Paddling in Lower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

The Lower Saint Croix is a wide, flatwater river — not a wilderness creek but a genuine river corridor, broad enough to feel the wind and busy enough on summer weekends to share the water with motorboats.

This is the downstream half of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway: the lower 52 miles of the St.

Croix, running from Taylors Falls, Minnesota south to the confluence with the Mississippi near Prescott, Wisconsin, managed cooperatively by the National Park Service, the Minnesota DNR, and the Wisconsin DNR.

The character of this stretch is shaped by its geography. Below Taylors Falls the river widens and slows, and motorized boat traffic increases as you move downstream toward Stillwater and beyond.

The upper portion of the lower river — from Taylors Falls down through Osceola — runs cleaner and quieter, with glassy water moving well enough that you're paddling with the current rather than against it.

The NPS safety brochure notes that conditions can range from fast-moving currents with waves up to 3 feet high, so checking river levels before launching is not optional. Cell service is spotty on some stretches; leave a trip plan with someone before you go.

Day trips and multi-day kayak or canoe camping trips are both well-suited to this section. Osceola Landing, roughly 10 miles below Taylors Falls, has bathrooms and fresh water — a reliable midday stop.

Primitive NPS campsites sit along the banks and on islands throughout the corridor, accessible only by water and available first-come, first-served. One permit requirement applies: if you plan to camp on the St.

Croix River between Highway 8 and the Soo Line High Bridge, a free annual Camping Permit is required, issued by the NPS. If your put-in or take-out involves a state park landing, you'll need a state park entrance sticker unless you're using an outfitter.

Shuttles matter here. The 26-mile run from Taylors Falls to Stillwater is a common two-day trip, and outfitters along the corridor provide both equipment and shuttle services. Vehicles can be left overnight in Riverway parking lots.

September brings lower crowds and the first color in the maples and birches along the banks; the river was added to the Wild and Scenic system in 1972 specifically because of its scenic character, and that character holds even this close to the Twin Cities.

The Lower Saint Croix won't give you whitewater, but it will give you a protected river corridor within reach of a major metro — and on a quiet Tuesday in early October, with the current doing some of the work and the islands to yourself, that's enough.