See all 2 routes on Red Cedar River
Wisconsin | West-Central Wisconsin
Red Cedar River
Menomonie to Dunnville
Check current paddling conditions for this Red Cedar River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
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 plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Use Riverside Park in Menomonie as the put-in and Dunnville Bottoms as the take-out. This is a long but friendly downstream Red Cedar day when the gauge keeps enough water in the riffles.
Put-in
Riverside Park Canoe Launch (Menomonie) Open mapBoth ends are backed by Wisconsin DNR access records, which is stronger than most community-seeded routes.
Take-out
Dunnville Bottoms Boat Landing (County Road Y) Open mapDo not let the easy character make you lazy about cold water, weather, or post-storm wood checks on a 15-mile day.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats
- Both ends are backed by Wisconsin DNR access records, which is stronger than most community-seeded routes.
- Do not let the easy character make you lazy about cold water, weather, or post-storm wood checks on a 15-mile day.
Watch for
- Low water that turns the riffly upper miles into a slower scrape-and-drag day.
- Fresh strainers or wood after storms, even though the river is otherwise beginner-friendly.
- Fatigue, wind, and weather exposure over a nearly 15-mile outing if your pace slips.
Route gallery
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Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
Sources
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.
Why this score 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.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
Outlook Tomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the score Gauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Red Cedar River at Menomonie, WI |
| 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 | 6.40 ft to 7.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 5.80 ft |
| High threshold | 8.20 ft |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MilesPaddled Red Cedar River I gauge note |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
Notes 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.
- Same-route sweet spot 6.4 to 7.0 ft
MilesPaddled describes about 6.4 to 7.0 ft at Menomonie as the best range for keeping some character in the riffles without turning the river into fast, featureless high water.
- Trip length 14.75 mi
This is a real day trip, but the rail-trail shuttle and mild current keep it friendlier than many 15-mile river days.
- Access confidence Verified
Both Riverside Park Canoe Launch and Dunnville Bottoms Boat Landing are backed by Wisconsin DNR boat-access records.
- Primary caution Wood after storms
Even an easy lower Red Cedar day can change fast after storms if strainers and fresh wood move into the current.
Verify it yourself Check 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Red Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Red Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Red Cedar River at Menomonie, WI and treats 6.40 ft to 7.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Red Cedar River route start and end?
This route starts at Riverside Park Canoe Launch (Menomonie) and ends at Dunnville Bottoms Boat Landing (County Road Y), about 14.75 mi on the water.
Is this Red Cedar 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.