WILD AND SCENIC RIVERSAn unspoiled river is a very rare thing in this Nation today. Their flow and vitality have been harnessed by dams and too often they have been turned into open sewers by communities and by industries. It makes us all very fearful that all rivers will go this way unless somebody acts now to try to balance our river development.

President Lyndon Johnson’s remarks on signing the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, October 2, 1968

Wildness vs. control, beauty vs. profitability,

serenity vs. industry.... Fifty years ago

Americans questioned the balance of

recreation and development along national

waterways. Decades of pollution, diversion,

and construction threatened the health of

America’s rivers. Outdoor enthusiasts

pressed congress into action, creating the

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, signed by

President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

Minnestoans took the lead, motivated by

a desire to preserve the St. Croix River.

Senator Walter Mondale and Representative

Joe Karth collaborated with Wisconsin senator

and founder of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, to

craft the legislation and ensure its passage.

Twenty year later, Minnesota Representative

Bruce Vento presided over a major expansion

of the Act to protect additional rivers.

Curator: Elisabeth DeGrenier

Graphic Designer: Melissa Bartz

Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale receiving the pen President Johnson used to sign the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society.

WILD AND SCENIC:PURPOSE AND NEEDWhat makes a river worthy of national designation

as “wild and scenic?” Three criteria must be met

to ensure the river:

1) is free-flowing, unimpeded by dams;

2) possess one or more “outstandingly

remarkable values:” natural, scenic,

educational, geological, recreational, historic,

fish and wildlife, scientific and cultural; and

3) is protected by local, state, or federal laws

that preserve the values that made it eligible

for designation.

Over the past fifty years, the Wild and Scenic

Rivers Act has preserved 12,754 miles of 209

rivers in 40 states and Puerto Rico. This is less

than one quarter of 1% of the waterways in the

nation. Preservation is needed now more than

ever. As of 2018, 75,000 dams have modified

17% of all rivers in the country--a total of over

600,000 miles.

Rock climbers enjoying the St. Croix National Riverway in 1978. Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society.

Map of the National River System. Courtesy National Park Service.

Zebra Mussel Access Control PointNo upstream travel past High Bridge(river mile 29.5)

Rapids below dam require1.25-mile portage

See Map 2

See Map 3

See Map 7

See Map 8

See Map 9

See Map 10

See Map 4

See Map 1

See Map 5

See Map 6

Lock andDam No. 2

Hydroelectric dam

CoppermineDam

GordonDam

TregoDam

NamekagonDam

Pacwawong Dam

Hayward Dam

Phipps Dam

MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

W I S C O N S I N

M I N N E S O T A

Upp

er

Tam

arac

k R

iver

Lo

wer T

amar

ack

Rive

r

UpperSt. Croix Lake

MinongFlowage

PearLake

Totogatic

River

GullLake

Lac CourteOreilles

Grindstone Lake Chippewa

Flowage

Round Lake

NelsonLake

LakeOwen

Upper Eau ClaireLake

LowerEau Claire

Lake

MiddleEau Claire

Lake

Ket

tle

Riv

er

Snake River

Wood River

WoodLake

SpiritLake

ClamFlowage

Clam River

LittleYellow

LakeYellowLake Devils

Lake

BassLake

ClamLake

Big SandLake

SandLake

BirchIslandLake

McKenzieLake

Spooner Lake

ShellLake

BearLake

Red Cedar River

Rush River

Eau Galle River

Hay R

iver

BigRoundLake

BoneLake

Sun

rise

Riv

er

SunriseLake

Trade

River

Goose Cre

ek

Rush Creek

Rush Lake

Pokegama Lake

Snake River Snake Rive

r

Rum

River

ChisagoLake

BigMarine

Lake

CedarLake

Wapogasset Lake

TainterLake

LakeMenomin

LakeWisota

Apple R

BaldEagleLake

WhiteBearLake

LakeElmo

SquareLake

Kinnickinnic River

Spring Lake

LakePepin

Yello

w R

iver

Tri

mb

elle

Rive

r

Mississippi River

NamekagonLake

St. CroixFlowage

Big FishTrap Rapids

St. Cro

ix River

St. C

roix River

St. Croix River

Nam

ekag

on

Mississ ippi River

Trego Lake

Phipps Flowage

Indian Head Flowage

Pacwawong Flowage

Hayward Lake

River

NA

ME

KA

GO

NR I V E R

ST. C

RO

I X R I V E R

Source of theSt. Croix River

STATE ZONE

FEDERAL ZONE

150

140

10

20

30

40

50 60

70

80

90

130

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

10

Dairyland

CozyCorner

Gordon

Minong

SolonSprings

HAYWARD

Seeley

Cable

TregoEarl

Springbrook

Cumberland

TURTLE LAKE

BALSAMLAKE

Cushing

Milltown

ST. CROIX FALLS

OSCEOLA

Chisago City CenterCity

Lindstrom

Star Prairie

Hammond

TAYLORS FALLS

Almelund

Sunrise

NORTH BRANCH

Rush City

CAMBRIDGE

PRINCETON

Hinckley

Grantsburg

Pine City

MORA

SPOONER

SIREN

Cloverdale

WebbLake

Danbury

FREDERICTrade River

Luck

NEW RICHMOND

MARINE ON ST. CROIX

Copas

Somerset

Houlton

STILLWATER

BAYPORT

HUDSONLAKELAND

LAKE ST.CROIX BEACH

AFTON

RIVER FALLS

ST. PAUL

HASTINGS

PRESCOTT

PointDouglas

MINNEAPOLIS

ANOKA

FORESTLAKE

Wyoming

Shell Lake

Hertel

WebsterCREX MEADOWSWILDLIFE

AREA

FISH LAKEWILDLIFE AREA

ST. CROIXISLANDSWILDLIFEAREA

ST. CROIXSTATE FOREST

CHENGWATANASTATE FOREST

GOVERNOR KNOWLESSTATE FOREST

GOVERNORKNOWLESSTATE FOREST

CHEQUAMEGON-

NICOLET

NATIONAL

FOREST

ST. CROIXSTATE PARK

WILD RIVERSTATE PARK

WISCONSIN INTERSTATE STATE PARK

MINNESOTA INTERSTATESTATE PARK

WILLIAM O’BRIEN STATE PARK

WILLOW RIVERSTATE PARK

AFTONSTATEPARK

KINNICKINNICSTATE PARKST. CROIX BLUFFS

REGIONAL PARK

Great River Road Visitor Center

Hayward Beach

Cable Natural History Museum

Historic portage routeto Bois Brule River

The Dalles of the St. Croix

High Bridge

St. CroixScenicByway

St. C

roix

Sce

nic

Byw

ay

MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL RIVERAND RECREATION AREA

MISSISSIPPINATIONAL RIVERAND RECREATION

AREA

Namekagon-Lac CourteOreilles Portage Trailhead

Trego Lake Trailhead

Indian Head Flowage Trailhead

Ridge ViewTrailhead

Trego NatureTrailhead

Spanglers

Ice Age National Scenic Trailhead

St. CroixTrailhead

St. Croix Trailhead

STATE ZONEThis part of the St. CroixNational Scenic Riverwayis managed by the states ofMinnesota and Wisconsin.

Sandrock CliffsSandrock Cliffs Trailhead

Cable Waysideand Landing

Thompson Bridge Landing

Eagle’s Landing

Trego TownPark Landing

Trego Landing

Gordon DamCounty Park Landing

Louise Park Landing

Schoen Park Landing

Lions Park Landing

Lions Park Landing

Franconia Landing

Raspberry Landing

Log HouseLanding

Pacwawong FlowageLanding

Main CanoeLanding

Head of the Rapids Landing

Sand CreekLanding

Wild RiverLanding

Sunrise River Landing

Little YellowBanks Landing

West River Landing

St. Croix BoomSite Park Landing

Hayward Landing

West HowellLanding

Dry Landing

CCC Bridge Landing

StinnettLanding

County Road KLanding

NorthSpringbrookLanding

Big Bend Landing

SpringbrookLanding

County Road MLanding

Phillipi Bridge Landing

PhippsLanding

Howell Landing

Earl Park Landing

Groat Landing

McDowell Bridge Landing

Namekagon DamLanding

Cap Creek Landing

Whispering PinesLanding

Nevers Dam Landing

Osceola Landing

Old Railroad Bridge Landing

Stevens Creek Landing

County Road O LandingRush CityFerry Landing

Sunrise Ferry Landing

Highway 70 Wayside Landing

Highway 70 Landing

Norway Point Landing

Soderbeck Landing

Snake River Landing

FritzLanding

NamekagonTrail Landing

Riverside Landing

Fox Landing

Somerset Landing

Larsen Landing

Trout Run Landing

County Road T Landing

Nelsons Landing

ThayersLanding

Lower Tamarack Landing

ST. CROIX NATIONALSCENIC RIVERWAY

Some land along the Riverwayremains in private ownership.Please respect landownersand their property.

St. Croix NationalScenic Riverway

Rapids River mileage

River distances are shownevery 10 miles (16 kilometers).The St. Croix River is measuredfrom the Mississippi River. TheNamekagon River is measuredfrom the St. Croix River.

St. Croix ScenicByway

State and regionalparks

U.S. and stateforests

State wildife areas

Mississippi NationalRiver and RecreationArea

Managed by:Facility type:

Map symbols

Ranger station

Information

Primitive shorelinecampsite

Boat and canoe launch

Canoe launch

Fishing pier

National Park Service

State park or state-owned area

U.S. and state forest

State wildlife area

County, city, or privatePicnic area

Developed campground

Do not use this map for river navigation. Get detailed river section maps (see top left, first paragraph), which are essential to your River- way recreation. The gray boxes above show the coverage of each river section map.

0

0

5 10 Kilometers

5 10 Miles

North

F

F

F

F

U

M

D

AE

A

A

N

Y

Y

M

T

T

I

I

53

63

M

D

211

63

F

F

H F

K

35

22

30

24

25

53

63

8

53

53

63

S

G

0

05

3

8

16

81

30

12

12

9

9

35

61 8

8

25

3

52

4

35W

35W

35W

35W

35E

35E

35E

94

94

9494

12

494

494494

494

694394

494

52

52

10

10

1063

F

21

18

12

10

12

61

61

61

21

94

63

63

12

V

X

M

M243

361

123

123

65

65

65

95

65

65

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65

64

64

64

79

46

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

87

87

48

48

48

48

29

29

29

95

95

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95

95

7070

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70

777777

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77

27

27

23

48

23

18

23

97

98

96

36

55

Namekagon River Visitor Center(open seasonally)

St. Croix River Visitor Center

ToBayfield and

Apostle IslandsNational Lakeshore

To Superior and Duluth

ToSuperior and Duluth

To Bayfield and Apostle IslandsNational Lakeshore

To St. Cloud

ToWausau

To Rochester

Bois

Bru

le River

St. Croix National Scenic RiverwayPark mapJune 14, 2013megan k

THE ST. CROIX AND NAMEKAGONFlowing 255 miles through forests, sandrock

cliffs, and cultural landscapes, Minnesota and

Wisconsin’s shared Namekagon and St. Croix

Rivers were one of eight riverways protected

upon passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

in 1968. Used historically as a trade route and

a logging flume, the St. Croix’s “outstandingly

remarkable values” also include its geologic

features, recreational opportunities, and scenic

beauty. More than 200 American Indian and

European American cultural sites have been

identified along the shores protected by the

Wild and Scenic designation.

View looking down on log jam on the St. Croix River at Taylor Falls, Sanford C. Sargent, c. 1886-1892. Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

Dalles of the St. Croix, Elijah Evan Edwards, c. 1880, Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society.