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Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Rum RiverWayside Landing to Milaca Dam Site
Official MN DNR Rum River day trip from the Highway 169 Wayside Landing to Milaca, a long shallow-and-rocky upper-Rum run with Old Whitney Log Dam and a required finish above Milaca Dam.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
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.
Access map
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.
Road shuttle
Stage Milaca Dam Site first, then drive to the Highway 169 Wayside Landing north of Milaca. Check the Onamia DNR gauge and identify the Milaca take-out from land because the route must end above the dam.
Additional access notes
- The Onamia gauge is upstream of the trip. Pair it with a visual check for local rocks, strainers, and enough depth at the launch.
More route and safety guidance
- DNR warns this upper-Rum reach is narrow, rocky, and shallow in places, with turbulent water, pilings, rock weirs, dams, and required portage awareness.
- Expect a long full day with private banks, low-water scraping, and wood/strainers that can change after storms.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2310.2 ft at 2026-07-23 04:45 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- 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.
Other routes nearby
More on Rum River
All 10Nearby routes within 75 miles
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