Day hikes abound in central St. Croix Co.

Trail leading to bridge crossing Paperjack Creek in New Richmond, Wis.

Several great day hiking trails – ranging from primitive, grass paths near rookeries to paved, wide routes alongside urban lakes – can be found in the central portion of Wisconsin’s St. Croix County.

The trails generally are located in or close to the four communities making up the region. Trails by community include:

Baldwin-Hammond
• Casey Lake Trail – Day hikers can sight great blue herons on the 0.2 miles-round trip Casey Lake Trail in the Casey Lake Wildlife Management Area. From 130th Avenue east of U.S. Hwy. 63 north, look for a gravel parking lot on the left/south side of the road between 200th and 190th streets.
• Wintergreen Park trails – Several unnamed walking paths wind through the 32-acre pine and hardwood forest on the town’s southwest side. Use the lot in the park’s northwest corner off of 60th Avenue west of U.S. Hwy. 63.

New Richmond
• Doar Park Trail – About 0.7 miles of trails ramble about the 14.6-acre park, which is being restored to native prairie grasses. The trailhead is on a private road east of 115th Street, just south of Sixth Street West.
• Doughboy Trail – The 0.33-mile paved trail runs from the Mill Pond Walk along the Willow River to North Pierce Street south of High Street. Park in the lot west of the New Richmond depot off of High Street.
• ELC Trail – The 0.2-mile paved trail links East Sixth Street to Paperjack Elementary School. Park at the northwest end of the elementary school, off of East 11th Street on weekends or during school vacations.
• Richmond Way Trail – The 1.7-mile trail parallels East Richmond Way and briefly West Richmond Way from 140th Street west to County Road A with connector trails. Park along the street.
• Freedom Park Trail Loop – Formerly the Hatfield Lake Trail Loop, the 2.4-mile trail circles the park with a long side hugging the shore of Hatfield Lake. Park then pick up the trail at the end of Liberty Drive north of Industrial Boulevard.
• Hatfield Lake Trail – The 1-mile trail runs along the south side of Hatfield Lake into Hatfield Park with a spur heading southeast to North Knowles Avenue and Johnson Drive. Parking is in the southeast corner of the Hatfield Park lot.
• Mary Park Trail – Day hikers can enjoy a 0.6-mile round trip walk alongside a placid lake in Mary Park at the southwest end of Mary Park Lake. To reach the trailhead, on Wis. Hwy. 65 in downtown turn east onto County Road K/East First Street; next, turn left/north onto North Green Avenue.
• Mill Pond Trail – The 0.1-mile trail runs across the Willow River dam then partially alongside the small reservoir. Access the trail from West First Street just west of South Knowles Avenue.
• Monette Park Trail – A 0.1-mile paved path sits in the neighborhood park and connects to Marshall Road. Park and start the trail at the end of Fifth Street South just west of South Washington Street.
• Nature Center Trail – A 0.5-mile trail rambles through woodlands at the 16.5-acre nature along the Willow River. The park is at the corner of Wis. Hwy. 64 and County Road A.
• New Richmond Heritage Center and Paperjack Creek Trail – Hikers can combine a walk near a stream with a loop through a historical village and farm that show what life was like in western Wisconsin decades ago; they combine for a roughly mile-long stroll. The trailhead is on Heritage Drive east of Wis. Hwy. 64; when the drive curves south, turn left/east into the Heritage Center’s parking lot.
• North Shore Trail – The 0.3-mile trail links two ends of North Shore Drive. Use street parking.
• Rail Bridge Trail – This 1.7-mile paved trail runs between West Richmond Way and West Sixth Street. Four short connectors link the trail to residential areas and to Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.
• Somerset Road Trail – The paved 0.5-mile trail runs between Nature Center Park and Victoria Park. The regional hospital is along the trail between the parks.
• Willowind Trail – The paved 0.4-mile trail runs alongside West Eighth Street next to the hospital and then south with spurs. A connector trail links it to Somerset Road Trail.
• Woodland Creek Trail – The 0.5-mile trail heads from County Road A north of Woodland Creek Park to the street Pinewood Trail. The trail is in a residential area.

Roberts
• Clapp Waterfowl Production Area – A 0.36-mile round trip grass path crosses part of the production area to a woodline. A parking lot and the trailhead sit off Kinney Road south of Highlander Trail.
• Kinnickinnic Headwaters Fish and Wildlife Area and Trumpeter Swan Preserve walkabout – Day hikers with a taste for bushwhacking can explore the headwaters of a Class 1 trout stream at the Kinnickinnic Headwaters Fish and Wildlife Area and Trumpeter Swan Preserve. From 70th Avenue, go right/south onto 150th Street; a parking lot is on the road's right/west side.
• Kinnickinnic River State Fishery Area Trail – A 0.3-mile round trip path runs to the center of the fishery. On 140th Street, once south of 70th Avenue, take the first gravel road heading west; look for the fishery area sign and turn left/south.

Star Prairie/Deer Park
• Prairie Flats North Waterfowl Area – For a primitive hiking experience, grass paths leave from the parking lot toward and around a pond and the surrounding wetlands. Park in the gravel lot on the north side of County Road H between 90th Street and Thrush Drive.
• Stanton County Forest trails – Trails stacked in two columns run through the 40-acre forest east of South Prairie. Park in the lot off of 185th Street about a mile north of the County Roads H and T intersection.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of St. Croix County guidebook.

Variety of trails found across St. Croix Cnty.

Willow Falls at Willow River State Park.

Wisconsin's St. Croix County consists of several communities with great hiking trails. Most sprung up as agricultural centers, though during the past couple of decades those closest to the Minnesota border increasingly serve as bedroom communities for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. The county’s communities neatly fall into one of three groups based on the level of this transition from farm to bedroom town.

The Great River Road communities sit in the western third of the county, which is rapidly urbanizing. Wis. Hwy. 35, also known as the Great River Road, runs north-south connecting these cities. So also do four major rivers.

The county seat, Hudson, with its neighbor North Hudson, are located where the St. Croix River joins a tributary, the Willow River. Beautiful Willow River State Park sits just east of town; a hike to Willow Falls is a must for any visitor to this part of Wisconsin.

North of Hudson is Somerset, which the Apple River flows through on its way to the St. Croix. The city enjoys a colorful history as a rough logging town and bootleg alcohol production center during the Prohibition. One great Somerset hike is the Parnell Prairie Reserve Trail.

South of Hudson is River Falls. Partially in neighboring Pierce County, the city is home to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Hiking trails abound on the Kinnickinnic River, which flows through town en route to the St. Croix. The most scenic part of the Kinnickinnic is just a mile south of the St. Croix-Pierce county line at Glen Park.

The central third of the county is farming country though the population of cities along the Interstate 94 and Wis. Hwy. 64 corridors is growing at a faster rate than most other communities in Wisconsin.

The most populous, New Richmond, sits just east of Somerset in the county’s north. During 1899, an F5 tornado wiped out the community, killing 117 people. Today, the city is a vibrant town with many great local hiking options. Among them is the New Richmond Heritage Center and Paperjack Creek Trail.

Much smaller Star Prairie and Deer Park sit to the north and northeast of New Richmond. Roberts is to the south where Wis. Hwy. 65 and I-94 meets. Hammond and then Baldwin, the latter beginning as a railroad town, are east of Roberts on the I-94 corridor. The Casey Lake Trail near Baldwin offers an opportunity to see great blue heron near their rookery.

The eastern third of the county is farming country with cities no larger than a population of 1500, but quality trails can be here as well. Woodville and Wilson are east of Baldwin off of I-94. Glenwood City is to the north; nearby Glen Hills County Park boasts a number of great hikes. The Wildwood Trail links Woodville to Spring Valley, home of Crystal Cave and the Eau Galle Recreation Area.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of St. Croix County.

Heritage center, trail take hikers back in time

Footbridge over Paperjack Creek.

New Richmond Heritage Center/Paperjack Creek Trail map

One-mile walk combines two parks into one

In the city of New Richmond, hikers can combine a walk near a stream with a loop through a historical village and farm that show what life was like in western Wisconsin decades ago.

The New Richmond Heritage Center and Paperjack Creek Trail combine for a roughly mile-long stroll. All of the pathways and trails are well-maintained.

To reach the trailhead, take Wis. Hwy. 65 into New Richmond. Turn east onto Heritage Drive. When the road curves south, turn left/east into the Heritage Center’s parking lot.

Heritage Center
From the lot, head north to the Heritage Center’s historical farm. The barn, granary and Victorian Italianate farmhouse once were the heart of a working farm that since has been paved with streets and become part of the city. Walking past the windmill, though, you’ll feel like you’ve truly stepped back in time.

Due east of the farm, stop at the Pavilion, whose exhibits include pictures of the June 12, 1899, F5 tornado that leveled New Richmond and killed more than 170 people; it’s still considered the state’s worst tornado. The Pavilion building is modeled after a historic farm machine shed.

From the Pavilion, head south to the Northside House, which was built in 1890 with an addition in 1894. Next to it is a Heritage Church, constructed in 1891.

After the church, walk east then north past the other buildings, which include a 1902 schoolhouse and a general store for countryfolk from 1933. A log barn and a cabin built by immigrants in 1887 round out the heritage center’s 12 structures.

Paperjack Trail
Next, head west along the heritage center’s north side to behind the farm buildings. Look for a break in the woods where a path descends to a footbridge over Paperjack Creek.

The path enters Paperjack Creek Park, which once was pastureland for the farmstead at the Heritage Center. Today, the park preserves the wetlands surrounding the creek, which was named for a man who lived along its banks and sold rags for a living.

Two trails parallel one another in the park. The first one north of the footbridge is mainly for walking while the other is for bicyclists (though it can be walked as well).

Head right/east onto the footpath. It winds through wetlands and grassy areas and sometimes joins the wider bicycle path. Keep heading east at each intersection.

Eventually the footpath ends altogether. Follow the bicycle path to a section of the park with a playground. At the intersection of East Avenue and Bilmar Street, the trail ends. Retrace your steps back to the farmyard, which you can cut across to the parking lot.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of St. Croix County guidebook.