See all 21 routes on Sauk River
Minnesota | St. Cloud Area
Sauk RiverFrogtown Park to Heims Mill
Full lower-Sauk continuation from Cold Spring into the Mississippi confluence corridor. It links the clean Frogtown launch to the Heims finish so paddlers can keep one additive lower-river card that includes the final Class I-II mouth section.
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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 Frogtown Park and finish at Heims Mill for the full lower Sauk route into the Mississippi confluence corridor. This is the additive card to choose when you want to carry the lower river past Eagle and Miller all the way through the final mouth section.
Access map
Put-in
Frogtown Park canoe landingFrogtown launches below the Cold Spring dam area, so make sure you are using the signed downstream canoe landing rather than any upstream obstruction-adjacent spot.
Take-out
Heims Mill Canoe AccessHeims Mill is the mapped river-mile 0.0 finish, immediately before the Mississippi confluence. Identify this carry-in access as your take-out before launching and save time and energy for the final 2.5 miles of DNR-mapped Class I-II rapids.
Road shuttle
Use a Cold Spring to St. Cloud-area shuttle and inspect both endpoints before launching. The Heims finish is farther and more committed than Miller or Knights, so identify the take-out before leaving Frogtown.
Additional access notes
- Rockville County Park is the cleanest intentional overnight split because it is the documented watercraft-campsite stop on this corridor.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the official 15 to 17 ft St. Martin band as level context, not clearance to run the rapids or proof that the channel is free of wood. Low water may make the finish impassable, while very high water is dangerous and not recommended.
- Watch for snags and fallen trees throughout the route. Use the mapped Frogtown and Heims Mill carry-ins and stop only at designated public sites because much of the shoreline is private.
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Conditions
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Sauk River nr St. Martin, CR12 |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
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| Wind | Checking |
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| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | 15.00 ft to 17.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 14.00 ft |
| High threshold | 20.00 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 Sauk River near St. Martin |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Gauge check during route review · July 16, 202615.01 ft at 8:00 AM
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.
- DNR bands14 / 15 / 17 / 20 ft
MN DNR interprets the St. Martin gauge as Scrapable below 14 ft, Low from 14 to 15, Medium from 15 to 17, High from 17 to 20, and Very High above 20.
- Route shape21.8 river miles
MN DNR Map 2 places Frogtown Park at river mile 21.8 and Heims Mill at river mile 0.0.
- Camping supportMid-route Rockville watercraft campsite
Rockville County Park sits along this corridor and Stearns County documents a watercraft campsite there, which gives this longer lower-Sauk route a defensible overnight split or bailout.
- Access supportOfficial city and county endpoints
Cold Spring says Frogtown Park has a canoe landing on the Sauk, and Stearns County documents Heims Mill as carry-in access to the Sauk and Mississippi rivers.
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 Sauk River
All 21Nearby routes within 75 miles
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