See all 3 routes on Pomme de Terre River
Minnesota | West Central Minnesota
Pomme de Terre RiverLarson Landing to Appleton
Short, beginner-friendly DNR day trip with a direct Appleton level story. Below the low band it turns into more dragging than paddling; above the high band it stops feeling casual.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Larson Landing and finish at Appleton for the clearest short beginner trip on the lower Pomme de Terre. The gauge decision is straightforward, but low water, wood, farm fences, and the constructed rapid immediately before the take-out still require attention.
Access map
Put-in
Larson Landing public water accessBoth endpoints are backed by Minnesota public-water-access records, which is the main trust reason this route clears the bar cleanly.
Take-out
Appleton public water accessAppleton is the stronger landmarked finish because the live gauge and route town line up there. Inspect the landing and constructed-rapid approach before launching, and let same-day signage win over any saved note.
Road shuttle
Short Appleton-area car shuttle. This is an easy logistics day, so most groups will just stage the take-out first and keep it simple.
More route and safety guidance
- Scout the constructed rapid entering Appleton City Park immediately before the Appleton carry-in access. The route is beginner-friendly at ordinary levels, but the take-out approach still requires a clear line.
- Use the direct Appleton gauge and check it again before launching. DNR says river levels can change rapidly after precipitation and treats readings above 7.5 ft as very high.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Detailed weather
Weather
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Tomorrow and the weekend
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Pomme De Terre River at Appleton, MN |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
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| Wind | Checking |
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| Preferred range | 4.50 ft to 6.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.50 ft |
| High threshold | 7.50 ft |
| Evidence strength 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 Pomme de Terre River at Appleton |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- DNR bands3.5 / 4.5 / 6.0 / 7.5 ft
MN DNR interprets this gauge as Low from 3.5 to 4.5 ft, Medium from 4.5 to 6.0, High from 6.0 to 7.5, and Very High above 7.5. Below 3.5 ft is below the published low band and should be treated as too low.
- Route characterBeginner-friendly short day trip
MN DNR recommends Larson Landing to Appleton as a 6-mile beginner trip on the Pomme de Terre River water trail.
- Route hazardsFallen trees, farm fences, and constructed rapid
MN DNR warns about fallen trees and farm fences on the Pomme de Terre and places a constructed rapid immediately before the Appleton water access.
- Access confidenceVerified
Both Larson Landing and Appleton are resolved in the MN DNR public-water-access GIS and align with the official water-trail segment naming.
- Chart behaviorCurrent DNR level panel
The current product supports MN DNR gauges with a current-level fallback panel when recent chart samples are unavailable, so this route still has a working live-data presentation in-product.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Pomme de Terre River
All 3Nearby routes within 75 miles
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