The Zumbro River consists of three major forks: North, Middle, and South, all originating in cultivated plains in the western part of the watershed and all flowing roughly east and join to form the main branch a few miles upstream from the town of Zumbro Falls.

The three forks each flow about 50 miles before joining to form the main branch of the Zumbro River. The Zumbro River then flows another 60 miles before entering the Mississippi River just north of Kellogg.

From the highest headwaters to its mouth at the Mississippi River the Zumbro waters drop about 600 feet, with most of the drop occurring prior to the 3 forks joining to form the main branch. The Zumbro and its tributaries comprise a watershed of 1,428 square miles, primarily in Goodhue, Wabasha, Dodge, and Olmsted counties.

Paddling on the Zumbro River presents a unique view of the deep, wooded gorges of the driftless area. Limestone and sandstone bluffs tower over sections of the river as it winds its way toward the Mississippi. The river flows through a deep narrow valley hemmed in by rocky cliffs for much of its length downstream from Lake Zumbro. However, below Theilman to the Mississippi the valley widens considerably. Even at moderate levels the river has a fairly strong current and paddlers must keep a lookout to avoid the many fallen tree snags, called strainers, you will encounter. The Zumbro's original name aptly described this aspect of the river. The French called it Revere des Embarras, meaning river of difficulties. The snags, caused by riverbank erosion, even hindered the canoes of the French voyagers who were engaged in the fur trade.


There is one state park in the Zumbro River watershed, Rice Lake State Park in Steele County. Rice Lake is the headwaters source of the South Branch of the Middle Fork. County parks include Oxbow Park on the South Branch of the Middle Fork and Oronoco Park at Shady Lake on the Middle Fork. There is a sportsman park at the Zumbro Falls access and a small private park just upstream from Millville called Reads Park. These parks have camping facilities and provide access to the river. The Kruger Campground/Recreation Area is about five miles upstream from Kellogg and has river access, picnic area, hiking trails, and a campground. There are also a few DNR canoe access campsites along the river and are shown on the river maps in the book "Canoeing The Driftless".  The Zumbro is a good fishing river with anglers catching smallmouth bass, sauger, and catfish.

The guide "Canoeing The Driftless" covers the popular paddling routes on the main branch of the Zumbro and the less traveled routes of the upper forks and branches providing detailed descriptions and maps of over 20 covering 160 miles.