Red Cedar River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
69Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 5 kn gusting 11, Air 12 °C
Tue 3 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 35 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 6.3 mm
Thu 5 · 34 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 15kntoo gusty
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 6.9 mm
Sat 7 · 70 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 9kntoo gusty
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Sun 8 · 72 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 2.1 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 275, good
- Tue 375, good
- Wed 435, poor
- Thu 534, poor
- Fri 678, good
- Sat 770, good
- Sun 872, good
- Mon 977, good
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 110, poor
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 2.9 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 | 75, good | 6 kn | 11kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 75, good | 9 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 35, poor | 10 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 19°C | 6.3 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 34, poor | 8 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 78, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 12°C | 6.9 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 70, good | 2 kn | 9kntoo gusty | 9°C | 2.7 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 72, good | 5 kn | 9kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 77, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 11°C | 2.1 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 14 kn | 26kntoo gusty | 9°C | 5.1 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 10°C | 0.3 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
- Apr4of 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Red Cedar River
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Red Cedar River 10.7 km away
- Red Cedar River 11.9 km away
- Red Cedar River 12.9 km away
- Sycamore Creek 13.3 km away
- Sweeney's Landing 15.1 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 2.9 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 14 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 1 kayak spot.
- River Red Cedar River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 2.9 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 14 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$931–US$1,650 each
about US$931–US$1,650 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 30 October 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$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$931–US$1,650 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: East Lansing
about 20 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 30 October 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, 13 km downstream: 1.52 m³/s, very low for November (updated 2 h ago). Low.
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
Rent.Fun 14 km
River Town Adventures 15 km
Dimondale Canoe & Kayak 23 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