Five kid-friendly activities in St. Croix NSR

A number of adventures await kids in the
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
Photo courtesy of NPS.

Children will love time spent in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, where they can participate in a number of cool adventures:
g Become a Junior Ranger – Kids can earn a patch and partake in a swearing-in ceremony after completing an activity booklet and program at the riverway’s visitor centers.
g Complete a geological obstacle course – Clambering over ancient rock, fitting through The Squeeze formation, and gazing into seemingly bottomless potholes await at Minnesota Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls, Minn.
g Take a swim – Swimming beaches abound in the pristine St. Croix River. Afton State Park near Afton, Minn., and Point Douglas Park at Prescott, Wis., are two popular summer beaches.
g Stand in a fire tower – Children can go to the top of an observation tower looming 100 feet above the Kettle River, a tributary of the St. Croix River, at Minnesota’s St Croix State Park.
g Pretend to be a giant – Kids can walk across a large aerial photo of the riverway that covers several yards of the St. Croix River Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.