Via the St. Croix Valley Interpretive Association:
A bee feeds on cardinal flower along the St. Croix River in August 2017. (Greg Seitz, St. Croix 360)
Summer is short, but so very sweet in the St. Croix Valley with an incredible abundance of summer events, festivals and recreation.
The St. Croix Valley Interpretive Association partners have many outdoor activities scheduled in August, so please join us as we savor the last remaining month of summer and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (rivers.gov) and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (nps.gov/sacn).
Summer Riverway Recreation
Afton State Park
Universe in the Park (Aug 4) and Fly Fishing Clinic (Aug 25)
Carpenter Nature Center
Yoga on the Bluff (Aug 1), Meteor Madness (Aug 10), Carpenter Art Festival (Aug 25), Mars Watch Party with Mike Lynch (Aug 25)
- Learn more: http://carpenternaturecenter.org/events/
Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Park, Inc.
Geocaching in the Park (Aug 5), Universe in the Park (Aug 10), Yoga in the Park (Aug 11), Animals of the St. Croix (Aug 11), Prairie Days (Aug 18), Art in the Park (Aug 19), Skulls and Pelts (Aug 25)
- Learn more: https://www.willowkinnifriends.org/august
Friends of Wisconsin Interstate Park
Family Nature Day (Aug 4), Pothole Trail Hike (Aug 11) Universe in a Park (Aug 11)
- Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/events/
Great River Road Visitor Center
Prairie Restoration (Aug 2, Aug 4), Odd Weather: 1816 (Aug 26)
- Learn more: http://freedomparkwi.org/events.html#calendar
Minnesota Interstate Park
Kid Scientists Explore the Potholes (Aug 3), Guided Glacial Pothole Tours (Almost daily), Sensational Snakes (Aug 4, Aug 11, Aug 18), Make and Take a Grindstone (Aug 4), Tour de Simas Glaciares en Espanol (Aug 5, Aug 11), Stealthy Hunters of the Night (Aug 11), Mysterious Mussels Station (Aug 12), Bats: Mysterious Marvels of the Night (Aug 18), Make Your Own Fish Print (Aug 25)
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
Visitor Center Hours: Open daily from 9am – 5pm
St. Croix River Association
Project Red: Become a River Monitor (Aug 2), Kayak the Namekagon (Aug 2, Aug 9), The River Revealed (Aug 7), Fly Casting & Fly Fishing Gear Basics (Aug 7), WI AIS Snapshot Day (Aug 18), Wild and Scenic River Cruise (Aug 19)
- Learn more: https://www.stcroixriverassociation.org/events/
William O’Brien State Park
Skull Detectives (Aug 3, Aug 10), The Amazing Park Race (Aug 4), Blue Bird Trails (Aug 5, Aug 18), Meet a Hog-nosed Snake (Aug 5, Aug 11), Universe in the Park (Aug 11), Perseid Meteor Shower Party (Aug 11), Birding for Beginners (Aug 12), Geocaching 101 (Aug 18), Discover Your Wild Side (Aug 25), Wolves (Aug 25)
Wild River State Park
Stories in the Sky (Aug 3), Campfire Stories (Aug 10), Archery in the Park (Aug 11), Investigation Station: Prairie Plants (Aug 12), Owls (Aug 17)
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. From this Act, the St. Croix and the Namekagon rivers became the country’s first wild and scenic river national park—the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The St. Croix River Association (SCRA) is the official partner for the Riverway.