Way over on the western side of the state right on the border with Minnesota is Wisconsin’s oldest state park. St. Croix Falls is home to Interstate State Park, a joint park with Minnesota that exists on both sides of the St. Croix River and the state line. Established in Wisconsin in 1900, it was also the first interstate park collaboration in the United States.
The Wisconsin side of the park is 1,300 acres of gorgeous and amazing land that you'll just want to get out and explore. There's so much to see and do here that it's nearly impossible to get bored.
Interstate is the Western terminus of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. This unique and wonderful 1,200 mile trail traverses the whole state and takes you through all kinds of interesting and unique land that was shaped by the glaciers that used to cover most of our state.
The St. Croix River is also a nationally protected area known as the St .Croix National Scenic Riverway and was one of the eight original areas protected by this legislation. The river provides all kinds of water activities, from kayaking and canoeing to boating.
According to the DNR, the St. Croix also provides stellar fishing. "The St. Croix is a top-notch fishing river for almost every kind of game fish including walleyes, northern pike, muskies and small-mouth bass. Youngsters will find that the Lake O' the Dalles provides fine shore fishing. There is also a handicapped accessible fishing pier on Lake O' the Dalles."
Wisconsin is one of the very best places in the country for rails-to-trails conversion and this area is no different. Biking is available just adjacent to the park on the Gandy Dancer Trail which the DNR says is a "98-mile interstate trail (that) crosses into Minnesota and then back again into Wisconsin on its way from St. Croix Falls to its connection with the Saunders State Trail just south of Superior."
Because of all the amazing things to do here that will take you more than just a day to enjoy, camping is pretty much the perfect activity at Interstate. The sites are welcoming and they allow you to truly take advantage of and enjoy all the park has to offer.
One of the best things in Interstate are the super interesting glacial potholes. These are no ordinary highway potholes. The biggest and deepest potholes in the world are here and they were created by glacial meltwater breaking away rocks that are a billion years old. The results are huge holes up to 60 feet deep.
Though extreme caution is advised, there is rock climbing to be found in Interstate State Park. A permit is not needed, but climbing is at your own risk. But if you know what you're doing, there are some pretty amazing spots to explore.
Wisconsin State Parks have a hunting and trapping timeline and Interstate is available for hunting and trapping in the open areas of the park during the designated time frame.
Interstate State Park is a large and truly gorgeous piece of Wisconsin. There's something for every outdoor interest here and your family will never run out of things to do. There are paths for all ability levels and so much more to do.
