See all 10 routes on Rum River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Rum River
Wayside Landing to Milaca Dam Site
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Launch at Wayside Landing and paddle the official DNR full-day Rum River trip to Milaca Dam Site. This upper-Rum section can be narrow, shallow, and rocky, with Old Whitney Log Dam and the Milaca Dam boundary driving the safety plan.
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
Rum River, Wayside Landing Public Water Access SiteWayside Landing resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00462 inside the Highway 169 wayside rest area about 10 miles north of Milaca.
Take-out
Rum River, Milaca Dam Site Public Water Access SiteMilaca Dam Site resolves as WAS00461 above Milaca Dam and is the mandatory take-out for this card.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Wayside Landing resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00462 inside the Highway 169 wayside rest area about 10 miles north of Milaca.
- Milaca Dam Site resolves as WAS00461 above Milaca Dam and is the mandatory take-out for this card.
- The Onamia gauge is upstream of the trip. Pair it with a visual check for local rocks, strainers, and enough depth at the launch.
Watch for
- Old Whitney Log Dam roughly halfway through the DNR day trip.
- Shallow rocky water, pilings, rock weirs, dams, strainers, and low-water dragging.
- Fast rises after rain, private banks, cold water, and the mandatory Milaca Dam finish.
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
Data and sources
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 | 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 |
| Evidence strength 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.
- Official day tripWayside Landing to Milaca, 16.2 mi
MN DNR recommends Wayside Landing at river mile 128.7 to Milaca City Park / Milaca Dam Site at river mile 112.5/112.4 as a full-day upper-Rum trip.
- Public access recordsWayside Landing WAS00462 / Milaca Dam Site WAS00461
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Wayside Landing in the Highway 169 rest area and Milaca Dam Site above the Milaca Dam with coordinates 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 check10.2 ft at 2026-07-23 04:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Onamia in the official low band during this run.
- Route hazardOld Whitney Log Dam and shallow rocky water
DNR specifically warns paddlers to use caution near Old Whitney Log Dam about halfway through the recommended trip and says the segment can be shallow and rocky.
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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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, Wayside Landing Public Water Access Site and ends at Rum River, Milaca Dam Site Public Water Access Site, about 16.2 mi on the water.
Is this Rum River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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