National Park Service Studying Number of Visitors to Namekagon River

Researchers will count people and watercraft and interview visitors about their experience on the Wild & Scenic River.

May 31, 2015

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Via the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

A busy day at Earl Landing on the Namekagon River (National Park Service photo)

To improve understanding of the visitor experience on the Namekagon River, the National Park Service is conducting a river use study during the summer of 2015. The Namekagon is part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, a national park and one of America’s first wild and scenic rivers.

Beginning Memorial Day weekend, researchers from Southern Illinois University will count the number of river users and the number and types of vessels on the Namekagon. Visitors’ perceptions of conditions will be measured by short interviews about their activities and length of visit, why they chose the Namekagon River, changes since their last visit, and reactions to the number of other visitors they encountered.

At the end of the season, the results from the 2015 study will be compared to findings from research conducted in 1999 and 2002 on the Namekagon River. The final report will assist the NPS in evaluating what visitors experience and whether these experiences are consistent with current management plans.

For additional information about the Namekagon River and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, call or visit the Namekagon River Visitor Center, located on Highway 63, one mile east of Highway 53 in Trego, Wisconsin. Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. Free. (715) 635-8346, ext. 429.