Details 👪
N 45° 08.386 W 92° 78.731; Stillwater, MN 55082
Hours: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM, 7 days a week
Bottom Line
This place is really lame for a historic site, but the River Trail hike is pretty awesome. The sandy waterside trail is relatively unique for Minnesota, where you normally hike either forest or prairie. It’s not too difficult, and offers a lot to see, including a cave and waterfall. There is a LOT of graffiti. Some people dislike it, some think it adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the trail. See what you think! It’s a great activity to do on a warm summer day either on your own or with friends.
TIPS:
- When you get to the waterfall, cross the stream and climb up to see another (even cooler) waterfall.
- Check out the shallow cave – there is some iridescent graffiti inside. It used to be a root cellar.
- If you’re into fishing, I see a lot of people fishing from shore along the trail.
- Although technically not permitted by the National Park Service or state regulations, lots of folks enjoy a nice bonfire on the sandy areas of the trail by the water.
- Good place to bring a hammock.
Key notes
- Nice mix of sandy and rocky trail
- See animals, graffiti, cave, and a waterfall
- Beachy areas are usually busy, but trail isn’t too bad
Background:
The St. Croix Boom Site is a State Wayside. Waysides are “parcels of land too small to be full-fledged state parks, but with more cultural or natural resources than those found at highway waysides and rest areas.” This 26-acre site was used for sorting and storing timber in the 1850’s up until 1914. It’s called a Boom Site because of the Log Booms that were used – a series of logs chained together across the river would catch timber as it was floated downstream. Eventually, the timber was floated to mills downstream of the Boom Site as far south as St. Louis (more info here). After ceasing operations, all of the site’s buildings and structures were taken down (all current structures are re-creations, styled after the Boom Site’s logging-era structures), and it was developed into a roadside park in the 1930’s. Later on, it became a National Historic Landmark. Apparently, there are two original buildings hidden somewhere in the forest.
Things to do While You’re There
Look at the Boom Site
There isn’t much to look at honestly. Read the historic marker (there used to be a mess hall there in the logging days), maybe use the porta potty. There are some picnic benches if you feel like doing bench stuff, but it’s not shaded and it’s not a very scenic area. Your view will be the parking lot with its graffitied signs. The stone structures you see are not originals from the logging time, just replicas. There is also a scenic overlook about ½ a mile to the Southwest. There is another smaller parking lot (no bathrooms) right next to the main lot. After you’ve taken in all the majesty that is the Boom Site parking lot, descend down the stairs and hike the River Trail.
Hike the River Trail
Details from my hike 
Lots of sandy parts to this hike 
A few wet/muddy parts 
View of the St. Croix River along the trail 
You will see a lot of sandstone 
And a lot of graffiti! 
Boom Site Cave – it used to be a root cellar! 
Cave graffiti 
Waterfall 
Local chipmunk 
Local mating crane flies 
More graffiti 
Nice little stream 
Other side of the stream 
Bird nest in cliff hole 
Lush growth 
May flowers! 
Secret waterfall(s)!
This is the main reason to visit the Boom Site. The trail is actually really fun. It alternates between sandy/beachy and rocky sections. You’ll see a lot of people on the beachy areas along the river having bonfires, fishing, hammocking, or just lounging around. I saw a young man cleaning his girlfriend’s feet. Those areas feel pretty busy, but the rest of the trail is not very populated.
To hike the trail (feel free to use my Google Map for reference), start by descending the stairs next to the Southwest parking lot (the smaller, circular one). From there you have two options – Left or Right. You can do whatever, but here is my suggestion:
If you only want to see the main attractions (~45 minutes):
Go right (Southwest) a few feet and check out the shallow cave. Don’t be afraid, it’s not too deep (maybe 20 feet). It used to be a root cellar where they stored food for the workers. Now, there is some nice iridescent graffiti at the end. Watch out for broken glass though. Next, go the other way (Northeast) for about ½ a mile to see the Waterfall (you’re almost there when you hit the janky-looking metal “gate.” Then go back the way you came.
If you want to explore the ENTIRE trail (~90 minutes):
- It doesn’t really matter which direction you start, but I would go left (Southwest) first, to save the waterfall for last.
- Check out the cave right away, then keep moving Southwest. You can go for about a ½ a mile that way. You’ll know you can’t go any further when you hit a chain-link fence with a lot of “private property, no trespassing” warnings on it. If it seems like you can’t go any further, but you don’t see the fence yet, then you can. A few times you have to scurry up and take the high ground in order to keep going. Don’t forget to look around and enjoy all the things while you hike!
- When you hit the fence, turn around and go back the way you came. Go past your initial entry point (the staircase) and keep going for about ½ a mile to see the waterfall. Maybe let the cool waters rush over you if it’s really hot?
Side note – the end of this part of the trail is right below the scenic overlook site. This is where the main boom was back then. It may be possible that you can start this hike from this site if you are able to descend from the overlook. I haven’t actually paid enough attention to see if that’s a possibility.
- If you’re feeling bold, cross the stream (you can either go behind the falls, walk/shimmy over the fallen tree, or use the large rocks in the stream to cross). From there, climb up the steep trail using tree roots for support. Keep going until you hit a cool sandstone with a lot of carvings in it. Enjoy the carvings, then keep going and you will get to a second double waterfall that a lot of people miss. Never stop exploring.
- Head back to the staircase, you’re done! Overall, this took me 1 hour and 26 minutes, which included plenty of time taken to mosey, explore random streams, stop to look at animals, and pose for weird photos. You can likely do this in less than an hour if motivated, but why not relax and take your time?
Explore the rest of Stillwater
You’re already here, so why not? There is a lot to do. I’ll add things to do as I do them below, but here is a link to their website for now.
Try This Itinerary:
Total time: ~3 Hours
- Boom Site (5 minutes)
Enjoy the majesty that is the Boom Site. Read the Historical Marker, then use the wheelchair-accessible porta-potty. Honestly, this is more of a parking site for the hike than anything else, since anything related to the original site no longer exists here. - Hike the River Trail (60-90 minutes)
Walk around and take in all the sculptures and animals. Take photos with them! My favorite photo op is with the giant ostrich sculpture. Pretend you’re stealing one of its eggs. - Grab lunch and drinks in town (60-90 minutes)
Rooftops galore with great views of the St. Croix River. Maybe grab some ice cream? Nelson’s is great if you’re willing to wait in a long line.
Other Information
Logistics
Activity time: 1.5 hours
Activity season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Location: outdoors
Recommended gear/attire: comfortable shoes that can get sandy/wet/muddy, water, sunscreen, maybe bug spray
Value: excellent!
Safety: safe
Accessibility: Boom Site is wheelchair accessible as far as I know. The River Trail is NOT.
Pets: allowed at the site and on the trail
Family: family friendly. The hike shouldn’t be too hard for kids who can walk a couple miles on their own.
Dating: The hike is a great date idea, if you’re into that! It’s well populated, so they won’t think you’re being creepy if you don’t know each other that well.
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