Kayaking on the Zumbro River, South Branch Middle Fork, Mantorville to Oxbow July 4th, 2023

Kayaking on the Zumbro River, South Branch Middle Fork, Mantorville to Oxbow July 4th, 2023 (Tuesday)

Class rapids: None, several patches of riffles, 2 small "dams" 1 to 2 foot high rocks placed across the river.

Average drop: ft/mile

Entrance landing: Mantorville Public Access, Carry-in Launch, gravel, in nice shape, limited parking spaces by the entrance and dump station.

Exit landing: Oxbow Park "Third Bridge", not sure if this is official the landing, mud path up the bank just downstream and to the right of the "third bridge (pedestrian), lots of parking spaces, picnic shelter and bathrooms 

Conditions during trip: No data, gauge out of service. ALWAYS check the conditions before you go. Data from Interactive Water Trail Map | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us). Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: La Crosse (weather.gov)

Family trip with our 14 year old Alaina and kayaking buddy Mikey. River gauge was not working for this route so we didn't know what we were getting into. Appears it hasn't been working since late April. Gauging by the amount of river hiking we did, the levels were low. Looks like some fun if the water were up a bit. Lots of riffle patches. The bottom is mostly sand and rock that appears to have eroded and fallen from the bluffs along the bank. The crayfish love it. Not as much vegetation in the river like there is in the section we did recently from the Green Bridge to Zumbro Falls.

The route is mostly wooded with sections of bluffs on one side. It passes through the Zumbro Valley Golf Course, a couple farm pastures and fields and Oxbow Park. Once you reach Oxbow Park there are some man-made rock dams that are a 1 to 2 feet tall. The first one we had to get out and step down, the second one down stream has an opening in it. We got out at the "third bridge (pedestrian)"

Despite it being the 4th of July holiday, there was no one else out paddling or floating and we didn't run in to any people until we got to Oxbow where there were a few families cooling off in the water. Alaina caught a bunch of crayfish.

Here's another article about this route by David Lind, published by the Post Bulletin July 10th, 2018 Dave Lind: Mantorville to Oxbow Park, a less traveled route - Post Bulletin | Rochester Minnesota news, weather, sports .