National Scenic Riverway

Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

Midwest

About Saint Croix

Grab your paddle and your longing for adventure and head to the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers! Together they form the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, offering over 200 miles of clean water that glides and rushes through a forested landscape. Paddle, boat, fish, and camp among this wild and scenic beauty. Hiking and historic towns also beckon.

From the National Park Service.

Region: Midwest
States: Wisconsin and Minnesota
Designation: National Scenic Riverway
Entrance fee: None listed

Trail data for this park is still being added.
Places for this park are still being added.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, weather and getting to Saint Croix.

Entrance fees

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for this park.

Hours

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

Open 24 hours a day, every day.

The St. Croix and Namekagon rivers are open all-day, year-round except for periods of dangerous water conditions. Access to landings and trails is seasonal.

Weather and when to go

Access to the Riverway is year-round. Early spring temperatures can reach into the 40's resulting in high, fast, and cold water from melting snow and ice. Summers are warm and humid. Severe weather can be experienced anytime from mid-spring through late summer. Fall colors begin in late September with high temperatures averaging in the 60's. Winter can set in early with high temperatures in the teens, lows falling below zero, and occasional heavy snow. The rivers can begin to freeze over by early December.

Getting there

The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway stretches for over 200 miles in northwest Wisconsin and east-central Minnesota. The Namekagon River flows entirely in Wisconsin while the St. Croix River serves as a border between the two states for much of its length. With many different access points there are numerous opportunities for day trips as well as multi-day paddling adventures. Visitor centers are located on the Namekagon River in Trego, Wisconsin, and on the St. Croix River in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.

Directions from the National Park Service

Contact the park

Address: 401 North Hamilton Street, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024
Phone: (715) 483-2274
Email: SACN_Info@nps.gov
Official site: nps.gov/sacn

From the National Park Service, checked weekly. Fees, hours and road conditions change: confirm with the park before you go.

Trip planner

A day-by-day plan for Saint Croix

Tell us your dates and what you are into. We group the stops by where they are, so each day is one part of the park, not a zigzag.

Plan your park trip Free. No account needed.

Things to do in Saint Croix

The park service's own list, with how long each takes.

Paddling The Riverway

Paddling · about 7 hours

Paddling the rivers of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
Explore the Ridge View Trail, Osceola Loop

Hiking · about 1.3 hours

The Osceola Loop of the Ridge View Trail winds through a dappled forest high above the St. Croix River.

Campgrounds in Saint Croix

Run by the park service. Reservable sites book on Recreation.gov; first-come sites do not.

Namekagon District

67 first-come sites

67, primitive, Leave No Trace camp sites are located on the Namekagon River from Namekagon Dam to the confluence of the St Croix River and on the St. Croix Riv…
Middle St. Croix

57 first-come sites

57, primitive, Leave No Trace campsites are located on the St. Croix River from Riverside Landing to Highway 8 at St. Croix Falls - Taylors Falls. All sites ar…
Lower St. Croix District

19 first-come sites

19, primitive, Leave No Trace campsites are located on this reach from below Highway 8 down to the Boom Site Landing near Stillwater, Minnesota. An annual camp…