State Park Information
St. Croix State Park
  2 Stars (1 Rating)
  30065 St. Croix Park Road
      Hinckley, Minnesota 55037
  United States
  (320) 384-6591
  Unknown
Description

Plan an extended visit to St. Croix. With over 34,000 acres and two great rivers—the Saint Croix River, which is a National Scenic Riverway, and the Kettle River, a State Wild and Scenic River—there's so much to do. Explore the rivers by canoe or with a fishing pole. Swim at Lake Clayton or climb a fire tower.

The park has miles of trails for hikers, horseback riders, bicyclists, snowmobilers, and cross-country skiers. Campers can reserve drive-in, walk-in, backpack, and horseback campsites. Large groups can reserve the modern group centers or the primitive group camps.

Wildlife
The habitats consist of both aspen and conifers, which benefits wildlife including black bear, bobcats, coyotes, beaver, raccoons, gray and red fox, and deer. Eastern timber wolves are also found in the park but are not commonly seen. Many species of birds thrive here: warblers, flycatchers, eagles, owls, and osprey are common along the St. Croix.

History
The St. Croix River was an important trade route for hundreds of years, first for the Native Americans, and then for the French, English, and American fur traders. Although the fur trade ended during the mid 1800's, logging camps along the St. Croix River sprung up, all taking advantage of the river's force to float logs to lumber mills downstream.

By 1915, the logging era had moved on to other parts of the country. The newly cleared land was attractive to farmers and immigrants from all over the world, but these settlers struggled to make a living from the poor soil. In 1934, 18,000 acres of St. Croix area farmland was purchased, and in 1935, became the St. Croix Recreational Demonstration Area. Under the direction of the National Park Service, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), set out to transform these lands into group camps, roads, and campgrounds, with all the necessary buildings and structures. Most of their efforts remain in use today, with many of the buildings and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Interpretive signs throughout the former CCC campsite describe the lives and work of the CCC's in the St. Croix RDA, which in 1943, became St. Croix State Park.

Geology
During the last glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, the St. Croix River valley served as a major drainage channel for glacial meltwater from Lake Superior. As these waters carved the way for the river seen today, the waters left behind a variety of soils and sediment that cover the ancient lava bedrock far below, including a glacial outwash plain of sand left by Glacial Lake Grantsburg. Many springs along the river banks occur where the river valley has eroded through the glacial gravel to release water trapped between the sediments.

The final wave of glacial meltwater cleaned debris from the Kettle River valley, leaving much of the basalt and sandstone bedrock exposed. A stop at the Kettle River Highbanks is a step back over millions of years.

Landscape
Twenty-one miles of the St. Croix River, a National Scenic Riverway, form the eastern boundary of the park, while Minnesota's first Wild and Scenic River, the Kettle River, joins the St. Croix to form the western boundary. At least ten other streams flow through the park, creating a watershed of hundreds of square miles. These waterbodies also provide important opportunities for canoeing, fishing, and kayaking.

St. Croix State Park, which is on the eastern edge of the Mille Lacs Uplands, is an important site for plants and animals too. Once home to stands of virgin red and white pine, today, St. Croix State Park is a mix of natural communities including a unique plant community called the jackpine barrens. Visitors will see areas where work is being done to reintroduce fire into the jack pine to promote restoration of this ecosystem.

An enormous diversity of plants and animals are common, including the stemless lady-slipper or moccasin flower, blazing stars, bald eagles, black bears, and timber wolves.

Park Stats
Campgrounds: 6 Campsites: 270
Photos: 39 Reviews: 1
Views: 3,679 Likes: 0
   

   Amenities
  No information available.

   Documents & Files
  No documents available.
    Profile Photo
Photo of St. Croix State Park, Minnesota, United States
   Reservations
Make Reservations Online
or Call 866-857-2757

   Location
   St. Croix State Park Photos
Showing 30 of 39 photos. View All Park Photos
There are 1,027 total photos at this park. View All Photos
   St. Croix State Park Reviews


Have you been here? What did you think of this Park? Submit a Review and Earn $$! Learn More >>
Jeff P.
2 Star Rating2.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on June 19th, 2020
St. Croix is apparently the largest state park in MN. It is pretty large and spread out. It takes a good 10 minutes to get to the campground after you enter. And from the campground it takes another 10 minutes to get to the beach area and playground. The playground is an older style wood one. The beach seemed pretty decent with a good sized picnic area. In my opinion the Riverview Campground was terrible. There were little to no trees between sites and there is no view of the river. At some sites the fire rings were no more than 5 feet from your neighbor's fire ring. The walk-in sites were also pretty bad. Site 56 is pretty much right on the parking lot. The rest were only a few feet apart and rather sad to call a walk-in site. Your 'walk-in' site is about a 10 foot walk. Paint Rock Springs wasn't much better. Rather cramped and no privacy from your neighbors. Unfortunate for such a large park. If you like some privacy then Old Logging Trail is the way to go since it has pretty good tree coverage. The best sites are on the outsides of the loops. But the ones on the inside aren't too bad either.
   Cabins Campground
A 
2 Photos

Cabin
B 
2 Photos

Cabin
C 
2 Photos

Cabin
D 
1 Photo

Cabin
E 
1 Photo

Cabin
View Campground Map
   Group Campground
G01
Group Campsite
G02
Group Campsite
G03
Group Campsite
G04
Group Campsite
G05
Group Campsite
G06
Group Campsite
G07
Group Campsite
G08
Group Campsite
View Campground Map
   Horseriders Campground
H01
Non-Electric Campsite
H02
Non-Electric Campsite
H03
Non-Electric Campsite
H04
Non-Electric Campsite
H05
Non-Electric Campsite
H06
Non-Electric Campsite
H07
Non-Electric Campsite
H08
Non-Electric Campsite
H09
Non-Electric Campsite
H10
Non-Electric Campsite
H11
Non-Electric Campsite
H12
Non-Electric Campsite
H13
Non-Electric Campsite
H14
Non-Electric Campsite
H15
Non-Electric Campsite
H16
Non-Electric Campsite
H17
Non-Electric Campsite
H18
Non-Electric Campsite
H19
Non-Electric Campsite
H20
Non-Electric Campsite
H21
Non-Electric Campsite
H22
Non-Electric Campsite
H23
Non-Electric Campsite
H24
Non-Electric Campsite
H25
Non-Electric Campsite
H26
Non-Electric Campsite
H27
Non-Electric Campsite
H28
Non-Electric Campsite
H29
Non-Electric Campsite
H30
Non-Electric Campsite
H31
Non-Electric Campsite
H32
Non-Electric Campsite
H33
Non-Electric Campsite
H34
Non-Electric Campsite
H35
Non-Electric Campsite
H36
Non-Electric Campsite
H37
Non-Electric Campsite
H38
Non-Electric Campsite
H39
Non-Electric Campsite
H40
Non-Electric Campsite
View Campground Map
   Old Logging Trail Campground
127 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
128 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
129 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
130 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
131 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
132 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
133 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
134 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
135 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
136 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
137 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
138 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
139 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
140 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
141 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
142 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
143 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
144 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
145 
5 Photos
 
1 Review

Non-Electric Campsite
146 
7 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
147 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
148 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
149 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
150 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
151 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
152 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
153 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
154 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
155 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
156 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
157 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
158 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
159 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
160 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
161 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
162 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
163 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
164 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
165 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
166 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
167 
7 Photos
 
1 Review

Non-Electric Campsite
168 
7 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
169 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
170 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
171 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
172 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
173 
7 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
174 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
175 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
176 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
177 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
178 
7 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
179 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
180 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
181 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
182 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
183 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
184 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
185 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
186 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
187 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
188 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
189 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
190 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
191 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
192 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
193 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
194 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
195 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
196 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
197 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
198 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
199 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
200 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
201 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
202 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
203
Non-Electric Campsite
204 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
205 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
206
Non-Electric Campsite
207 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
208 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
209
Non-Electric Campsite
210 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
211 
7 Photos
 
1 Review

Non-Electric Campsite
212 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
213 
7 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
214 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
215 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
216 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
217 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
View Campground Map
   Paint Rock Springs Campground
060 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
061 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
062 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
063 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
064 
7 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
065 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
066 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
067 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
068 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
069 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
070 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
071 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
072 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
073 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
074 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
075 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
076 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
077 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
078 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
079 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
080 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
081 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
082 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
083 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
084 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
085 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
086 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
087 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
088 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
089 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
090 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
091 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
092 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
093 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
094 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
095 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
096 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
097 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
098 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
099 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
100 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
101 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
102 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
103 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
104 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
105 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
106 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
107 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
108 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
109 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
110 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
111 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
112 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
113 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
114 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
115 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
116 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
117 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
118 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
119 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
120 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
121 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
122 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
123 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
124 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
125 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
126 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
View Campground Map
   Riverview Campground
01e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
02e
Electric Campsite
03e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
04e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
05e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
06e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
07e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
08e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
09e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
10e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
11e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
12e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
13e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
14e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
15e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
16e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
17e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
18e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
19e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
20e 
5 Photos

Electric Campsite
21e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
22e 
5 Photos

Electric Campsite
23e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
24e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
25e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
26e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
27e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
28e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
29e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
30e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
31e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
32e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
33e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
34 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
35e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
36 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
37e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
38 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
39e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
40 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
41e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
42 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
43e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
44 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
45e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
46 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
47e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
48 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
49e 
3 Photos

Electric Campsite
50e 
4 Photos

Electric Campsite
51 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
52 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
53 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
54 
4 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
55
Non-Electric Campsite
56 
3 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
57 
6 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
58 
5 Photos

Non-Electric Campsite
59 
1 Photo

Non-Electric Campsite
View Campground Map

Sitemap  -  Privacy Policy  -  Contact Us  -           
Copyright © 2024 Reservation Solutions Plus, LLC. All rights reserved