St. Croix riverway abundant with day trails

St. Croix River south of St. Croix Falls, Wis.

National Park unit
includes 252 miles
of scenic shore

With the quiltwork of state parks, forests, and natural areas, county parks and other historical sites in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, attractions abound – swimming beaches, boat ramps, campgrounds, shopping in historic towns, ski trails, and more. Well over 70 day hiking trails can be found along the two rivers.

Scenic riverway’s location
From south to north, the scenic riverway begins in Prescott, Wis., where the St. Croix River meets the Mississippi River. This wide stretch of the St. Croix often is referred to as Lake St. Croix, which sports two state parks. At Afton, Minn., and Hudson, Wis., the Interstate 94 bridge handles the greatest amount of vehicle traffic over the river. From there, Willow River State Park sits on a tributary to the St. Croix in what is Lake St. Croix’s most populous stretch, with the cities of Bayport, Oak Park Heights and Stillwater on the Minnesota side and Hudson and North Hudson on the Wisconsin side.

North of Stillwater, the population falls off greatly, with William O’Brien State Park in Minnesota sometimes outpacing the census of the neighboring town, Marine on St. Croix. Then another cluster of villages appears – Osceola, Dresser and St. Croix Falls on the Wisconsin side and Taylors Falls in Minnesota. There the twin jewels of Minnesota and Wisconsin Interstate State Parks straddles the St. Croix O’ the Dalles, a beautiful gorge that the river flows through.

North of this region, the river bulges westward, with a state park in Minnesota and several state forests and state natural areas on both sides, before curving eastward to Danbury, Wis. A few miles north of town, the river ceases to be the state border as it heads northeast, taking in the Namekagon, and then coming to the Saint Croix Flowage near Gordon, Wis. The scenic riverway ends at the dam creating the lake.

West of the flowage, the St. Croix continues northward as a narrow waterway to its headwaters at Upper St. Croix Lake. In all, it’s a 169-mile journey.

The St. Croix’s largest tributary, the Namekagon, meanders for 101 miles, crossing four Wisconsin counties. It’s a major recreational area, with a number of boat landings and campsites, especially in Sawyer and Washburn counties.

From west to east, the Namekagon dips south to Trego, Wis., before heading northeast through Hayward, Wis. Its headwaters are at Namakagon Lake in the Chequamegon National Forest. The tributary runs 101 miles.

Attractions
The National Park Service operates two visitor centers in the riverway. The St. Croix River Visitor Center is in downtown St. Croix Falls and open from mid-April to Oct. 27. It boasts a 500-gallon freshwater aquarium. The Namekagon River Visitor Center is a mile east of Trego and open from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Hours for both visitor centers are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Major parks, nature centers, and public forests on or near the scenic riverway (from south to north and west to east) include:
g Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center (Hastings, Minn.)
g St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park (Hastings)
g Kinnickinnic State Park (Prescott)
g Afton State Park (Afton)
g Willow River State Park (Hudson)
g William O’Brien State Park (Marine on St. Croix)
g Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area (Osceola)
g Wisconsin Interstate State Park (St. Croix Falls)
g Minnesota Interstate State Park (Taylors Falls)
g Wild River State Park (North Brach, Minn.)
g Governor Knowles State Forest (Grantsburg, Wis.)
g Chengwatana State Forest (Beroun, Minn.)
g St. Croix State Park (Hinckley, Minn.)
g St. Croix State Forest (Sandstone, Minn.)
g Brule River State Forest (Solon Springs, Wis.)
g Chequamegon National Forest (Cable, Wis.)

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

Hike down little known St. Croix bluff trail

St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park. Photo courtesy
Washington County Parks.

Day hikers can scramble down a bluff to a St. Croix River beach on a forested trail at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park north of Hastings, Minn.

Few people other than locals know about the 579-acre county park, which includes prairie, ravines and shoreline. The four miles of trails in the park have no official names, but for convenience sake, we’ve christened this the St. Croix Bluffs Trail, named for the geographical feature the 1-mile round trip follows.

Autumn marks a perfect time to hike the trail; it’s aglow with golds and reds as leaves change their color. Day use permits are required for vehicles to enter the park.

To reach the trail, from U.S. Hwy 10, go north on Minn. Hwy. 21 (aka as St. Croix Trail South). Turn right/east on 102nd Street South then turn right/south onto 102nd Street Lane South, parking in the first lot on the right.

The trail heads from the lot into the woodline. The path meanders about, generally heading east to the river as roughly paralleling the park road.

In about a quarter mile, you’ll reach the first trail junction; go right/southeast. The trail remains in the woodline and continues to parallel the park road.

From there, the trail drops steeply in elevation – about 250 feet – as you descend the bluff to the river. The parking lot was at about 850 feet elevation while the blue river below hits the shoreline around 698 feet.

About 0.37 miles into the hike, you’ll pass through a parking lot, virtually the only unshaded portion of the walk. Then at 0.5 miles the trail reaches the boat landing. Cross it to the beach and cool your dawgs in the St. Croix.

After resting, head back the way you came to your vehicle.

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

Minn.’s Washington County delivers on trails

Sandstone formations along the St. Croix River at historic Boom Site.

Located along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, Minnesota’s Washington County offers a number of great day hiking experiences.

Along the St. Croix River, the county boasts two state parks, including Afton on scenic Lake St. Croix and William O’Brien near Marine on St. Croix. Both parks include river access and trails heading through woodlands and restored prairies.

Also on the river or within viewing distance of it are the Carpenter Nature Center (which boasts apple orchards), St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park, and Belwin Conservancy (which includes a raised platform for watching a small buffalo herd). In the scenic riverway itself is four-story Fairy Falls and the historic Boom Site with its sandstone formations, both just north of Stillwater.

Inland, several county parks deliver impressive hiking opportunities. Most notable among them are Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park, Lake Elmo Park Reserve, and Big Marine Park Reserve. The latter heads around lakes.

All the parks are within an hour’s drive of most of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and west-central Wisconsin.

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

Minn. loop heads through wooded ravines

Ravine Trail. Photo courtesy of Washington County Parks.

Hardwood forest
makes for great
autumn walk

Day hikers can explore wooded gorges that run near the Mississippi River in Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park.

The 2-mile packed turf Ravine Trail loops through Washington County Park in Cottage Grove, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Because of the varied hardwood trees, the trail makes for a pretty autumn walk.

To reach the trail, from U.S. Hwy. 61 in Cottage Grove go northeast on County Road 19 then right/southeast onto E. Point Douglas Road. The park service road is a left/northeast turn. Head to the second parking lot located where the entry road loops back on itself. A playground, picnic tables, and restrooms can be found in this area.

From the parking lot, head northeast on the far-right trail. It climbs up the ravine through stands of ash, birch and maple.

Ravines are deep, narrow steep-sided gorges formed by running water. They are much narrower than a canyon yet much wider than a gully.

At trail junction 2 (numbered markers appear on the path), go right/northeast. Aspens are more prevalent there.

The trail next follows a grassy area for about 0.2 miles. At both trail junctions 5 and 6, continue straight/northwest.

Varied wildlife
The route leaves the grassy area at trail junction 7 as it reaches the top of the ravine and enters a stands of upland oaks, cedars and aspens with an understory of snowberry and sumac. Junction 7 is the park’s highest point.

The ravine slopes receive different sun exposures, resulting in varied habitats supporting a variety of wildlife. Among them are cottontail rabbits, deer, ermine, grouse, and several bird species. Listen for the tap, tap, tap of the pileated woodpecker in spring and early summer.

Next, the trail curves north through a meadow with tree islands. At the four-way trail junction 8, go left/west.

From there, the trail descends steeply back into a ravine. As it does, notice how which trees are dominant changes again. The understory also differs with more prickly ash and sumac appearing.

At trail junction 15, go left/southwest. The trail curves southwest and descends steadily.

Miniature bluffs
Water running through these ravines ultimately flows into the Mississippi River about a mile to the southwest. In many ways, the ravines are miniature models of bluffs on the St. Croix River, which also flows into the Mississippi a few miles to the west.

As closing on the loops’ southern end, a spur trail leads to a pond about 40 yards on the left. Ducks and a few other shorebirds usually spend summers there.

South of the pond, the main trail begins to curve more sharply east. At trail junction 16, go straight/southeast.

The trail then comes to the lake shoreline, which it follows for about 0.2 miles. Upon reaching the picnic area near trailhead, you’ll have completed the loop and should easily be able to spot the parking lot.

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