down side we'd come up from the Vermillion river in a boat now log jambs prevent last time I was back there been several years ago.

And Chart 19 there another holding dike at Carter slough (about another 2 miles down river) to watch out for it not as bad as Truedale . But can be just as dangerous certain times of the year

But as far as camping anywhere it a chance you might have to take. Please LNT if you do. there enough junk floating in the river already

Hope this helps.

podgeo: "Maybe the south Washington county park (MN) there on the river 2-3 miles of from P-town might have camping."

Yes, St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park does have camping. It's a regular drive-in campground though, not riverfront sites. You would probably want to make arrangements ahead of time, as it would be over a mile walk each way from the boat launch to the park office and then back to the campground, and I'm not sure how they'd feel about beaching a boat overnight. Afton State Park on the other hand does have watercraft campsites. Frontenac has a drive-in campground, but I'm not sure whether there's any usable beaching location or not. On the Wisconsin side, Kinnickinnic State Park has a designated overnight mooring area (for a fee), but you are required to bring your own marine toilet and sleep on your boat. Further down, Merrick State Park has a campground and specifically states that registered campers can moor a boat overnight.

For maps, the main trick is that you have to check multiple government bodies depending on which stretch of river you're looking at. For the St. Croix, go to the National Park Service. For the Mississippi, mostly you can use ones from the Minnesota DNR, but cross-referencing with the Army Corps of Engineers stuff thegildedgopher mentioned is probably a good idea in the more developed portions. Also see the Mississippi River Guide for additional boating information and notes about several additional camping locations not noted above. Note that these two rivers also have some extra restrictions regarding aquatic invasive species as well as no-wake zones.

Here is a link to maps available from the MN DNR:

Mississippi River maps

St. Croix River

On each of those pages you will find links to specific sections of the river trail.

The corp of engineers puts out a set of maps in an atlas type of binder. Shows wing dams, backwaters, towns landings. Like maybe 25 bucks

National Park Service has great maps for the St Croix Scenic Riverway. I live in Hudson, have a cabin a couple hours north near the St Croix. The paddling and camping between HWY 8 down to St Croix Falls is fun.

My brother rowed the entire length of the Mississippi R. about 20 years ago. He got the books of navigation charts from the US Army Corps of Engineers. One was for the Upper Mississippi to St. Louis, one for the Lower from there on down. About 150 pages each (about 4-5 miles per page) with all the markers, wing dams, etc.

Several people have written books on traveling the length of the Mississippi River. I' m sure googling them and then reading them will give you loads of insight and contact info including the authors themselves.

https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Navigation-Charts/