Things To Do

The St. Croix River Scenic Byway – Make Stillwater your home base as you explore quaint river towns along Hwy 95 which extends for 125 miles and 2.5 hours of gorgeous scenery from rolling hills to rugged rocks, cliffs and woods. Follow roads from Afton to Sandstone Minnesota. For more maps and tons of interesting information, visit Stcroixscenicbyway.org to view their travel guide.

Travel NORTH on Main Street to take the Scenic Byway to the town of Marine On St. Croix for a stop to see more history on the sawmill district and a very quaint American small town. Then keep driving north 30 minutes to Taylors Falls to find scenic cliff hiking along the river and for the adventurous, rock climbing ledges. On your way, Stop at Franconia Sculpture Park to walk the large gardens with interesting art sculptures. Just past Taylor’s Falls downtown area, take the kids to Wild Mountain recreation area for skiing, tubing, alpine slides, and a water park. Across the river in Wisconsin is the town of St. Croix Falls where the St. Croix Scenic Riverway National Park Visitor Center is located. Discover Interstate Park with an Ice Age Interpretive Center as well as Oseola  where the St. Croix Valley Railway attraction starts.

Travel SOUTH of Stillwater just a few miles to Bayport to find their beautiful Lakeside Park with a beach and nearby marina, then continue along the scenic byway to the village of Afton where Afton Alps Ski Area, owned by Vail Valley Resorts, is one of the best around and Afton State park has beautiful backpack campsites and yurts. About 35 minutes from Stillwater, you’ll find the town of Prescott, WI where the St. Croix River and Mississippi Rivers intersect.

Travel EAST across the Stillwater Lift Bridge into Wisconsin where you will find a cheese factory in the town of Somerset with the Apple River for tubing, camping, and outdoor amphitheater concerts and New Richmond boasting a micro-brewery and distillery. SOUTH EAST of Stillwater about 20 minutes and just off I-94 is Hudson, WI also a beautiful historic town on the St. Croix River with many tourist attractions.

Travel WEST of Stillwater on Hwy 36 to capture the city life in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Stillwater is also only about 40 minutes from the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN (Take hwy 36 to 694 South).

For a maps and more information about the St. Croix Valley Area, visit the St. Croix Valley Regional Tourism Alliance or St. Croix Scenic Byway website.

St. Croix River Valley Events
Looking for music, art or festivals along the river? Check out our Events Calendar for events in the entire valley from Prescott, WI to Taylor’s Falls, MN.