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Saint Croix State Park
State Park Information
State Park Overview
Nature of the Area
Twenty-one miles of the St. Croix River - National Scenic Riverway, form the eastern boundary of the park, while Minnesotas first Wild and Scenic River, the Kettle River, joins the St. Croix to form the western boundary. At least ten other streams flow through the park, creating a watershed of hundreds of square miles. These waterbodies also provide important opportunities for canoeing, fishing and
kayaking. St. Croix State Park, which is on the eastern edge of the Mille Lacs Uplands, is an important site for plants and animals too. Once home to stands of virgin red and white pine, today, St. Croix State Park is a mix of natural communities including a unique plant community called the jackpine barrens. Visitors will see areas where work is being done to reintroduce fire into the jack pine to promote restoration of this ecosystem. An enormous diversity of plants and animals are common, including the stemless lady-slipper or moccasin flower, blazing stars, bald eagles, black bears and
timber wolves.
During the last glacial period -bout 10,000 years ago, the St. Croix River valley served as a major drainage channel for glacial meltwater from Lake Superior. As these waters carved the way for the river seen today, the waters left behind a variety of soils and sediment that cover the ancient lava bedrock far below, including a glacial outwash plain of sand left by Glacial Lake Grantsburg. Many springs along the river banks occur where the river valley has eroded through the glacial gravel to release water trapped between the sediments. The final wave of glacial meltwater cleaned debris from the Kettle River valley, leaving much of the basalt and sandstone bedrock exposed. A stop at the Kettle River Highbanks is a step back over millions of years.
The habitats consist of both aspen and conifers, which benefits wildlife including black bear, coyotes, beaver, raccoons, gray and red fox and
deer. Eastern timber wolves are also found in the park but are not commonly seen. Many species of birds thrive here warblers, flycatchers, eagles, owls and
osprey are common along the St. Croix.
History of the Area
More Info
Saint Croix State Park