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.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
Checking live data

Route snapshot

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Get the answer fast, then scan the route.

Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.

LevelCheckingChecking
TrendCheckingChecking 24h change
WeatherLoadingAir: No reading
RainLoadingRecent rain: Checking

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Best window today

Checking weather.

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--
DifficultyeasyThis is a broad-audience lower-Sauk shuttle at sane levels, with the usual wood, strainers, and cold-water caveats but no DNR-noted rapid zone on this split.
PermitsNone notedNo special paddling permit is known for this Minnesota DNR water-trail segment. Follow posted local rules at Miller Landing and Knights of Columbus Park.
CampingDay tripTreat this as a day trip. Both endpoints are managed access parks rather than overnight river camps.
SeasonApr-SepLate spring through early fall is the normal window. Low summer water and vegetation show up before this short reach fully quits, but the short mileage helps keep the risk bounded.

Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.

Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.

Access, shuttle, and map

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 before the Heims rapid finish.

Start

Put-in

Miller Landing carry-in accessOpen map

Miller Landing is a managed county access with posted hours, so do not assume unlimited late retrieval.

Finish

Take-out

Knights of Columbus Park carry-in accessOpen map

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.

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

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.
  • Cold-water exposure outside midsummer, even on a short easy shuttle.

Check the data behind today's call.

Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Today's data confidence is checking

Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

  • Checking data confidence notes.
Tomorrow and weekend

This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteSauk River nr St. Martin, CR12
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band15.00 ft to 17.00 ft
Low threshold14.00 ft
High threshold20.00 ft
Data confidence behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreMN DNR river-level interpretation bands for Sauk River near St. Martin
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
What 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

Check the source links

Photos, paddler notes, and updates.

See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

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.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.