Day Hiking Trails: Park Headquarters to Lake Clayton Route

Saturday, November 28, 2015

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.

Meet the Author

My name is Rob Bignell. I'm a long-time hiker, journalist and editor. My son Kieran and I have been hiking together for the past decade. Before Kieran, I taught middle school students in New Mexico and Wisconsin, served as an infantryman in the Army National Guard, and worked in newspapers. I've won several journalism awards, from editorial writing to sports reporting. In 2001, The Prescott Journal, which I served as managing editor of, was named Wisconsin’s Weekly Newspaper of the Year. Currently I own and operate an online editing business, Inventing Reality Editing Service. After spending several years in Southern California, my son and I now live in Wisconsin on the scenic Red Cedar River.