See all 2 routes on Red Cedar River
Wisconsin | West-Central Wisconsin
Red Cedar River
Menomonie to Dunnville
Check current paddling conditions for this Red Cedar River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
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
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Use Riverside Park in Menomonie as the put-in and Dunnville Bottoms as the take-out. This is a long but friendly downstream Red Cedar day when the gauge keeps enough water in the riffles.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Riverside Park Canoe Launch (Menomonie)Both ends are backed by Wisconsin DNR access records, which is stronger than most community-seeded routes.
Take-out
Dunnville Bottoms Boat Landing (County Road Y)Do not let the easy character obscure the nearly 15-mile commitment; the exact-route report logged 14.75 miles from Riverside Park to County Road Y.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Both ends are backed by Wisconsin DNR access records, which is stronger than most community-seeded routes.
- Do not let the easy character obscure the nearly 15-mile commitment; the exact-route report logged 14.75 miles from Riverside Park to County Road Y.
Watch for
- Low water that turns the riffly upper miles into a slower scrape-and-drag day.
- Clusters of deadfall in the narrower final meanders. The 2018 exact-route report says they did not require maneuvering at 6.6 ft, so reassess the visible channel rather than assuming that observation is current.
- Fatigue, wind, and weather exposure over a nearly 15-mile outing if your pace slips.
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Red Cedar River at Menomonie, WI |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 6.40 ft to 7.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 5.80 ft |
| High threshold | 8.20 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MilesPaddled Red Cedar River I gauge note |
| 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.
- Same-route sweet spot6.4 to 7.0 ft
MilesPaddled describes about 6.4 to 7.0 ft at Menomonie as the best range for keeping some character in the riffles without turning the river into fast, featureless high water.
- Trip length14.75 mi
This is a real day trip, but the rail-trail shuttle and mild current keep it friendlier than many 15-mile river days.
- Access confidenceVerified
Both Riverside Park Canoe Launch and Dunnville Bottoms Boat Landing are backed by Wisconsin DNR boat-access records.
- Lower-reach deadfallObserved but passable
The 2018 exact-route report describes clusters of deadfall in the narrower final meanders but says none required maneuvering at the reported 6.6 ft level.
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
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Red Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Red Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Red Cedar River at Menomonie, WI and treats 6.40 ft to 7.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Red Cedar River route start and end?
This route starts at Riverside Park Canoe Launch (Menomonie) and ends at Dunnville Bottoms Boat Landing (County Road Y), about 14.75 mi on the water.
Is this Red 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.