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Minnesota | Twin Cities North Metro
Rum River
Germanium to South County Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Rum 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 the Germanium / Brookview Park access and finish at Rum River South County Park for a shorter lower-Rum continuation above the Anoka dam. The live level check comes from the upstream St. Francis gauge, so stay conservative when that proxy is near scrape territory.
Put-in
Germanium carry-in access at Brookview ParkOpen mapSouth County Park has posted park hours, so settle the vehicle plan before launching if your day could run late.
Take-out
Rum River South County Park accessOpen mapSouth County Park is the required take-out for this route. Identify the landing before launch and do not drift past it toward the Rum River dam corridor.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- South County Park has posted park hours, so settle the vehicle plan before launching if your day could run late.
- South County Park is the required take-out for this route. Identify the landing before launch and do not drift past it toward the Rum River dam corridor.
- Do not over-read the St. Francis gauge. It is a useful same-river proxy, but it is still upstream of this lower route.
Watch for
- Missing the South County take-out and carrying on toward the downstream dam corridor.
- Low-water dragging or slow current when the proxy gauge is near the floor.
- Fresh debris or strainers after storms, especially along lower banks and bends.
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.
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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 | Rum River near St. Francis, 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 | 600 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MN DNR St. Francis gauge interpretation used as an upstream proxy for the lower Rum corridor |
| 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.
- Proxy low-water floor600 cfs at St. Francis
MN DNR interprets the active St. Francis gauge as scrapable below 600 cfs. Paddle Today uses that same-river upstream reading as a conservative floor for the Germanium-to-South corridor.
- Official route contextAbout 7.1 river miles
The DNR Rum River Map 3 PDF places Germanium carry-in access at river mile 9.0 and Rum River South County Park at river mile 1.9.
- Germanium endpoint detailBrookview Park at 17200 Germanium Street NW
The City of Ramsey parks amenities page identifies Brookview Park at the Germanium access corridor.
- South County endpoint detail3000 Ferry Street N; 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Anoka County Parks lists Rum River South County Park at 3000 Ferry Street N in Anoka and gives the park-hours window as 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Dam proximitySouth County Park is above Rum River Dam
DNR Map 3 places Rum River South County Park at river mile 1.9 and Rum River Dam at river mile 0.8, so the normal take-out remains safely above the dam if you finish cleanly at South County Park.
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.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Rum River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Rum River?
Paddle Today watches Rum River near St. Francis, MN and uses 600 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Rum River route start and end?
This route starts at Germanium carry-in access at Brookview Park and ends at Rum River South County Park access, about 7.1 mi on the water.
Is this Rum 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.