St. Croix Falls City Guide
Located on the banks of the St. Croix River, the city of St. Croix Falls stands as the "gateway" between the upper and lower halves of this historic river valley.
Founded in 1837, St. Croix Falls stood as a hub for all the traders and the trappers as they transported their goods up and down the river valley. The famous French Canadian Voyagers would often pass through St. Croix as they traveled through the river valley trading furs and dry goods with both the Native Americans and U.S. settlements along the way.
When the fur trade began to bottom out in the late 1800's, westward expansion and the increased demand for building lumber propelled St. Croix to the forefront of a burgeoning lumber industry. Its position on the river and the surrounding white pine forests made it an ideal lumber town, able to produce large quantities of raw lumber and send them down river for processing. Oftentimes this would result in major log jams requiring mill workers to scramble across the jam searching for the one "key log" that would release the whole mess down river. St. Croix Falls is the site of the world's largest log jam. Needless to say, this was a very dangerous undertaking.
Today, St Croix Falls stands as a modern jewel on this already storied river. With its rich heritage of logging, commerce, and ethnic history; plus its modern retail, service, and commercial businesses, this city is a town worth exploring.
Here are some places that you might want to visit while you're in town.
The "St. Croix National Scenic Riverway" National Park Headquarters is located on the north end of town, with a new Headquarters to be completed by 2006. During construction, the existing Visitors Center will be closed, but Park Rangers will be available to stamp your National Parks Passport and provide additional information.
Interstate Park is Wisconsin's oldest State Park, consisting of 1,340 acres of natural landscape that surrounds the river offering fabulous vistas of the St. Croix River. The park offers opportunities for picnicking, swimming, camping, canoeing, hiking and bird watching.
The Ice Age Interpretive Center is a great place to learn more about the park. Year round recreational trails abound in St. Croix Falls, offering: biking, hiking and snowmobiling on the
State Gandy Dancer Trail; hiking on Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail; and hiking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing on trails in Interstate Park.
And, if Golf is your game...St. Croix Falls also boasts a challenging 9-hole Golf Course!
To compliment the surrounding natural beauty, this area is home to many creative and cultural treasures. The St. Croix Festival Theatre, a professional theatre company, performs in an historic Vaudeville theatre and has provided quality productions for over 15 years. Watch local artists at work in their studios, visit historic buildings, partake in a free music concert at the overlook deck, attend Wannigan Days, professional Bull Riding Events, the Polk County Fair and more.
The Polk County Information Center is located at the intersection of Highways 8 & 35 South in St. Croix Falls. Open 7 days per week from 9-5, you will find information about this area including snowmobile, ATV, biking/hiking maps, county & state information, visitors guides and more. The Center also sells State Bicycle Trail passes. No matter if you are visiting for a day or a week, or looking to relocate your home or business, you will find St. Croix Falls a welcoming, progressive community.
