Vermillion (Hastings),

Falls to Old Mill in Hastings (0.5 mile)

Usual Difficulty	II-III+ (may vary with level)
Length	0.5 Miles

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
VERMILLION RIVER NEAR EMPIRE, MN
usgs-05345000	100 - 450 cfs	II-III+	01h07m	cfs

River Description

There are several nice holes for surfing and blasting at 100 cfs and higher. The holes are shallow, and the rocks are sharp, so be very careful about flips and upstream braces. At higher flows (over 500cfs), the holes become very sticky and some of the drops may rate class IV or higher. It's a real short run with a trail along side (in a park), so you can carry up to do it again and again and again.

See TruCurrent.com for excellent maps and detail description of this run.

Boaters are also encouraged to support the "Friends of the Vermillion River Water Trail" (FVRWT, 'favorite'), which has a brochure available online here.

Note that water quality is generally quite poor, so nose plugs are a good idea. The stream is on the list of 'impaired waters' due to fecal coliform bacteria levels, which exceed recommended levels for any contact with the water, especially after a "rain event". For more info see Minnesota Polution Control Agency.