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Exploring the St. Croix River Valley: Adventures on and off the Water
An authoritative, accessible, and entertaining nature recreation guide to one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring areas in the Midwest
The St. Croix River is a 169-mile ribbon of blue that cleaves the land between Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the surrounding area, you can find small towns vibrant with local art, music, and dining. Set off in a kayak or canoe, however, and you could easily spend an entire day on the water without seeing another soul. Close enough to the Twin Cities to allow for a pleasant day trip, yet vast enough to lose yourself for a week if you wish, the St. Croix is at once accessible and wild, beckoning adventurers, serious students of nature, family fun seekers, and sport enthusiasts all year round. For readers of every inclination, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley provides a tour of the St. Croix Riverway and its surrounding 8,000-square-mile watershed. Environmental educator Angie Hong recommends specific places to explore the varied habitats—including prairies, forests, and lakes—and shows us myriad ways to get out and enjoy them by hiking, paddling, biking, and more. As she travels from headwaters to tributaries, Hong takes in the Arcola High Bridge (with a side of freshwater mussel lore), searches for the perfect lakeside supper club, and talks to wildlife pros and volunteers restoring prairies, oak savanna, streams, and woodland habitats. With stops at Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy, Sunfish Lake Park, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and more, readers will learn about the landscape and its history—groundwater geology and riverside land formations, ephemeral wildflowers and forests lost to logging—and the local fauna such as skinks and osprey, red-headed woodpeckers, grouse, and elk. And along the way, Hong has her own stories to tell, from paddling the Namekagon and wild ricing on the Moosehorn to planting trees with school kids. With its mix of stories, photos, and practical information, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley makes an engaging companion for anyone venturing to this extraordinary place, firsthand or from afar.
The St. Croix River is a 169-mile ribbon of blue that cleaves the land between Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the surrounding area, you can find small towns vibrant with local art, music, and dining. Set off in a kayak or canoe, however, and you could easily spend an entire day on the water without seeing another soul. Close enough to the Twin Cities to allow for a pleasant day trip, yet vast enough to lose yourself for a week if you wish, the St. Croix is at once accessible and wild, beckoning adventurers, serious students of nature, family fun seekers, and sport enthusiasts all year round. For readers of every inclination, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley provides a tour of the St. Croix Riverway and its surrounding 8,000-square-mile watershed. Environmental educator Angie Hong recommends specific places to explore the varied habitats—including prairies, forests, and lakes—and shows us myriad ways to get out and enjoy them by hiking, paddling, biking, and more. As she travels from headwaters to tributaries, Hong takes in the Arcola High Bridge (with a side of freshwater mussel lore), searches for the perfect lakeside supper club, and talks to wildlife pros and volunteers restoring prairies, oak savanna, streams, and woodland habitats. With stops at Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy, Sunfish Lake Park, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and more, readers will learn about the landscape and its history—groundwater geology and riverside land formations, ephemeral wildflowers and forests lost to logging—and the local fauna such as skinks and osprey, red-headed woodpeckers, grouse, and elk. And along the way, Hong has her own stories to tell, from paddling the Namekagon and wild ricing on the Moosehorn to planting trees with school kids. With its mix of stories, photos, and practical information, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley makes an engaging companion for anyone venturing to this extraordinary place, firsthand or from afar.
368 pages, Paperback
Published July 9, 2024
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 3, 2024
This book has helped me see the area where I live in a fresh and exciting way. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that the St. Croix River Valley is full of so much natural and wild beauty. Growing up here, I never really spent much time outdoors. The most I would spend outside would be out on the water, going for boat rides to look at… houses. Not very nature-filled. It wasn’t until my first hike at William O’Brien State Park and subsequent outdoor adventures that I had started to find some real beauty nearby. Finding Angie’s account on TikTok/Instagram opened my world further. Her fun stories and info nuggets had me exploring more new places close to home. Do I still love to explore elsewhere beyond the St. Croix River Valley, sure, but I also see so much to love about where I live now and I’m excited about all of the adventures I have yet to have, exploring this beautiful place that I also call home.
This is a book that I’ll be keeping close by to refer back to in the future. The author has included tons of resources, so this book can serve as a starting point for your adventures in the area.
This is a book that I’ll be keeping close by to refer back to in the future. The author has included tons of resources, so this book can serve as a starting point for your adventures in the area.
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May 3, 2024Angie Hong ’00
Author
From the author:
An authoritative, accessible, and entertaining nature recreation guide to one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring areas in the Midwest.
The St. Croix River is a 169-mile ribbon of blue that cleaves the land between Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the surrounding area, you can find small towns vibrant with local art, music, and dining. Set off in a kayak or canoe, however, and you could easily spend an entire day on the water without seeing another person. Close enough to the Twin Cities to be a pleasant day trip, yet vast enough to lose yourself for a week if you wish, the St. Croix River Valley is at once accessible and wild, beckoning adventurers, serious students of nature, family fun seekers, and sport enthusiasts all year round.
For readers of every inclination, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley provides a tour of the St. Croix Riverway and its 8,000-square-mile watershed. Environmental educator Angie Hong recommends specific places to explore the varied habitats — including prairies, forests, and lakes — and shows us myriad ways to get out and enjoy by hiking, paddling, biking, skiing, fishing, and more. As she travels from headwaters to tributaries, Hong takes in the Arcola High Bridge (with a side of freshwater mussel lore), searches for the perfect lakeside supper club, and talks to wildlife pros and volunteers restoring prairies, oak savanna, streams, and woodland habitats.
With stops at Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy, Sunfish Lake Park, and the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, readers will learn about the landscape and its history — groundwater geology and riverside land formations, ephemeral wildflowers and forests lost to logging — and the local fauna such as skinks and osprey, red-headed woodpeckers, grouse, and elk. Along the way, Hong has her own stories to tell, from paddling the Namekagon and wild ricing on the Moosehorn to planting trees with school kids. With its mix of stories, photographs, and practical information, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley makes an engaging companion for anyone venturing to this extraordinary place — as a visitor or as a reader.
Author
From the author:
An authoritative, accessible, and entertaining nature recreation guide to one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring areas in the Midwest.
The St. Croix River is a 169-mile ribbon of blue that cleaves the land between Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the surrounding area, you can find small towns vibrant with local art, music, and dining. Set off in a kayak or canoe, however, and you could easily spend an entire day on the water without seeing another person. Close enough to the Twin Cities to be a pleasant day trip, yet vast enough to lose yourself for a week if you wish, the St. Croix River Valley is at once accessible and wild, beckoning adventurers, serious students of nature, family fun seekers, and sport enthusiasts all year round.
For readers of every inclination, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley provides a tour of the St. Croix Riverway and its 8,000-square-mile watershed. Environmental educator Angie Hong recommends specific places to explore the varied habitats — including prairies, forests, and lakes — and shows us myriad ways to get out and enjoy by hiking, paddling, biking, skiing, fishing, and more. As she travels from headwaters to tributaries, Hong takes in the Arcola High Bridge (with a side of freshwater mussel lore), searches for the perfect lakeside supper club, and talks to wildlife pros and volunteers restoring prairies, oak savanna, streams, and woodland habitats.
With stops at Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy, Sunfish Lake Park, and the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, readers will learn about the landscape and its history — groundwater geology and riverside land formations, ephemeral wildflowers and forests lost to logging — and the local fauna such as skinks and osprey, red-headed woodpeckers, grouse, and elk. Along the way, Hong has her own stories to tell, from paddling the Namekagon and wild ricing on the Moosehorn to planting trees with school kids. With its mix of stories, photographs, and practical information, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley makes an engaging companion for anyone venturing to this extraordinary place — as a visitor or as a reader.
May 7, 2025
This is much more than a standard guidebook. Most guidebooks seem to be written by people who have only possibly visited an area they’re writing about. They’ve spent more time on Wikipedia than the actual location. Angie is both a resident and a super fan of the St. Croix Valley.
There’s also a tendency for guidebooks to be sterilized of any potentially controversial viewpoints in order to protect those who don’t have the professional expertise to know better. This book doesn’t shy away from environmental concerns, but it also does a great job of balancing those concerns out with the many successes in conservation and restoration in the St. Croix Watershed.
I highly recommend this book for those living in the St. Croix Valley, as well as those visiting or interested in the area. It’s a pretty cool feeling to open a book and see photos taken less than a mile or two from my house!
There’s also a tendency for guidebooks to be sterilized of any potentially controversial viewpoints in order to protect those who don’t have the professional expertise to know better. This book doesn’t shy away from environmental concerns, but it also does a great job of balancing those concerns out with the many successes in conservation and restoration in the St. Croix Watershed.
I highly recommend this book for those living in the St. Croix Valley, as well as those visiting or interested in the area. It’s a pretty cool feeling to open a book and see photos taken less than a mile or two from my house!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews