Minnesota whitewater, Sauk River Stearns county, Highway of Park to Mississippi River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     4.1 miles   If you're coming from St. Cloud it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in Minnesota is often tougher than elsewhere, so you'd better keep in mind that the rivers in this state are less manageable. On this section you do get some distance, you can easily run it on an afternoon. A good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors     will have you coming back for more. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. The nature scenery of Stearns County and the playfulness of the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. No shortage of good hotels, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. This stretch of Sauk River in Stearns County is 4.1 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class I-II section. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this area has a pretty small number of paddling rivers. Briefly about the general area: Sauk   River is not far at all from Waite Park, and the best way to spend a winter day is on the slopes of nearby Powder Ridge. Through the long summer days highs here at Sauk River get into the 80's. Through the dark hours of summer temperatures descend down into the 50's. Highs throughout the wintertime are ordinarily in the 10's, and night lows at Sauk River throughout the winter generally dip into the-10's. From a precipitation point of view Sauk River is a reasonably typical location. The month of June is the wettest with most of the rain while February is usually the driest month. Sauk River, Highway of Park to Mississippi River road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Sauk River.   Whitewater Near Sauk River: Sauk River, Stearns County, 2 miles away       Class I-II - 4.1 miles long (Highway of Park to Mississippi River) Mississippi River, Stearns County, 2 miles away       Class II(III) - 0.1 miles long (Sauk Rapids)   Ski Areas Near Sauk River: Powder Ridge, Minnesota , 13 miles away, 290 foot drop, 7 lifts, 15 runs Hyland, Minnesota , 68 miles away, 175 foot drop, 6 lifts, 14 runs Mount Kato, Minnesota , 71 miles away, 240 foot drop, 8 lifts, 19 runs Buck Hill, Minnesota , 76 miles away, 309 foot drop, 11 lifts, 13 runs Andes Tower Hills, Minnesota , 100 miles away, 300 foot drop, 3 lifts, 7 runs   Hotels Near Sauk River: AmericInn Sartell, Sartell , 1 miles away Homewood Suites By Hilton St Cloud, Saint Cloud , 1 miles away Hampton Inn - Suites St Cloud MN, Saint Cloud , 1 miles away Days Inn St Cloud, Saint Cloud , 1 miles away Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites ST. CLOUD, Saint Cloud , 1 miles away   Campgrounds Near Sauk River: St Cloud Campground & Recreational Vehicle Park, St Cloud, 6 miles away St Cloud Campground and RV Park, Saint Cloud, 7 miles away Benton Beach Campgrounds, Rice, 9 miles away   Public Lands Near Sauk River: Lake Maria State Park, Minnesota , 21 miles away Charles A. Lindbergh State Park, Minnesota , 23 miles away Crow Wing State Park, Minnesota , 36 miles away   Golf Courses Near Sauk River: Veterans Golf Course, Saint Cloud , 1 miles away Angushire Golf Course, Saint Cloud , 2 miles away Blackberry Ridge Golf Course, Sartell , 2 miles away   Lakes Near Sauk River Little Rock Lake, Stearns , 2 miles away Little Rock Lake, Benton , 8 miles away Hinz Lake, Stearns , 11 miles away