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explore minnesota | minnesota outdoors | run wild on the croix | deep boue st. croix river & bluffs with red orange and green trees [ [link removed] ]





by frank bures

The St. Croix is one of the state’s largest, deepest and wildest rivers, rivaled only by the Mississippi and the Minnesota. Its water can be as deep as 100 feet and is home to over 60 species of fish. The granite cliffs and high bluffs that line the shore make for some of the best rock climbing in the state.

 

The St. Croix is flanked by eight state parks (five in Minnesota, three in Wisconsin) and six Scientific and Natural Areas. It’s also one of the country’s *top canoe camping trails [ [link removed] ]* and home to two major thru-hiking trails, three downhill ski areas, and excellent road and mountain biking. Yet it remains an overlooked outdoor destination.

 

Here are all the adventures waiting for you along this historic waterway. 






3 images on a camera roll: Grandpa skipping rocks with 3 grandkids, 2 people canoeing under a fall tree arch, group of 4 hiking down bluffs. [ [link removed] ]





camping

an RV camper tucked in a small opening between tall green trees, the river a light lavender shade from the sunset in the background [ [link removed] ]

 

The St. Croix River is home to hundreds of campsites in state parks and along the river, but you’re never far from a town — many thrive on tourism, like Marine on St. Croix, *Taylors Falls [ [link removed] ]*, and *Stillwater [ [link removed] ]*. There are at least *eight state parks* [ [link removed] ] along the river, as well as camping at *St. Croix Bluffs [ [link removed] ]* and the *Wild Vines Winery & Campground [ [link removed] ]*. 






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nature

A gorgeously calm blue river settled amongst towering bluffs and rich green trees. [ [link removed] ]

 

The St. Croix River was one of eight rivers protected under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968. That legislation has preserved the river’s pristine character for thousands of years — keeping it a natural home for deciduous forests, white pine stands, oak savannas, and upland prairies.

 

One of the best places to explore this ecosystem is the *Carpenter Nature Center [ [link removed] ]* on the Lower St. Croix. With about 20 miles of trails and campuses on both sides of the river, it features “ambassador animals” like peregrine falcons, hognose snakes, and Blanding’s turtles. You can also visit the national park’s visitor center in St. Croix Falls for more information. 






Reel teaser: Left is tv still from Gilmore girls at the cash register in Doose's Market. Right is cashier photo in Marine General Store in MN. [ [link removed] ]





*ENJOY GILMORE GIRL-ESQUE SMALL TOWNS AFTER YOUR ADVENTURES* [ [link removed] ]











trail running

two people running on dirt terrain with a dog. person in back has arms out as they run over a wood step. Yellow trees bath them in fall light. [ [link removed] ]

 

Twin Cities trail runners know the best place in the metro to train for an ultramarathon is *Afton State Park* [ [link removed] ], which has 20 miles of trails up and down the bluffs overlooking the St. Croix River. Every summer the *Afton Trail Run* [ [link removed] ] 25K and 50K races are held here.

 

Upstream, *William O’Brien State Park [ [link removed] ]* offers 16 miles of trails and hosts the *O’Brien Trail Races* [ [link removed] ] (50K to 5K) each September. Further north, St. Croix State Park—Minnesota’s largest at 33,000 acres—features 127 miles of hiking trails. You can also run (or ski or bike) in the St. Croix 40 Winter Ultra. 






*FIND MORE ST. CROIX OUTDOOR ADVENTURES* [ [link removed] ]











Author Portrait of Frank Bures [ [link removed] ]



*Frank Bures* is a travel & outdoors writer based in Minneapolis. He produces audio history tours for VoiceMap, and his book, Pushing the River: An Epic Battle, a Lost History, a Near Death, and Other True Canoeing Stories, will be published in the spring by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. 











related content

MORE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY ADVENTURES

*?? Discover where to canoe and camp along the St. Croix River >> [ [link removed] ]*

 

*?? Experience the best things to do in Taylors Falls >> [ [link removed] ]*

 

*?? Learn how to take a day trip to Stillwater >> [ [link removed] ]*  [ [link removed] ]






"from top to bottom: Taylors Falls, photo by Taylor Falls Scenic Boat Tours  |  Stillwater, photo by Leslie Anderson  |  St. Croix State Park in Hinckley, photo by Christy Bruggenthies  |  Interstate Park in Taylors Falls, photo by Paul Vincent  |  William O'Brien State Park in Marine on St. Croix, photo by Paul Vincent  |  Gif from Youtube "Neature Nature Walk" skit  |  Stillwater, photo by Leslie Anderson  |  Gilmore girls reel teaser, made by Explore Minnesota  |  Interstate Park in Taylors Falls, photo by Long Nguyen  |  Frank Bures' author photo"

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""This article has been edited for length and clarity.""






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