See all 21 routes on Sauk River
Minnesota | St. Cloud Area
Sauk RiverFrogtown Park to Knights of Columbus Park
Long lower-Sauk day that starts in Cold Spring and finishes in St. Cloud before the mouth rapids. It is the one-card planner for paddlers who want the full Frogtown extension plus an easy urban finish instead of stopping at Miller Landing.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Frogtown Park in Cold Spring and finish at Knights of Columbus Park in St. Cloud for the full easy lower-Sauk day that stops about two river miles before the mapped Class I-II mouth section.
Access map
Put-in
Frogtown Park canoe landingMN DNR maps the Cold Spring Dam at river mile 22.0 and the Frogtown Park carry-in just downstream at river mile 21.8. Launch from the named carry-in rather than improvising above the dam.
Take-out
Knights of Columbus Park carry-in accessKnights of Columbus Park is the mapped carry-in at river mile 4.5, with the boulder-filled Class I-II mouth section starting at river mile 2.5. Identify the carry-out before launching and do not drift past the planned finish.
Road shuttle
Full lower-Sauk self-shuttle from Cold Spring to St. Cloud. Leave the take-out vehicle at Knights of Columbus Park so the longest drive happens before the long paddling day, not after it.
Additional access notes
- Rockville County Park remains the cleanest mid-route bailout or deliberate overnight split because it is the documented watercraft-campsite stop on this corridor.
More route and safety guidance
- MN DNR warns that snags and fallen trees can tip an unwary paddler and that river conditions can change at any time. Treat the official St. Martin level band as trip context, not a wood-clearance guarantee, and stop to reassess rather than entering a blocked channel.
- Use the named public accesses and designated stops. MN DNR says much of the Sauk shoreland is private and riverbed camping next to private property is not permitted.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampundefined provides a current paddling-level interpretation; Paddle Today does not turn the source hydrograph image into trend samples.
Detailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
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.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
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 |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| 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 |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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 27, 202614.36 ft at 10:00 PM
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 shape17.3 river miles
MN DNR Map 2 places Frogtown Park at river mile 21.8 and Knights of Columbus Park at river mile 4.5.
- Downstream rapid boundary2.0 river miles below the take-out
MN DNR Map 2 places the Class I-II mouth section at river miles 2.5 to 0, downstream of the planned Knights of Columbus Park finish at river mile 4.5.
- Access supportOfficial city and county endpoints
Cold Spring confirms Frogtown Park has a canoe landing on the Sauk, St. Cloud documents Knights of Columbus Park on the Sauk River, and Rockville County Park remains the documented watercraft-campsite bailout in between.
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
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.