See all 10 routes on Rum River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Rum River
Riverview Park to County Road 4
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
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 Riverview Park and finish at County Road 4 for a short upper-Rum route below Milaca. This adds the clean public access pair that was previously held for coordinate confirmation and stops before the active downstream tree-alert reach.
Put-in
Rum River, Riverview Park Public Water Access SiteOpen mapRiverview Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02114 at Rum river mile 111.3.
Take-out
Rum River, Mille Lacs Co Rd 4 Public Water Access SiteOpen mapCounty Road 4 resolves as WAS00460 at river mile 104.9 and is the selected finish.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Riverview Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02114 at Rum river mile 111.3.
- County Road 4 resolves as WAS00460 at river mile 104.9 and is the selected finish.
- The current DNR large-tree alert is downstream between river miles 101 and 98. Do not extend toward County Road 12 or Princeton unless the alert has cleared and same-day wood checks are clean.
Watch for
- Downed trees, snags, sweepers, shallow rocky spots, and low-water dragging.
- Fast rises after rain, cold water, private banks, and limited legal portage options.
- Occupied or unavailable Meadow Gem campsites; bring a day-trip plan unless overnight use is confirmed.
Route gallery
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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 at Onamia, CR25 |
| 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 | 10.50 ft to 11.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 10.00 ft |
| High threshold | 12.50 ft |
| 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 Rum River at Onamia |
| 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.
- DNR map routeRiverview Park RM 111.3 to County Road 4 RM 104.9, about 6.4 miles
MN DNR Rum Map 2 places Riverview Park, Meadow Gem watercraft campsites, and Mille Lacs County Road 4 in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWAS02114 to WAS00460
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Riverview Park and Mille Lacs County Road 4 with coordinates, directions, and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands10 / 10.5-11.5 / 12.5 ft
MN DNR interprets Onamia as Scrapable below 10 ft, Low from 10 to 10.5, Medium from 10.5 to 11.5, High from 11.5 to 12.5, and Very High above 12.5.
- Current gauge check10.18 ft at 2026-07-24 02:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Onamia in the official low band during this run.
- Alert postureActive tree alert downstream of selected take-out
The current DNR Rum River alert reports a full-width large tree between river miles 101 and 98, south of the County Road 12 bridge and downstream of County Road 4.
- Camping contextMeadow Gem watercraft campsites
MN DNR Rum Map 2 maps two Meadow Gem watercraft campsites between Riverview Park and County Road 4; use designated sites only and verify availability.
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 at Onamia, CR25 and treats 10.50 ft to 11.50 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Rum River route start and end?
This route starts at Rum River, Riverview Park Public Water Access Site and ends at Rum River, Mille Lacs Co Rd 4 Public Water Access Site, about About 6.4 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.