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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 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.
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nature
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 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.
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trail running
Twin Cities trail runners know the best place in the metro to train for an ultramarathon is Afton State Park, which has 20 miles of trails up and down the bluffs overlooking the St. Croix River. Every summer the Afton Trail Run 25K and 50K races are held here.
Upstream, William O’Brien State Park offers 16 miles of trails and hosts the O’Brien Trail Races (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.
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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. |
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MORE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY ADVENTURES
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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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