Plan an extended visit to St. Croix. With over
34,000 acres and two great rivers: the Saint Croix River, 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.Quick stats:
34,037 acres
153,568 annual visits
Naturalist:
Wildlife
The habitats consist of both aspen and conifers, which benefits wildlife
including black bear, 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.
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