Wild River State Park

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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 camping, 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!

Update:

Valentine's Moonlight Walk & Bonfire Tuesday, February 14 7-9 pm at the Visitor Center (ongoing) Missed the big candlelight event? Bring your friends or your significant other for a leisurely walk this Valentine's Day! Walks will be on-your-own and guided by 1 mile of luminaries. Then warm up around a warm bonfire, roast a marshmallow, and discover the night through folklore and star-gazing with the Naturalist.

New! Virtual Tour:

Take a panoramic virtual tour of Wild River State Park. On this journey you'll take a peek inside the exhibit room and the park office, check out a few scenic overlooks, admire the river shoreline and see the amphitheater where most of our weekend interpretive programs are held. It's a great tool to help you plan your next trip to the park!
Panoramic tour | Accessible tour

Park Notes

Gift Cards

Purchase a Minnesota State Parks Gift Card.

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

Trumpeter Swans
Watch a short video on opportunities to see these impressive birds on your next winter visit to Wild River State Park.

Maple Syruping
Maple Syrup: Sweet and Sustainable This article gives a good peek at 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 (30 pages, 1 MB) - An illustrated history of a St. Croix River logging era landmark

Geocaching Adventures at the Park

Wild River State Park St. Croix Puzzlecache
Enjoy a leisurely walk around the 1.5-mile River Terrace loop during this family-friendly, multi-stage geocache.
Note: This cache is not a part of the Minnesota State Parks Geocaching Wildlife Safari. This is a separate activity for Wild River State Park only.

Wild River State Park (Way)Points of Interest
These virtual caches will ensure that you don't miss a thing on your visit to Wild River State Park.
Note: These are virtual caches. There is no physical 'box' at the end. This cache is not a part of the Minnesota State Parks Geocaching Wildlife Safari.

Wild River State Park History Cache 1
Discover Wild River State Park's past throughout this extremely advanced puzzle challenge.
Note: This cache is not a part of the Minnesota State Parks Geocaching Wildlife Safari. This is a separate geocache activity for Wild River State Park only.

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. Learn more and review vendor lists.

Park Highlights

Camping	Canoeing
Cross-Country Skiing	McElroy Visitor Center
Nevers Dam Overlook	Wildlife/Wildflowers

Events

Find more State Park events on the DNR Events Calendar!

02/11/12	Wild River State Park	Snowshoe Along the St. Croix
02/14/12	Wild River State Park	Valentine's Candlelight Snowshoe & Bonfire
03/03/12	Wild River State Park	Maple Syruping Pre-Planning
03/04/12	Wild River State Park	Maple Syruping Pre-Planning
03/17/12	Wild River State Park	Pancake Breakfast and Friends Annual Meeting
03/24/12	Wild River State Park	Maple Syruping Workshop
03/31/12	Wild River State Park	Maple Syruping Workshop

Hours

Best time to contact the park:

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

Contact

39797 Park Trail
Center City, MN 55012

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

email: wildriver.statepark@state.mn.us

Getting There

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