Wisconsin | Northwest Wisconsin

Red Cedar River

Tom Prince Memorial Park to Russian Slough County Park

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Today

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Today's conditions

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Quick facts

On-water distance 7.7 mi Tom Prince Memorial Park to Russian Slough County Park

Difficulty moderate The rapids are mostly easy Class I riffles, but the current is deceptively fast and downed trees create frequent strainers. High water raises the consequence of missed lines around islands, side channels, and wooded banks.

Shuttle Car shuttle Use a rural two-car shuttle from Tom Prince Memorial Park in Colfax to Russian Slough County Park off 860th Avenue. The final Russian Slough approach is a narrow dirt access road, so scout the take-out before launching.

Permits None noted No route-specific paddling permit is known. Follow posted village, county, and DNR rules at both endpoints; Dunn County notes Russian Slough may be closed in spring for walleye spawning.

Camping Day trip Do not assume legal on-route camping. Wisconsin River Trips notes some sandbars looked campable, but this route should be planned as a day trip unless separate public camping permission is confirmed.

Season Apr-Oct Wisconsin River Trips says the river rarely gets below 400 cfs, with 401-600 cfs typical for fall and 601-800 cfs a common but pushier summer depth. Spring and storm runoff can quickly move this reach into high-water strainer territory.

Plan

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Access plan

Access, shuttle, and map

Launch at Tom Prince Memorial Park in Colfax and paddle the Red Cedar River to Russian Slough County Park. Expect brisk current, easy riffles, gravel bars, tall sand banks, and a rustic county-park take-out.

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Start

Put-in

Tom Prince Memorial Park Landing Open map

Tom Prince is the longer Colfax launch for this route; Felland Park is a shorter alternate 1.3 miles downstream.

Finish

Take-out

Russian Slough County Park Open map

Russian Slough is public county land on the Red Cedar corridor, but Dunn County says it has no amenities or developed boat landing. Treat it as a primitive take-out and confirm it is open before relying on it.

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Access caveats

Tom Prince is the longer Colfax launch for this route; Felland Park is a shorter alternate 1.3 miles downstream.
Russian Slough is public county land on the Red Cedar corridor, but Dunn County says it has no amenities or developed boat landing. Treat it as a primitive take-out and confirm it is open before relying on it.
The take-out is on the east end of an island/slough complex; mark it before launching and stay alert as the river begins to split near the finish.

Watch for

Fast current and frequent strainers, especially near side channels and island splits.
Roughly 30 easy Class I riffles that become pushier as the Colfax gauge rises.
A minor logjam near the large sand banks that may require a quick scooch or gravel-bar walkaround.
High water above about 800 cfs changes this from a scenic moving-water day into an expert-only strainer route.

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Sources

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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.

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Outlook Tomorrow and weekend

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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 Near Colfax, WI
Discharge	Checking
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Target band	401 cfs to 600 cfs
Low threshold	400 cfs
High threshold	801 cfs
Data confidence behind the range	Local route guidance
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Main source behind this score	Wisconsin River Trips Red Cedar River - Colfax gauge guidance
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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.

Public put-in Tom Prince Memorial Park

Wisconsin River Trips describes Tom Prince Memorial Park Landing in Colfax as the upstream Red Cedar launch for this route, and Paddling.com lists Tom Prince Memorial Park on the Red Cedar River with launch-point coordinates.

Source
Public take-out Russian Slough County Park

Wisconsin River Trips uses Russian Slough County Park as the route take-out and describes the signed dirt-road approach. Dunn County confirms Russian Slough is county-owned public land at the mouth of the Red Cedar River, while warning it has no amenities or developed boat landing and may close in spring for walleye spawning.

Source
Endpoint coordinates Tom Prince 45.0026972, -91.729812; Russian Slough 44.9933827, -91.8095487

The Wisconsin River Trips shuttle map resolves the planned endpoints; Paddling.com independently corroborates Tom Prince Memorial Park at 45.002775, -91.729783.

Source
Direct gauge USGS 05367500

USGS operates Red Cedar River near Colfax, WI, downstream on the same river corridor and Wisconsin River Trips uses that exact gauge for the route ladder.

Source
Gauge ladder 401-600 cfs good depth

Wisconsin River Trips gives route-specific Colfax-gauge guidance: under 400 cfs still navigable, 401-600 cfs good depth, 601-800 cfs a bit high and pushy, 801-1200 cfs expert-only because of strainers, and 1201+ cfs maybe too high.

Source
Route character 7.7 miles with Class I riffles

Wisconsin River Trips documents the Tom Prince to Russian Slough route as 7.7 miles with fast current, roughly 30 easy Class I pitches, gravel bars, a major sand bank, and a strainer warning around side channels.

Source
DNR access context Notable public accesses include Russian Slough

Wisconsin DNR's 2024 Red Cedar River survey names Felland Park, Dobbs Landing, and Russian Slough among notable public accesses on the Red Cedar River in Dunn County.

Source

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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 Near Colfax, WI and treats 401 cfs to 600 cfs 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 Tom Prince Memorial Park Landing and ends at Russian Slough County Park, about 7.7 mi on the water.

Is this Red Cedar 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.

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