Hikers looking to mark National Trails Day with an invigorating group hike are invited to St. Croix Falls on June 1 for a hike sponsored by the Polk-Burnett chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance.

Celebrate a beautiful day on the Trail with a visually stimulating section (almost five miles) of the St. Croix Falls Segment. Look for two six-inch nautilus fossils embedded in a limestone footbridge and follow boulder-strewn Mindy Creek. Stroll through a nature preserve and park, following the St. Croix River’s scenic shoreline until you arrive at Big Rock Creek, the hike’s turn-around point.

The group will meet at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of Ray Zillmer Park, 710 N. Day Road for a hike from Mindy Creek to Rock Creek and back. Look for the yellow event signs. This is an intermediate-level round trip hike of 4.6 miles with the first half generally downhill and the return mostly uphill. Shuttles will be available at Lions Park for those who don’t feel up to the return hike.

Hikers should dress for the weather, carry their own water and a snack, and bring sun screen and insect repellent.

National Trails Day was created by the American Hiking Society as a day of advocacy and service for local trails. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a unit of the National Park Service, which is a federal partner of National Trails Day.

Those wishing to make a doubleheader of the morning are also welcome to volunteer earlier in the day as race guides for runners doing the City of Trails races.

For more information, contact Cheryl Whitman at 715-371-0048 or Barb Ceder at 715-410-8069 or email the local chapter at: Indianheadchapter@iceagetrail.com.