• Canoeists paddle by tree lined shores

    Saint Croix

    National Scenic Riverway WI,MN

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  • High Water

    Sections of the lower St. Croix River are running higher than normal for this time of year. Be prepared and cautious if venturing out on the river, and watch for debris and other obstacles in the water.

  • Wells Closed

    Beginning in 2013, water will no longer be available at McDowell Bridge Landing, Riverside Landing, and the Marshland District Office on Highway 70. Please plan accordingly and bring an adequate supply of water.

Snowmobiling

Snowmobiling is allowed on the frozen surface of the St. Croix River, with some exceptions, on designated snowmobile trails sponsored by the state, county, or clubs and designated river crossings. The National Park Service adopts and enforces all state laws as applicable.

St. Croix River: Snowmobiles can travel on the frozen river surface from Prescott to the Osceola Bridge and from St. Croix Falls to Riverside. Snowmobiling from the Highway 243 bridge at Osceola, Wisconsin north to the Xcel Energy Hydroelectric Dam at St. Croix Falls is prohibited at all times due to unsafe ice. Travel is also prohibited from the Highway 35 bridge at Riverside, north to Gordan Dam.

Namekagon River: Snowmobiles may cross the river at locations along designated trails, but may not travel the length of the river.

Safety and Rules:
The St. Croix and Namekagon rivers do not freeze uniformly, currents, springs, water depth, and water level fluctuations because of the dams, all contribute to ice that can be thick or thin within short distances. Use caution and pay attention for thin ice when travelling on the river.

Snowmobile speed within the park is 45 miles per hour unless otherwise posted.

Racing or otherwise operating a snowmobile in a dangerous or reckless manner is prohibited.

Check that your brakes and lights are working and that your engine noise is not excessive (78 decibels or lower)

Snowmobile events can be held with a special use permit from the Riverway.

Water skipping can be dangerous, can cause damage or loss of your machine and is discouraged.

For information on Minnesota regulations and trail locations:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snowmobiling/index.html

For information on Wisconsin snowmobiling regulations:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/cs/registrations/snow.htm

For more information on trails and conditions contact appropriate tourism contacts.

Did You Know?

two men with a circular ice saw. In the background blocks of ice are moving up a ramp into an ice house

Before the invention of refrigerators, people harvested ice from rivers and lakes in the winter and stored the ice, covered in sawdust, in buildings. An ice house, storing ice from the river, once stood near the site of the park headquarters for St. Croix NSR, in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.