Fall color hikes abound in Stillwater MN area

Brown's Creek State Trail

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in the Stillwater area

than a hike.

The brilliant yellows, oranges and red

of maples to the scarlet and russets of oaks...the crisp, fresh autumn air and

the last warm rays of sunlight before winter arrives...the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug

of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails around Stillwater to hike. Some are right out your back door,

while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Brown’s Creek State Trail (Stillwater)
Hikers can enjoy fall colors alongside a river and creek on Brown’s Creek State Trail. The 5.9-mile (one-way) trail connects Stillwater and the Gateway State Trail in Grant. A mile of the trail parallels the St. Croix River while another two miles sticks to its namesake creek. Leaves usually peak late September to mid October. From downtown Stillwater, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north. Park in either lot on the road’s right/east before or after Laurel Street. The trailhead runs north from Laurel Street east of the lots.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve (Lake Elmo)
A variety of autumn colors can be enjoyed in the maple-oak forests at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. The 3.8-mile Eagle Point Trail loops around the wooded lake for which the route is named. Paper birch, ash, cottonwood, as well as several types of evergreens, dot the landscape. From Minn. Hwy. 36 in Lake Elmo, take County Road 17/Lake Elmo Road south. Turn right/west onto County Road 14/Stillwater Boulevard then left/south onto Keats Avenue and enter the reserve. After passing the Nordic Center, go right/west into a parking lot. The trail is on the lot’s west side.

William O’Brien State Park (Marine on St. Croix)
Day hikers can learn about the power of floods on the St. Croix River via the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. The fresh scent of pine needles upon the trail and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquility reigns. From Marine on St. Croix, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O’Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Battle Creek Regional Park (Maplewood)
Tan-colored oak and yellow-leaved birch await hikers at Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood. The 1.5-mile Battle Creek Loop passes tree-lined ponds and crosses ridgelines overlooking oak-filled gullies. From Interstate 94 east of St. Paul, exit right/south onto White Bear Avenue then turn left/east onto Upper Afton Road. Go right/south onto Winthrop Street then right/west into the park’s lot.

Big Marine Park Reserve (Forest Lake)
Hikers can enjoy a walk through a woodlands and on long pier at Big Marine Park Reserve. The unnamed trail in the Washington County park runs 0.75 miles round-trip. The turf trail leaves from the park’s western side, entering a deciduous forest, which makes for a colorful walk among yellow, orange, red, russet and olive leaves in autumn. From Forest Lake, take Minn. Hwy. 97 east. Turn left/south onto County Road 15/Morning Trail North. The park entry road (aka Lomond Trail North) is on the left/east. When the entry road splits, go straight/west, following it to the last/northernmost parking lot (the road loops back onto itself at the lot).

Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area (Osceola, Wis.)
Fantastic river views beneath a colorful forest canopy await hikers on the this pair of trails near Osceola. Not to be confused with Ridgeview Trail at the adjacent Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area, this pair of trails actually are two loops that only locals really know about. They run through the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Osceola State Fish Hatchery on a bluff overlooking a St. Croix River back channel. The oranges and reds of maples dominate here with the occasional pine grove.

Hike to waterfall, historic site near Stillwater

Sandstone formations along St. Croix Boom Site Trail.

Though known for its boutiques and restaurants, Stillwater, Minn., also offers a few good trails for day hikers to explore.

Among them are:
• Brown’s Creek Nature Preserve Ski Trail – The Brown’s Creek Park and Nature Preserve Ski Trail offers among the best day hiking option in the Stillwater area. It gives you a good sense of what a blufftop woodlands area is like. A parking lot is off of County Road 64/McKusick Road North past Maryland Avenue North. The Browns Creek State Trail, of which the ski trail is a segment of, also can be picked up on the north side of downtown next to the former depot.
• Fairy Falls Trail – A little-known four-story waterfall is located north of town. For years, the short quarter-mile round trip was located on private land but is now operated by National Park Service as part of a 55-acre addition to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The Fairy Falls Day Use Area is open 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily with the trailhead at the intersection of Fairy Falls Road North and Orwell Avenue.
• Gateway State Trail – The eastern terminus of the trail begins at Pine Point Regional Park north of Stillwater. A good segment to take is the 4.2 miles from the park to just north of Duluth Junction. Along the way, the trail crosses a creek and boasts two picnic areas. Much of this segment passes farm fields. A fee is charged to enter the park.
• St. Croix Boom Site Trail – Families can day hike a historical remnant from the St. Croix River’s lumber baron days north of town at a wayside off of Minn. Hwy. 95. The trail runs a mere 0.4-miles round trip but makes for a scenic diversion. A century-and-a-half-ago ago, the site was a bustling center of activity a where men pulled logs from the St. Croix River and sent them on their way to sawmills.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Video of Minnesota’s Boom Site Trail

Day hikers can enjoy fascinating sandstone bluff formations at the St. Croix Boom Site Trail north of Stillwater, Minn.

The St. Croix Boom Site Trail runs a mere 0.4 miles round trip but makes for a scenic afternoon diversion. It’s located in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

The Cambrian-era sandstone formed around 485 million years old when this part of the world sat under a shallow, tropical sea. Flashfloods from melting glaciers swept through the area carved out the cliffs and river valley a mere 10,000 years ago.

Here’s a video of some of the sandstone formations taken along the trail:

To reach the trail, from downtown Stillwater drive north on Minn. Hwy. 95. Watch for the signs; after Pawnee Avenue North, there’s a turnoff for the Boom Site on the right/east. Park in the looping access road. The trailhead is south of the lot’s access road. The Boom Site is a brief 50-foot walk down a staircase to a beach.

• Article describing trail
• Photo album of trail

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Photo album of St. Croix Boom Site Trail

The scenic St. Croix Boom Site Trail rambles for nearly a half-mile along the Minnesota shoreline of the St. Croix River.

To reach the trail, from downtown Stillwater drive north on Minn. Hwy. 95. Watch for the signs; after Pawnee Avenue North, there’s a turnoff for the Boom Site on the right/east. Park in the looping access road. The trailhead is south of the lot’s access road. The Boom Site is merely a 50-foot walk down a staircase to a beach.

The top of the staircase offers a great view of Cambrian-era sandstone (below) that formed around 485 million years old.

At the base of the staircase, a beach runs along the St. Croix River (below).

The river widens greatly at Stillwater, becoming what locals refer to as “Lake St. Croix” (below).

Heading south along the beach, the sandstone cliffs hug the shoreline (below). The cliffs and river valley formed about 10,000 years ago when flashfloods from melting glaciers swept through the area.

A cave sits on the cliff south of the staircase. (below).

The cave goes several yards into the cliff, but once your eyes adjust, you’ll be able to see fairly well (below).

The cliffs continue north of the staircase, but there is more beachfront (below).

During spring, creeks bring melting snow from the clifftops into the river at the boom site (below).

At one time, the boom site beach was a major terminal for bringing logs off the river to sawmills in Stillwater. Here's a full description of the trail.

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

‘Northeast Minnesota’ book tour kicks off Saturday in Stillwater

I’ll be signing my latest book, Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota, at Valley Bookseller in Stillwater, Minn., on Saturday, May 16.

The indispensable guide to anyone who owns or rents a cabin on the North Shore, in the Arrowhead, and along the St. Croix River, Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota describes more than 200 trails in Chisago, Pine, Carlton, St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties. Within a week of being released, it hit No. 1 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list for Travel>Midwest ebooks and No. 4 on Amazon.com’s Travel>Midwest bestseller list for paperbacks. Amazon.com also named it a No. 1 Hot New Release in Midwest>U.S. Travel Guides.

The Valley Bookseller stop marks the first stop in my summer promotion tour for Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota. I’ll be there from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Copies of the book can be purchased in advance of or during the event.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Four-story waterfall awaits day hikers

Silver Creek flows over rim of Fairy Falls.

Short hike heads to historic Fairy Falls near Stillwater

NOTE: Due to COVID-19, Fairy Falls is closed. For updates on the closure and others in the St. Croix National National Scenic Riverway, please visit the National Park service website or call the St. Croix River Visitor Center at 715-483-2274.

Day hikers can enjoy a little-known four-story waterfall in eastern Minnesota on the Fairy Falls Trail.

For years, the short quarter-mile round trip was located on private land but is now operated by National Park Service as part of a 55-acre addition to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The Fairy Falls Day Use Area is open 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily.

To reach the falls, from downtown Stillwater, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north. Turn left/northwest onto Minn. Hwy. 96 then right/north onto County Road 11/Boom Road. The county road separates from Boom Road and goes left/west and becomes Fairy Falls Road North as heading up a hill. Park along the west side of Orwell Avenue, which is directly across from the day use area. The trailhead is a footpath to the right of the yellow directional sign.

Topo map of Fairy Falls Trail.
Click for larger version.

The footpath heads through a hardwood forest with a number of birch trees. Be careful of not taking narrow sidepaths that meander through the woods away from the falls.

Within about 0.1 miles, the trail reaches the top of the falls, where Silver Creek drops into a deep pool in the gorge below then continues on its way to the St. Croix River. A wooden bridge crosses the creek about a dozen feet from the waterfalls’ rim.

The trail can be followed around the gorge’s rim, but unless late in fall or early in spring when the foliage is light, the glen isn’t visible below. Still, it’s a pleasant walk with a few glacial erratics along the way.

Spur trail to gorge bottom
You can take a spur trail, tucked against one gorge wall, down to the creek bottom. There are no signs indicating the way to go, but it looks more like a washed out draw than a walking path. Still, it’s traversable, though you shouldn’t try it during night, if the ground is wet, or when with young children. The fall is a long way down.

The bluff sits atop sandstone laid here about 500 million years old during the Cambrian. Floodwaters from melting glaciers swept through the river valley some 8000 years ago at the end of the last ice age, carving out the sandstone, which Silver Creek has further eroded back. Today, the thick beds exposed along the river are known as the “St. Croixian series.”

During spring when Silver Creek is higher due to snow melt, those who hike down the bluff’s side can feel mist from the falls. There’s a shallow cave behind the base of the falls, and if you don’t mind getting wet, you can go into it and see the waterfall from the inside.

By early summer, the gorge is thick with greenery. During autumn, look for Jack in the Pulpit; the bright orange berries that lie under the pulpit add another tinge of color to the scene.

Shadow of the falls
During spring and autumn, Silver Creek can be hiked a ways downstream. From the falls, the creek flows about a quarter mile before spilling into the St. Croix.

In days past, the falls flowed heavily through the summer. By the early 1950s, it fell off during late summer, as the lake feeding Silver Creek dried to a wetlands.

The falls and glen – which Native Americans living in the area called Ugua-Wah-to-gi-di-big, or “shadow of the falls” – were popular with local in the 1890s through the early 1900s when hundreds of people would walk there from Stillwater to pick pink crocuses and violets as well as to enjoy picnics. Postcards even were made of the falls.

After the hike, you can add to your day by driving on Hwy. 95 north of County Road 11 to the St. Croix Boom Site Trail, which is a few hundred feet up the highway on the right/east side.

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

Valley Bookseller hosting 'Hittin' the Trail' author's book signing

Valley Bookseller in Stillwater, Minn., is hosting a book signing for my latest title, Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway on Saturday, May 24. The book, which reached No. 1 on Amazon.com’s Travel>Midwest bestseller lists for both paperback and ebook, features more than 70 Minnesota and Wisconsin trails along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers. The signing runs 1-3 p.m. Valley Bookseller is located at 217 Main St. N. in historic downtown Stillwater.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Stillwater (Minn.) Gazette runs article on St. Croix riverway guidebook

The Stillwater (Minn.) Gazette featured my latest book, Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway in its Thursday (April 10) edition. The article includes a nice Q&A with yours truly. Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway features more than 70 Minnesota and Wisconsin trails along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers. The National Park Service unit runs more than 250 miles from Prescott, Wis., north to near Solon Springs, Wis., and east from the Danbury, Wis., area to near Cable, Wis. The article is available online.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Hike historical lumber baron site in Minn.

St. Croix Boom Site view of St. Croix River.

Aerial photo of St. Croix Boom Site.

Families can day hike a historical remnant from the St. Croix River’s lumber baron days north of Stillwater, Minn.

The St. Croix Boom Site Trail runs a mere 0.4 miles round trip but makes for a scenic afternoon diversion. A century-and-a-half-ago ago, the site was a bustling center of activity where men pulled logs from the St. Croix River and sent them on their way to sawmills.

To reach the trail, from downtown Stillwater drive north on Minn. Hwy. 95. Watch for the signs; after Pawnee Avenue North, there’s a turnoff for the Boom Site on the right/east. Park in the looping access road. The trailhead is south of the lot’s access road. The Boom Site is merely a 50-foot walk down a staircase to a beach.

Throughout the mid- and late-1800s, lumberjacks downed whole forests across northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, branded each log with the sawmill it was to go to, and floated the timber down the St. Croix River on its way to sawmills.

When the St. Croix Boom Company went bust upstream near Marine on St. Croix, several Stillwater lumber barons bought the business and moved it here. The boom company drew the timber from the river then sorted and delivered it to the correct sawmill in Stillwater. All through the 1870s, logs would back up some 15 miles on the river during midsummer as awaiting for the boom company to pull them out.

By the early 20th century, most Northwoods forests were gone, and the boom site ceased operation in 1914. As the economy changed and generations passed, the site was largely forgotten.

The National Park Service discovered it during a 1975 survey while identifying historical sites along the St. Croix. Today, it’s a National Historic Landmark in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

At the bottom of the stairs, hikers can head up and down the pleasant beach below the sandstone bluff. The beach peters out about 600 feet downstream and heads roughly 400 feet upstream to a nice point overlooking a river island.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Day hike along bluff top creek that rambles into St. Croix River

Brown's Creek Park and Nature Preserve Trail

Most people go to Stillwater, Minn., for its trendy shops and great restaurants in an historical urban setting. And while there's not much in town for backpackers, there are some good day hikes for families before they stop downtown for a classy meal.

The Brown's Creek Park and Nature Preserve Ski Trail offers the best day hiking option in the Stillwater area. Close to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, it gives you a good sense of what a blufftop woodlands area is like.

Located in the Brown's Creek Park and Nature Preserve, the trail actually is a number of short connecting paths constructed for cross country skiing and is run by the City of Stillwater and the Stillwater Cross Country Ski Association. It remains open when snow is not on the ground, however; a 0.9-mile segment that forms a loop is described here.

To reach the trail, from Minn. Hwy. 36, go north on County Road 15/Manning Avenue, then turn right/east onto County Road 64/McKusick Road North. Past Maryland Avenue North, beyond where the railroad tracks veer away from the road, is a parking lot on the right. From the lot's southwest corner, walk the stem trail into the woods.

Take the second junction for a trail going left. Pass through the next junction. The trail here is largely shaded by a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees and crosses Brown's Creek, for which the park and nature preserve is named.

Brown's Creek marks one of the few waterways in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area that sports a fishable trout population. It runs for nearly 10 miles, starting a good five miles north of Stillwater before flowing into the St. Croix River just north of town. Since 1955, the state has stocked the creek with brown trout.

Soon the trail runs easterly along the south side of a wetlands formed by Brown's Creek. Upon reaching the first trail junction that allows you to go left/northwest, take it. You'll double back across a wet area, so late summer and autumn, and usually a few days after a rain, mark the best time to hike the nature area.

As the trail veers north, it borders Brown's Creek and a wooded area before reaching the stem trail leading to the parking lot.

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

'Hikes with Tykes' author reading hiking/father essays in Stillwater

In celebration of Father’s Day, I’m reading about hiking and fatherhood on Saturday, June 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Valley Bookseller in downtown Stillwater, Minn. The readings are of the completed essays in an anthology that I’m writing, Trails and Trials: Journeys of a Father and Son. Among the book’s topics: Fathers’ fears of handling a newborn, traditional vs. nontraditional roles of a father, and fathers being nurturers. Each essay shows how hiking offers the answers to these and other complex issues of being a father. After the reading, I’ll be on hand to answer questions and sign any of my various hiking books, which currently are available for purchase at Valley Bookseller. Valley Bookseller is an independently owned and run bookstore, located at 217 Main Street North in Stillwater.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

'Hikes' author's hiking books now on sale in Stillwater, Minn.

Three of my hiking books are now available for purchase at Valley Bookseller in downtown Stillwater, Minn. Valley Bookseller is an independently owned and frequently hosts authors for book readings and signings. My three hiking books stocked there are: Hikes with Tykes: A Practical Guide to Day Hiking with Kids; Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities; and my recently released Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northwest Wisconsin. Valley Bookseller is located at 217 Main St N.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.