Discover Interstate State Park in Spring

Nestled along the banks of the St. Croix River an hour north of the Twin Cities, Interstate State Park thrums with joyful springtime activity. Birds return to start their families or to pause on longer journeys north. Turtles come ashore to lay eggs while tree frogs and spring peepers perfect their rock operas near the park’s glacial potholes. Wildflowers dot the forest floor, filling it with colors and patterns, and tree leaves burst forth in a million shades of green across the river valley. Every day brings something new, just waiting to be discovered.

Park naturalist Jenni Webster’s favorite spring hike is the Sandstone Bluffs Trail. This narrow, one-mile loop includes twisting switchbacks, a 200-foot elevation change, and over 400 wooden stairs. It’s not for the faint of heart, but those who hike it in early spring may be rewarded with a glimpse of the park’s intermittent waterfall, Curtain Falls. This small waterfall, which runs only after snowmelt or heavy rains, drops over a shelf of beautiful sandstone rock. Watch for clusters of wildflowers like trillium, Dutchman’s breeches, and trout lily, and notice the ferns bursting forth on the forest floor. By late May, maturing tree leaves will fill in the canopy and make it much harder to see the river.

If you’re like me and don’t love the idea of 400 stairs on your walk, I recommend the 1.3-mile (one-way) Walter F. Mondale River Trail, which offers fantastic river views. Look for migrating songbirds near shore and waterfowl and shorebirds in the water. Pause at overlooks to watch for bald eagles and newly returned turkey vultures. If you time it just right, you may also see subtle pops of pale greens and rusty reds as leaves burst from buds across the valley. Mosses and lichens cling to rocks and trees along this trail, their colors and textures vibrant with spring moisture. 

Plan Ahead

• Be sure to check the park's online alerts, as spring conditions can change quickly. Note that the visitor center doesn't reopen daily until Memorial Day. 

• The river runs cold, fast, and high in early spring, but by June it can be nice to paddle. A seasonal concessionaire rents watercraft and provides river shuttles.

• Birding is excellent in the river valley. Download the park's bird checklist and pack binoculars or borrow a birding kit from the ranger station. 

• Stay on trail to reduce tick encounters and to help protect fragile spring wildflowers. It's against park rules to pick those wildflowers. Leave them for others to enjoy.

It Really is Inter-state!

• In the late 1800s, Minnesota and Wisconsin citizens banded together to protect the striking basalt cliffs and unique geology of the Dalles of the St. Croix River from development.

• Minnesota’s Interstate State Park was established in 1895 and is our second-oldest state park.

• Wisconsin’s Interstate State Park was established in 1900 and was its very first state park.