Might Be Worth a Detour - Wild River State Park

[lydamorehouse]

 
Image: the view from the Interpretive Center

We are up at a friends' cabin for the weekend, but on the way we decided to take a detour to check out Wild River State Park. It is overcast today, as you can see in the picture above. The leaves are at peak, though just a little past as we travel north. 

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Image: yellowed fern leaves

The temperatures are really cold today (40 F/5 C), so Shawn and I didn't wander too far. But, this State Park has a bit of restored prairie and a number of small creeks run through it on their way to the St. Croix River.


Image: restored prairie


Image a path in the woods that leads to a wooden bridge over a creek.


Image: a milkweed with its seedpod blown

Despite the cold, we had a lovely walk. I managed to forget my state park passport AND my hiking club booklet, but we weren't up for much with the chilly air. Even so, we decided it was a lovely little park and will try to make a return trip at some point. 

Comments

[sabotabby]

Gorgeous!

[lydamorehouse]

It has really been lovely this weekend. The colors must be near peak.

[pameladean]

This is one of our favorite state parks! It's actually pretty large, depending on your definition: it's a long, narrow park extending along 18 miles of the St. Croix River, and not all the parts are really connected. We mostly go in spring and summer to see the dragonflies, which the upper St. Croix, with its various types of protection for the river, is abundant in; but it's great in fall too.

I was about to begin a multi-paragraph description, but I think you'd probably rather discover things for yourself. I'm really glad you stopped, though, because it's a very good park.

P.

[lydamorehouse]

You can totally go on with your description. We were only able to be there for a short time, so I would LOVE to know your favorite spots!

[pameladean]

With the usual caveat that, while we like views and pretty walks and birding, mostly we're looking for dragonflies.

First, the Sunrise Landing. It has a parking lot; a high bridge over the Sunrise River that leads to a path through the woods; a vault toilet and a little picnic area; and a boat launch ramp. It's at the spot where the Sunrise River meets the St. Croix. There is a path right along the edge of the Sunrise River, beginning at the confluence. I'm not entirely sure it's official, but it's there and it's a gorgeous walk, though often mosquito-ridden. You can also see lots of jewelwings, three species of damselfly with broad wings so that they flutter like butterflies. Two kinds have an iridescent green body and dark or dark-patched wings; the third has a bright red or orange spot on the underside of its clear wings that flashes when they open the wings.

Whoops, sorry, carried away. There are also deer, birds, fallen logs, sunlit pools, tiny waterfalls and rapids, depending on the height of the river, and many fantastical tree roots exposed by the erosion of the banks.

The main restored prairie, which is just stunning, is near the horse camp. Sadly, the trails are shared hiking and horseback riding trails. The trails are deepish sand, so you slip around a lot, and of course have to be constantly on the alert for horse droppings and giant patches of horse pee. The prairie really is lovely, but you have to be up for the bad footing. I recommend hiking boots.

There's another boat launch area that I'd have to check a map to describe the location of it. It's the trailhead for a riverbank walk that crosses a stream or two and eventually turns into a lightly wooded area with a thick border of tall wildflowers, in season, also lots of birds. If you want a shorter walk, there's a small restored prairie and you can walk the borders of that and get back to the parking lot sooner. The shorter loop is the Amix Pond Trail. There is a pond, sometimes just a marsh, but the vegetation is often so tall it's hard to get much of a glimpse.


In the other direction, past the vault toilets and a water pump, is another riverbank walk, the Walter F. Mondale River Trail, that leads to a bridge over a stream and into the woods, past a canoe campsite, with views of both woods and the river and plenty of incidental wildflowers. It seems to end at the confluence of yet another small river with the St. Croix. At one point you could walk up this river, but the trail didn't seem to be there last time we tried.

The bridge is fun to lean over the railings and watch dragonflies and birds.

There are also a bunch of trails a bit further north around the campgrounds. Eric and I once camped for a night and took the Trillium Trail, which is a pretty woodland one; and the River Terrace Trail, ditto. But I've only done those once. And this was mid-June and it was extremely buggy. Earlier in the spring when the trillium is blooming it's probably amazing.

[lydamorehouse]

We got as far as that sandy trail! I had the same thought which was, "My shoes are not built for too much walking in this!"

I will absolutely have to go back. It's so close to the city, I think a Spring trip to trillium trail sounds well worth it.

Thank you!

[bibliofile]

Ooh, it looks like a lovely little park! And suitably decked out seasonally.

[lydamorehouse]

It was really lovely.