Backwaters near Marine on St. Croix. Photo: Angie Hong
Author and environmental educator Angie Hong sends us to the watershed for ephemeral explorations.
Angie Hong is an environmental educator who has been working in the St. Croix Valley for nearly two decades. In 2011, she and her family moved to Stillwater and began exploring the area as a family. “Once I was here, it was like, ‘Let the explorations begin!’” Hong says.
Angie Hong. Photo: Angie Hong
Hong coordinates the East Metro Water Education Program, a local government partnership hosted by Washington Conservation District. The more Hong adventured in the watershed—the more stories and insights she had to share.
“I’ve been writing for a lot of the local newspapers and thinking about how there are just so many cool places here that are hidden gems and so many great stories to share that all interconnect—all these inspirational ways that people and organizations are working to protect and restore the prairies, woods and water,” Hong says. “It wove itself into something that was bigger, a bigger story of the St. Croix watershed.”
Hong’s book, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley: Adventures on and off the Water was published by the University of Minnesota Press in July 2024. She says one of the most unique things about the St. Croix is its proximity to cities and towns while maintaining all the protections it is afforded as a National Scenic Riverway. “You get to dabble in nature and have high-quality nature experiences without having to go in so deep,” she says.
Here are some of Hong’s favorite ways to explore this beautiful part of the world.
Canoe Camping on the St. Croix
For an adventure that requires a little more experience and preparation, Hong says, “The St. Croix and the Namekagon [rivers] have canoe-in campsites just like what you’d find in the Boundary Waters, and they’re free!”
Canoeing on the St. Croix River. iStock/Willard
National Park Service campsites north of Highway 8 in the St. Croix River watershed are first-come, first-served—those south of Highway 8 require a free permit. Numerous state parks on the river also have campsites that are available for a fee. “You can have this super immersive experience, seeing all sorts of birds and deer, beavers, native freshwater mussels, and you might only see one or two other people a day,” Hong says.
Multi-day paddle/camping trips down the Namekagon and upper St. Croix rivers are a beautiful way to experience the Valley. Paddle miles feel infinitely shorter on the rushing water of a river, and campsites vary in size and amenities. “Get your river maps from the National Park Service, know where there are rapids and where there’s not, check the water levels and plan ahead,” Hong says. “It’s a pretty unique experience that you can’t do on any other river in the state.”
Crex Meadows Wildlife Area
The changing seasons in Granstburg, Wisconsin, bring a “unique and special” sight—sandhill cranes. Just 65 miles north of Stillwater, Crex Meadows is a 30,000-acre paradise for seasoned and budding birders alike.
“There are thousands of sandhill cranes that migrate every spring and fall,” Hong says. “It’s a huge wildlife management area, and there’s an easy driving tour loop that goes through the area.”
Sandhill Cranes at Crex Meadows. Photo: Gordon Dietzman
In the autumn, 15 to 20 percent of the world’s population of Greater Sandhill Cranes descend upon the marshes and sandy plains of Burnett County, making Crex one of the top birding destinations in the country.
Finding Ephemerals
By the end of winter, we are all eager to see some color again. Hong suggests finding some wildflowers to treasure in the early spring. It’s a sight that delights her year after year. “It’s been gray and dismal, and then they come up, and they’re so short and fleeting,” she says.
Rue Anemone is one of the many wildflowers that can be spotted along the St. Croix River. Photos: Angie Hong
Hong suggests visiting high-quality habitats like Sunfish Lake Park in Lake Elmo to find these ephemeral flowers. “[It] has beautiful, hilly trails, birch tree-lined lakes and all sorts of yellow violets, blue anemones, wild strawberries,” Hong says. “There’s a little free nature center and … mountain bike trails. It’s close to the Twin Cities, family-friendly and free.”
Grasshopper on black-eyed Susan.
To view skunk cabbage and marsh marigold, check out William O’Brien State Park in Marine on St. Croix. “Any of the places that go right up to the river are good places to find ephemerals,” she says.
Also in Marine on St. Croix—Mill Stream, where Hong says, “You can see all sorts of ephemerals along that wooden walkway. That’s a fun and easy place to explore.”
Standing Cedars
Many of Hong’s suggestions come with stories of experiencing the place with her family. “One of my favorite hidden gems that I go to time and time again is called Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy, just south of Osceola, Wisconsin,” Hong says. “It’s a nonprofit organization that owns four different parcels of land along the riverway.”
Lupine growing at the Engelwood property at Standing Cedars. Photo: Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy
During her initial explorations, Hong was in search of a particular trail that led to water. One day, while wandering local trails with her young son on her shoulders, a problem arose. “We had a Camelbak backpack, and we were almost making it down to the river, finally. However, unbeknownst to me, my son had been slurping away, finishing our water,” she says.
Frustrated, Hong trekked to the car to get back on the road and find more water. She says, “I get to the car, and I’m frustrated—what a wasted afternoon. And then I look at the trail map. Buffalo Skull—let’s just go check that out. We’re going to have to get into the car anyway, and who knows? So we go there, and I see this deer trail and follow it. It led to this amazing groundwater-fed stream in this deep green emerald valley, with crazy rock formations all around. Plus, it was like 10 to 15 degrees cooler down there.”
Buttermilk Falls at Standing Cedars Buffalo Skull. Photo: Zoe Yates
Amazed, the family followed the stream to a waterfall. “Ever since then, that’s just been our favorite place to go. We go there several times a year, even in the wintertime. If it weren’t for that one day running out of water, we never would’ve known that existed!”
Find Exploring the St. Croix Valley: Adventures on and off the Water at your favorite local bookseller, Franconia Sculpture Park and online from the University of Minnesota Press. Angie Hong blogs at eastmetrowater.org and is active on Instagram @mnnature_awesomeness and TikTok @mnnature_awesomeness.
