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Minnesota | Southeast Minnesota
Root River
Rushford to Houston
Check current paddling conditions for this Root River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
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 the Rushford carry-in and finish at the Houston carry-in near the Houston Nature Center. The route is friendly at workable flow, but it is long enough that low-water slowdowns and fresh wood can change the day substantially.
Put-in
Root River, Rushford Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe DNR public-water-access record places the Rushford landing 0.5 miles west of town on Highway 16, then 0.5 miles south on a gravel access road. Do not treat the Historic Depot as the launch coordinate.
Take-out
Root River, Houston Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe DNR public-water-access record places the Houston landing on the north side of Houston off State Highway 76. The Houston Nature Center is nearby trailhead and camping support, but it is not the access coordinate itself.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The DNR public-water-access record places the Rushford landing 0.5 miles west of town on Highway 16, then 0.5 miles south on a gravel access road. Do not treat the Historic Depot as the launch coordinate.
- The DNR public-water-access record places the Houston landing on the north side of Houston off State Highway 76. The Houston Nature Center is nearby trailhead and camping support, but it is not the access coordinate itself.
- Confirm local parking and event conditions before leaving a shuttle vehicle, and expect a carry-in launch rather than a trailer ramp at both endpoints.
Watch for
- Low-water riffles and slower progress when the Houston gauge is near the floor.
- Fresh sweepers, strainers, or debris after rain.
- Long-mileage fatigue and cold-water exposure outside midsummer.
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.
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 | Root River near Houston, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Data confidence behind the range | Partial source data |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Conservative low-water floor from Root River near Houston official gauge context |
| 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 context15.1 river miles
MN DNR recommends Rushford to Houston as a full-day Root River trip, with Rushford carry-in access at river mile 33.8 and Houston carry-in access at river mile 18.7.
- Access supportRushford carry-in to Houston carry-in
The Root River Map 2 PDF names both water-trail endpoints. Minnesota's public-water-access record identifies Rushford as WAS00264 and Houston as WAS02188, with the Rushford site reached from Highway 16 and the Houston site on State Highway 76.
- Access coordinatesWAS00264 / WAS02188
The official public-water-access layer places Rushford at 43.803006, -91.760355 and Houston at 43.769008, -91.571222. These are the arrival coordinates used by the route.
- Trailhead amenitiesParking, restrooms, campground support
The official Guide to Trail Towns says both Rushford and Houston offer canoe launch access plus parking and public restrooms, with campground support in each town.
- Route characterGentle to moderate flow
MN DNR describes this stretch as having gentle to moderate flow, with flat water greeting paddlers along much of the route, while noting that water level can vary substantially with rainfall.
- Official low-flow contextQ90 = 270 cfs at Houston
MN DNR drought guidance uses 270 cfs at the Root River near Houston as the annual Q90 low-flow benchmark for the watershed. That is not a paddling threshold, but it does support keeping the app low-water floor conservative and close to the obvious low-flow zone.
- Conservative low-water floor300 cfs
This is a cautious app floor, not a published paddling threshold. It is intentionally set just above obvious late-low-water conditions because the Houston gauge has route support but no official numeric paddling ladder.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- MN DNR Root River overview
- MN DNR Root River segments and maps
- MN DNR Root River Map 2 PDF
- MN DNR Root River and Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail map
- MN DNR Guide to Trail Towns PDF
- Rushford Peterson Valley visitor info
- Houston Nature Center
- Houston Nature Center Root River Trail access
- MN DNR drought low-flow Q90 guidance PDF
- USGS 05385000 monitoring location
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Root River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Root River?
Paddle Today watches Root River near Houston, MN and uses 300 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Root River route start and end?
This route starts at Root River, Rushford Public Water Access Site and ends at Root River, Houston Public Water Access Site, about 15.1 mi on the water.
Is this Root 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.