Fire tower, lake swim await day hikers at Minn.’s St. Croix State Park

Kettle River, St. Croix State Park
Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR

An amazing 127-plus miles of hiking trails cross the St. Croix State Park’s 34,000 acres in Pine County, Minn. Three great trails you won’t want to miss at the park include:
g Kettle River Highbanks to Observation Tower Route – Day hikers can walk to and climb to the top of a 100-foot fire tower at St. Croix State Park in Pine County, Minn. The 3.6-mile (7.2-miles round trip) route is best for physically fit families with a lot of energy.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail – This trail runs for several miles roughly north to south through the park. A pleasant 2.3-mile segment heads from a trail center to Hay Creek.
g Park Headquarters to Lake Clayton Route – From the park headquarters, head west for 2.5 miles for Lake Clayton Beach. Have one of the adults in the group pick you up after a day of swimming.

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

Trails await at little-known Chengwatana SF

Autumn leaves in Minnesota's Chengwatana State Forest.

Islands of upland boreal forest in a sea of brushland and marshes make up the little known Chengwatana State Forest along the St. Croix River in Pine County, Minn.

This hidden gem for hikers offers primitive camping sites and has designated trails for off-road and all-terrain vehicles. To reach the state forest, from Interstate 35 take the Beroun Exit onto County Road 14 and follow the signs.

Three major trails make for good day hikes the state forest’s 29,039 acres:
g Matthew Lourey State Trail – The unpaved trail links the St. Croix State Park to in the north to the St. Croix River along the forest’s southeast side. Tamarack and burr oak dominate the Chengwatana, which boasts wild turkeys, beavers, mink and muskrat along the way.
g Redhorse Creek Area Loops – Day hikers can see how the lumberjack era altered the northern Minnesota landscape on this trio of stacked loops. Today, paper birch and bigtooth and quaking aspen have largely replaced yesteryear’s white pine.
g Snake River Campground Trail – About a mile-long trail runs south of the Snake River near the primitive campground site. The pathway runs between the Mathew Lourey State Trail and the St. Croix River with stem trails to the campground.

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

Hike to 100-foot tall fire tower at St. Croix SP

View from fire tower at St. Croix State Park, Minnesota.

Day hikers can walk to and climb to the top of a 100-foot fire tower at St. Croix State Park in Pine County, Minn.

An amazing 127-plus miles of hiking trails cross the state park’s 34,000 acres. A combination of three of them (here dubbed the Kettle River Highbanks to Observation Tower Route) marks a great 3.6-mile (7.2-miles round trip) route for physically fit families with a lot of energy.

To reach the park from Minneapolis-St. Paul, take Interstate 35 north, exiting on Minn. Hwy. 48 in Hinckley. At County Road 22, turn south. In about five miles, you’ll reach the park headquarters. From there, turn right/west onto St. John’s Road. At the point the road turns to gravel, you have about a nine-mile drive. Your destination is the Kettle River Highlands, which offers limited parking.

From there, hike north paralleling the road you drove in on. You’ll first pass the Chapel Grove, an impressive stand of red pines. In about 1.5 miles, the road forks. Go right/northeast.

In just under 1.1 miles, a trail bridge crosses Bear Creek. At the next fork, go left/west. You’re now on the Matthew Lourey State Trail, which links the park to the Chengwatana, St. Croix and Nemadji state forests.

In about 0.8 miles, head off the Matthew Lourey by turning left/south for the observation tower. You’ll arrive at the tower in about a third of a mile.

The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the tower in 1937. For the next 40-plus years, watchmen assigned to it scanned the surrounding forests for fires. No breaks or reading were allowed, and visitors were limited to 10-minute stays. The last watchman sat here in 1981, when aerial surveys became the preferred way to spot forest fires.

These days, you can stay in the tower as long as you like. Looking south from it, Bear Creek runs west to east immediately below. In the distance is the Kettle River, a State Wild and Scenic River, which flows southeast to the St. Croix.

After taking in the view, follow the trail back to your vehicle or have someone meet you at the parking lot below the tower (Yes, you could have driven straight to the tower, but then there wouldn’t have been any hiking, would there?).

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

Great birds, lakes await at St. Croix forest

Ospreys can be spotted along the Tamarack River
in Minnesota's St. Croix State Forest.

Day hikers will find a number of great trails in Minnesota’s St. Croix State Forest, a 42,105-acre spread along the Tamarack and St. Croix rivers.

Among the highlights:
g Gandy Dancer State Trail segment – Starting in Danbury along Wis. Hwy. 77, walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River in the state forest on this 2-mile round trip trail. Watch for bald eagles, osprey, northern harriers, hawks, and in autumn migrating sandhill cranes.
g Lower Tamarack River Trail – From County Road 173, take the Tamarack Forest Trail to the parking lot for the hiking trailhead. Walk south, paralleling the Lower Tamarack River; at the second trail junction, turn back for a roughly 4-mile round trip.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, Churchill Lake segment – The Matthew Lourey State Trail runs north to south through the park. Consider parking at the trailhead along County Road 173, head north past Churchill Lake for a 3-mile round trip. The trail north of the lake enters wetlands.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, County Road 173 to Campground segment – From the same parking lot along County Road 173, take the trail southwest through wetlands to the campground for 2-mile round trip.

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

Great hiking trails await Danbury WI visitors

Gandy Dancer Trail bridge over St. Croix River

Several excellent day hiking trails await visitors to the Danbury, Wis., area. Among the trails:
g Gandy Dancer Trail segment – Day hikers can walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River on a segment of this long trail. In Danbury, parking for trail access is next to the walking route north of Wis. Hwy. 77 between Wis. Hwy. 35 and North Glass Street; from the lot, take the trail north, turning around on the bridge's other side for a 2-mile round trip. 
g Grouse Walk Trail – Three trails of various lengths run across a meadow dotted with pine groves at the Big Bear Lake Nature Area. The Grouse Walk Trail takes in a half-mile loop and can be extended with a link to the Big Bear Meadows Trail loop for an additional mile.
g Danbury State Wildlife Area trails – A goal post-shaped set of jeep trails form a square with County Road F, running through pine barrens and lowlands. Keep an eye out for snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse, beaver, mink and otter.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail – Across the river in Minnesota, this trail runs for several miles roughly north to south through St. Croix State Park. A pleasant 2.3-mile segment heads from a trail center to Hay Creek.
g Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area trails – Take a walk down any of the gravel roads leading into these sand barrens for an Andy Griffith-style hike into the backwoods. Watch for sharp-tailed grouse and the upland sandpiper.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.