Minnesota is known for its rivers, particularly the Mississippi, which starts here in an idyllic park way up north. But closer to the twin cities we have the officially wild and scenic St. Croix River. The other day I took a paddleboat trip along the St. Croix with a company outing. We were in between storms (it’s been a wild, stormy summer around here) and though the dew point was somewhere in the 70′s on an 85+ degree day, we still managed to enjoy the scenery.
The main attraction on this section of the river is the rock formations near Taylor’s Falls. Nearby state parks (Interstate State Park in MN and WI) have a variety of attractions, including the fascinating Glacial Gardens on the Taylor’s Falls, MN side, right near the paddleboat docks. The park features bizarre holes carved out of solid rock by ancient glaciers and rivers. Great park for kids, who will enjoy crawling around in the weird spaces. You can also walk from there out onto the overlooks, such as this one on the left with a bridge over a natural gap in the rock.
