See all 25 routes on Cedar River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cedar River
Austin Mill Pond to Marcusen Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Cedar River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Austin Mill Pond and take out at Marcusen Park for the short Cedar River connector above the existing Marcusen-to-Riverwood card. The route uses the downstream Austin DNR gauge and requires same-day checks around dam boundaries, snags, and urban debris.
Put-in
Austin Mill Pond Public Water Access SiteOpen mapAustin Mill Pond resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01390 at DNR river mile 17.5.
Take-out
Cedar River, Marcusen Park Public Water Access SiteOpen mapMarcusen Park resolves as WAS03076 at DNR river mile 15.6 behind Marcusen Stadium in Austin.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Austin Mill Pond resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01390 at DNR river mile 17.5.
- Marcusen Park resolves as WAS03076 at DNR river mile 15.6 behind Marcusen Stadium in Austin.
- The County Road 28 DNR gauge is downstream of the take-out, so it is a corridor proxy rather than a perfect at-the-ramp reading.
Watch for
- Low-head dam and mill-pond boundary hazards at the route edges.
- Snags, overhanging trees, bridge current, urban debris, private banks, and fast rises after rain.
- Low-water scraping or dragging below the official 50 cfs floor and more forceful current above the high band.
Route gallery
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Cedar River nr Austin, MN |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 117 cfs to 1,290 cfs |
| Low threshold | 50 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,670 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MN DNR river-level interpretation bands for Cedar River near Austin |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route milesAustin Mill Pond RM 17.5 to Marcusen Park RM 15.6
MN DNR Cedar River map materials and public-access records place the two Austin landings 1.9 river miles apart, upstream of the County Road 28 gauge.
- Public access recordsWAS01390 to WAS03076
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Austin Mill Pond and Marcusen Park with official names, administrators, coordinates, and river-mile context.
- Official DNR bands50 / 117-1290 / 1670 cfs
MN DNR interprets Cedar River near Austin as Scrapable below 50 cfs, Low from 50 to 117, Medium from 117 to 1290, High from 1290 to 1670, and Very High above 1670.
- Current gauge check321 cfs at 2026-07-24 06:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Cedar River near Austin inside the official medium band during this run.
- Camping postureDay route, no selected river campsite
No on-route public watercraft campsite is documented for this short Austin connector; do not use private banks or bars for informal overnight stops.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Cedar River nr Austin, MN and treats 117 cfs to 1,290 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cedar River route start and end?
This route starts at Austin Mill Pond Public Water Access Site and ends at Cedar River, Marcusen Park Public Water Access Site, about About 1.9 mi on the water.
Is this Cedar River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.