Interesting Interstate State Park

The best way to discover all that Interstate has to offer is by hiking some of the park's nine miles of trails.

Along the way you'll see some of Interstate's abundant wildlife, wildflowers, and birds.

A 2-mile snowshoe trail starting at the Ice Age Center leads to an area of the park not easily accessible other times of the year.

As the Ice age ended, huge glaciers melted and the water carved the deep, steep-walled gorge known as the Dalles of the St. Croix. An 87-acre area around the Dalles is a state natural area.

Scenic overlooks provide the hiker with views of the spectacular scenery.
DNR Photo

Frost action and weathering over the years have formed interesting rock features such as the Old Man of the Dalles and the Devil's Chair.

Be sure to be careful when exploring the rocky areas and rimrocks.

Water from a melting glacier swirled sand and rocks around to carve this pothole in bedrock.

In addition to the Dalles, there are two other state natural areas in the park:

• Interstate Lowland Forest, 124 acres, contains a wet forest that's surrounded by the river during times of high water.
• Centennial Bedrock Glade, 17 acres, is situated on a prominent exposure of basalt bedrock near the Dalles of the St. Croix River.

To enhance your visit to the park, join the naturalist for a nature program. Summer naturalist programs are offered from the Friday before Memorial Day, through Labor Day. Explore the trails, ponder the potholes, or hear the colorful history of the St. Croix River valley during a guided hike or activity.

Bald eagle watching over the river.
Photo by Dianne Bryant

In the fall, special activities may be scheduled to take advantage of the area’s beautiful colors. See our events pages for details.

The Wisconsin Explorer program offers another opportunity for adults and children (ages 3 and up) to learn about nature together. Activities are clearly described in the free Wisconsin Explorer booklets, available at the park office and the Ice Age Center. A child completing at least half of the activities can receive a free patch.

Angle Rock along the St. Croix River.
Photo by Dianne Bryant

At the Ice Age Interpretive Center, open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors can view exhibits to learn about the frozen history of Wisconsin and the gifts of the glacier. In the auditorium a 20-minute film, "Night of the Sun,"the story of glaciation in Wisconsin, is shown daily at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m.

For more information, ask:

Interstate State Park
State Highway 35
P.O. Box 703
St. Croix Falls, WI 54024
(715) 483-3747

Interpretive programs: Julieann Fox