Red Cedar River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 4 kn gusting 11, Air 11 °C
Tue 3 · 34 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 36 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 4.2 mm
Thu 5 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 13kntoo gusty
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 3.6 mm
Sat 7 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 72 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 1.8 mm
Mon 9 · 73 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 276, good
- Tue 334, poor
- Wed 436, poor
- Thu 569, good
- Fri 681, good
- Sat 778, good
- Sun 872, good
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1032, poor
- Wed 1182, good
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 2 kmthe section
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 76, good | 7 kn | 16kntoo gusty | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 34, poor | 9 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 36, poor | 9 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 18°C | 4.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 69, good | 7 kn | 13kntoo gusty | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 81, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 3.6 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 78, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 72, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 8°C | 1.8 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 32, poor | 7 kn | 13kntoo gusty | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 82, good | 2 kn | 9kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Red Cedar River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Red Cedar River 1.4 km away
- Red Cedar River 1.7 km away
- Sweeney's Landing 3.3 km away
- Grand River 4 km away
- Sycamore Creek 5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Red Cedar River
A river section on the Red Cedar River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 2.0 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.2 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and February, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is East Lansing. Within 5 km we also list 10 kayak spots.
- River Red Cedar River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 2.0 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.2 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$933–US$1,660 each
about US$933–US$1,660 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 665 km there and back, shared | about US$40–US$60 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$933–US$1,660 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: East Lansing
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 47 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About East Lansing its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 4h
About 4h door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 4h
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in East Lansing · GetYourGuideKayak hire in East Lansing · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at RED CEDAR RIVER AT EAST LANSING, MI, 4 km upstream: 1.59 m³/s, very low for November (updated 2 h ago). Running.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
River Town Adventures 3.2 km
Rent.Fun 11 km
Dimondale Canoe & Kayak 13 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits