TRAVEL GUIDE

Wisconsin Travel and Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

The St Croix National Scenic Riverway provides 252 miles of river and recreation for the Wisconsin traveler. Nature lovers can enjoy canoeing in the northwoods where wolves, deer, otter, and porcupine can be seen from your boat. Several historic towns also line the river. The river and a narrow area lining are protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, protecting both the Saint Croix and Namekagon Rivers.

The protected area is a haven for wildlife with the clean river. There are native mussels, dragonflies, and fish that can usually be seen by Wisconsin travelers. There are also eagles, osprey, kingsfisher and warblers overhead. On the ground you may find raccoons, fox, and bears. Plants include trilliums and marsh marigolds, asters, cardinal flowers, and the leaves changing in the fall.

From the river the Wisconsin traveler can see a stone wall in the landscape. The wall, along with the steel ring, cabin, and metal bridges will bring you back to earlier time periods. There were the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples to the voyageurs, loggers, and settlers that once called this area home. You can almost feel their past as you sit quietly in your canoe here and contemplate the past.

Whatever you are looking for from your Wisconsin travel experience, whether it is solitude or a shared experience, the river will give you that feeling. This is one of the most peaceful places you can find.

River Activities

There are many activities for you to explore in the riverway while you are on your Wisconsin travel adventure.

• There are bicycling opportunities on the trails through the woods. You can also choose to camp here if you are here during the warmer months.
• Of course there is boating, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing on the lake, activities that can be enjoyed for most of the year. There is even some sailing on the river.
• The river vistas, wildflowers, and nature are what you may see if you hike along the trails. Alternatively, you can do some horseback riding along the trails.
• Hunting is allowed along the riverway during certain times of the year. Waterfowlers can lure ducks and geese toward decoy spreads at the various cattail and wild rice flowages of the Namekagon or backwaters of the St. Croix River, or choose to drift the river for jump shooting opportunities. Deer and bear are pursued throughout the Riverway with archery equipment, black powder rifles, and modern firearms. Upland bird hunters find plenty of action in grouse and woodcock coverts. Most recently, wild turkey populations have soared throughout much of the Riverway, prompting both spring and fall hunts in certain zones.
• Swimming is a popular activity in the river in the summer for Wisconsin travelers. Or rent an inner tube and travel down the river to cool off.
• In the winter there are opportunities to snowmobile along the frozen river and over the paths. There is also cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and many other winter activities to enjoy here.