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Minnesota | St. Cloud Area
Sauk River
Miller Landing to Knights of Columbus Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Sauk River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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
Use Miller Landing as the put-in and Knights of Columbus Park as the take-out for a short urban lower-Sauk paddle that ends upstream of the boulder-filled rapid finish.
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
Miller Landing carry-in accessMiller Landing is a managed county access with posted hours, so do not assume unlimited late retrieval.
Take-out
Knights of Columbus Park carry-in accessKnights of Columbus Park is a city park with parking and restrooms, but it is still smarter to scout the exact carry-out before launching if you have not used it before.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Miller Landing is a managed county access with posted hours, so do not assume unlimited late retrieval.
- Knights of Columbus Park is a city park with parking and restrooms, but it is still smarter to scout the exact carry-out before launching if you have not used it before.
- Because the route is short, wind, weeds, or a head-scratching take-out can distort the day more than the mileage suggests.
Watch for
- Vegetation and slower current when the St. Martin gauge slides toward 14 ft.
- Fresh wood or strainers after storms in this tree-lined lower corridor; the route ends before the DNR-mapped boulder-filled rapid section downstream.
- Cold-water exposure outside midsummer, even on a short easy shuttle.
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
Why this score
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 | 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 |
| Target band | 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 |
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.
- Current level15.34 ft at 10:00 AM
MN DNR listed the St. Martin gauge at 15.34 ft on July 13, 2026, which lands in the official Medium band.
- 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 shape3.1 river miles
MN DNR Map 2 places Miller Landing at river mile 7.6 and Knights of Columbus Park at river mile 4.5.
- Downstream rapid boundaryBoulder-filled Class I-II rapids begin around river mile 2.5
MN DNR Map 2 places the boulder-filled Class I-II rapids downstream of the planned Knights of Columbus Park finish, from roughly river mile 2.5 to the Mississippi confluence.
- Access supportOfficial county and city endpoints
Stearns County documents Miller Landing on the Sauk and St. Cloud documents Knights of Columbus Park as a Sauk River park with parking, restrooms, and picnic amenities.
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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Sauk River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Sauk River?
Paddle Today watches Sauk River nr St. Martin, CR12 and treats 15.00 ft to 17.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Sauk River route start and end?
This route starts at Miller Landing carry-in access and ends at Knights of Columbus Park carry-in access, about 3.1 mi on the water.
Is this Sauk 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.