Minnesota | Central Minnesota

Rum River

Riverview Park to County Road 4

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

Loading the route coverage map.

Open access map
DistanceAbout 6.4 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 2 hr to 3.5 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Rum River reflects a green canopy as it passes Riverside Park in Princeton, Minnesota.
River contextRum River in Princeton river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Tony Webster

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Gauge history and hourly forecast

Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

DifficultyeasyThis is a short 6.4-mile public-access run with campsite context, but the upper Rum still has shallow water, wood, private banks, and an active DNR obstruction alert downstream of the take-out.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Follow DNR water-trail rules, public-access parking rules, Minnesota boating/PFD requirements, and invasive-species rules.
CampingOptions nearbyDNR Map 2 maps two Meadow Gem watercraft campsites between Riverview Park and County Road 4. Treat camping as designated-site only, verify availability, and do not camp on private banks.
SeasonApr-OctSpring and post-rain windows are most reliable. Summer lows can make this shallow and scrapey; high or fast-rising water raises the consequence of wood and tight bends.

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Access and shuttle

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.

Take the plan with you

Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.

Start

Put-in

Rum River, Riverview Park Public Water Access Site
Open map

Riverview Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02114 at Rum river mile 111.3.

Finish

Take-out

Rum River, Mille Lacs Co Rd 4 Public Water Access Site
Open map

County Road 4 resolves as WAS00460 at river mile 104.9 and is the selected finish.

Plan this segment

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
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.

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Today'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.
Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteRum River at Onamia, CR25
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band10.50 ft to 11.50 ft
Low threshold10.00 ft
High threshold12.50 ft
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreMN DNR river-level interpretation bands for Rum River at Onamia
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
What 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

Check the source links

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

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.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.