See all 11 routes on St. Croix River
Minnesota | East Central Minnesota
St. Croix River
Sand Creek Landing to Highway 70 Landing
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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
Launch at Sand Creek Landing and take out at Highway 70 for the NPS Map 6 St. Croix section. The route uses the upstream Danbury DNR gauge conservatively and requires a local visual check because the Kettle River joins near the lower miles.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
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
St. Croix River, Mouth of Sand Creek Public Water Access SiteMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Sand Creek as WAS01894 and Highway 70 as WAS00085 with public administrators, river miles, and coordinates.
Take-out
St. Croix River, Highway 70 LandingThe Danbury gauge is upstream of the route and above the Kettle River confluence; it is intentionally conservative for low-water calls, not an exact lower-route reading.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Sand Creek as WAS01894 and Highway 70 as WAS00085 with public administrators, river miles, and coordinates.
- The Danbury gauge is upstream of the route and above the Kettle River confluence; it is intentionally conservative for low-water calls, not an exact lower-route reading.
- NPS Map 6 warns that the river splits around large islands. Stay left for the deeper main channel unless intentionally paddling and scouting the Kettle River Slough route.
Watch for
- Low water, shallow bars, and Sandrock Cliffs channel drying out.
- The Kettle River Slough option, where NPS identifies a ledge and regular Class II rapids near the St. Croix confluence.
- Downed trees, cold water, private or restricted banks, and remote rescue exposure between landings.
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
Data and sources
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 | St. Croix River nr Danbury, WI |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | 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 | 1,500 cfs to 2,200 cfs |
| Low threshold | 1,250 cfs |
| High threshold | 6,000 cfs |
| 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 St. Croix River near Danbury |
| 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.
- Official sectionSand Creek Landing to Highway 70
NPS Map 6 is the current 2024 section map for Sand Creek Landing to Highway 70 and identifies access, safety, camping, rapid, island-channel, and current-condition guidance for this reach.
- Recommended one-way15.3 river miles
MN DNR lists Sand Creek Landing in St. Croix State Park to Highway 70 Landing as a recommended NPS Map 6 one-way section.
- Public access recordsWAS01894 to WAS00085
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Mouth of Sand Creek at river mile 104.5 and Highway 70 at river mile 89.5 with source-backed coordinates and public administrators.
- DNR bands1,250 / 1,500-2,200 / 6,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Danbury gauge as Scrapable below 1,250 cfs, Low from 1,250 to 1,500, Medium from 1,500 to 2,200, High from 2,200 to 6,000, and Very High above 6,000.
- Current gauge check633 cfs at 2026-07-23 23:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Danbury below the official scrapable floor during this run, so this card should currently present a low-water warning.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
St. Croix River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling St. Croix River?
Paddle Today watches St. Croix River nr Danbury, WI and treats 1,500 cfs to 2,200 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this St. Croix River route start and end?
This route starts at St. Croix River, Mouth of Sand Creek Public Water Access Site and ends at St. Croix River, Highway 70 Landing, about About 15 mi on the water.
Is this St. Croix River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.