A great "get away" park only one hour from the Twin
Cities, William O'Brien provides a beautiful setting for quality recreation
along the banks of the St. Croix River. Hiking trails offer quiet exploration of
the park's rolling, wooded hills. For anglers, the channels of the St. Croix
have northerns, walleye, bass and trout. Ideal for canoeing, the river is also a
migratory pathway that offers visitors an exciting diversity of sights and
sounds. In the winter, snowshoeing, skiing and camping attract enthusiasts.
Quick stats:
1,520 acres
238,410 annual visits
Naturalist:
Naturalist programs are available year-round.
Wildlife
Racoon, mink, beaver and woodchucks are prevalent. Upland meadows and woods
provide a great environment for white-tail deer and fox. Birdwatchers frequently
spot woodpeckers, bluebirds, orioles, herons, raptors and a variety of warblers.
History
The Dakota and Ojibwe Indians utilized the resources of the valley rich in
fur-bearing animals, wild game, and useful plants. In the 1600s, European
trappers arrived to engage in the lucrative fur-trade industry. Later,
lumberjacks began to harvest the stands of white pine. Sawmills began to dot the
St. Croix riverway and the industry flourished in the mid-1800s until the valley
was cleared of white pine. William O'Brien, a lumber baron, bought much of the
land once owned by the lumber companies. In 1947, his daughter donated 180 acres
to be developed as a state park in memory of her father. Over the years, other
privately owned pieces of land were added to the park which now totals 1,520
acres.
Geology
Sandstone outcrops formed millions of years ago by inland seas are found
along the St. Croix River. Glacial activity played a major role in developing
the picturesque valley. As the huge glaciers lumbered south, they scoured the
sandstone and deposited soil and rocks of various sizes. As large masses of ice
melted, the tremendous volume of released water cut through the soft sandstone,
creating the St. Croix River and landscaping the wide, boulder-strewn valley.
Landscape
The variety of vegetation types, the St. Croix River floodplain, oak-hickory
forests, scattered white pine areas, marshes, oak savanna, upland prairie and
rolling meadows, provides habitat for diverse wildlife populations. Wildflowers
give color to the spring woods and the summer fields. One of the best canoeing
rivers in the nation, the St.Croix offers pristine scenery just minutes from a
major metropolitan area.
|
