Wild River State Park

In the area

  from Explore MN Tourism

Snow conditions

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Rush City: 13° F and partly cloudy.

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Wild River

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Wild River State Park is located along 18 miles of the beautiful St. Croix River. The park attracts people who enjoy camping, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, interpretive programs, self-guided trails, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Day visitors can enjoy a leisurely paddle down the St. Croix River from the Sunrise river access to the southern park river access.

The park provides opportunities for semi-modern camping, group camping, equestrian campging, backpack camping, and canoe camping. Visitors who want modern amenities can reserve the guest house which provides a living room, dining room, kitchen, and fireplace. The park also has six camping cabins which include bunkbeds, a table, and benches.

An all-season trail center is a great spot to relax after hiking or cross-country skiing on the 35-mile trail system. A visitor center with exhibits and environmental education programs is open year-round.

Tell me more about this park's wildlife, history, geology and landscape.

Visitor Alert!

Skis and snowshoes are available for rental from a private concessionaire located at the park’s Trail Center. Rental concession hours are Saturday 10:00am- 5:00pm and Sunday 11:00am – 5:00pm. For rental rates or to reserve equipment call Wild River Ski Rental at 651-257-0685.

Park Notes

Gift Cards:

Purchase a Minnesota State Parks Gift Card this holiday season!

Why Visit Wild River State Park?

Why Visit Wild River State Park? Listen to a brief overview of park staff and visitors' favorite features and reasons to visit the park. (mp3, 3.25MB)

Videos

See Trumpeter Swans this Winter at Wild River State Park Check out a short video on opportunities to see these impressive birds on your next visit to Wild River State Park.
Video

"Maple Syrup: Sweet, and Sustainable" Check out this article from www.minnpost.com, and get a peak at some real maple syruping!

Teacher Resources

Prairie restoration project at Wild River state park

A Vanished Forest: outdoor exhibit visitors' guide and teaching ideas.

Nevers Dam...The Lumberman's Dam This is a PDF file. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download it. (30 pages, 1 MB) - An illustrated history of a St. Croix River logging era landmark

Geocaching Adventures at the park

Why Go Here? - Discover lesser-known wonders in the park with your GPS unit.

Find History at Wild River State Park

find history logo"Find History" is a beginner level geocache, ideal for a first attempt at geocaching. You can borrow a GPS unit from the park if you don't have your own. "Find History" also gives you the option to explore the park further at up to six virtual caches, and to get a head start on locating the solutions to the clues for our extremely challenging puzzle cache, History Cache I.

Wild River State Park History Cache I

medallionIn the tradition of "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown and the movie "National Treasure," this new geocache will challenge your puzzle-solving skills as you decipher the clues that eventually will lead you to the "treasure." Each clue you solve will lead you to another location in the park and another clue to solve. At the final cache, remove the token inside and redeem it for a unique enameled mini-medallion plus bragging rights as an expert puzzle solver.

Please note! The Wild River State Park History Cache 1 is not a part of the Minnesota State Parks Geocaching Wildlife Safari. This is a separate geocache activity for Wild River State Park only.

Camping and Lodging

Camping and Lodging Reservations can be made 1 day to 1 year in advance. Make a reservation now for a Campsite, Camper Cabin, Guest House (see guesthouse details), Horse Camp, or the Group Camp. Reservations may also be made by calling 866-857-2757.

The Snake River Forest Campground located in the Chengwatana Forest near Pine City is open from early May to late November. No reservations are available for this campground.

Birders:


Bird Checklist
at Wild River State Park.

Firewood restrictions information:

Minnesota has enacted legislation that restricts firewood being brought to or used on DNR lands. Complete information and lists of vendors and locations where approved firewood is available are posted on the DNR Web site.
More information
Vendor List

Park Highlights:

check mark Camping

check mark Canoeing

check mark Cross-Country Skiing

check mark McElroy Visitor Center

check mark Nevers Dam Overlook

check mark Wildlife/Wildflowers


Next 90 days of events at this park

More State Park Events


Hours

Daily, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Contact

39797 Park Trail
Center City, MN 55012

tel: 651-583-2125 Park Naturalist: 651-583-2925

Getting There

From I-35, take State Highway 95 to County Road 12. Drive 3 miles on County Road 12 to park entrance.