St. Croix River Resources
THE GOAL OF RIVERFEST is to encourage people to enjoy, understand and preserve the scenic St. Croix River, a national treasure that flows right past our community in Hudson, Wisconsin. The following information is provided to building awareness of the river, our environment and education on the need to preserve our water quality.
RiverFest Theme Song:
Listen to the RiverFest song created by Tricia Haynes or view the lyrics to the RiverFest, It’s the Best! song.
RiverFest Recycling Basics Video:
Airtime: Available anytime
Video Link: View on YouTube
Description: Buck Malick from the RiverFest Committee and Kris Poston, St. Croix County Recycling Specialist, will discuss how to separate litter collected during the clean-up into recyclables or trash. Kris will explain what to, and how to, recycle the different items collected.
The Health of the St. Croix River:
There is an ever-present need to preserve the health of the St. Croix River. The following reports and articles inform readers of some of the environmental challenges currently affecting the riverway.
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The State of the St. Croix River Report:
Shared by The Wild Rivers Conservancy
The Wild Rivers Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Together with the National Park Service and others, we create opportunities for people to experience and care for the Riverway.
View the State of the St. Croix River Report with an introduction, a StoryMap (a dynamic overview) and the complete State of the St. Croix River Report.
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Shared from St. Croix 360
St. Croix 360 builds support for river stewardship, and connects people and organizations. It is an independent news source produced by Greg Seitz, with past support from The Wild Rivers Conservancy.
New toxin found in St. Croix River fish
Fish in the lower St. Croix River can contain dangerous levels of industrial chemicals, a Minnesota state agency has found. Toxins related to products like Scotchgard and Teflon have previously been known to pollute groundwater in areas between Lake Elmo and the St. Croix, as well as across the country. Now it has been found in fish in the river at levels considered possibly harmful to human health. The affected zone is the entire 50 miles of river below Taylors Falls to the Mississippi… Read more >
Fishing Resources:
RiverFest encourages you to consider going fishing as a great way to get out and enjoy the beautiful St. Croix River.
Learn more about fishing:
St. Croix River Fishing – Fishing information, tips, and techniques related to the St. Croix River. We also provide updates on environmental threats and conservation initiatives.
Kids Fishing – A Few Tips & Tricks! – Here are couple tips that might make your first or next fishing trip with the kids that much more enjoyable.
Basic Worm and Bobber Fishing Setup (with knots) – Learn how ODWC’s aquatic education coordinator sets up fishing rods for success. Also learn how to tie the improved clinch knot and the polamor knot.
Outdoor Adventures:
St. Croix County Parks
Come explore the beauty of St. Croix County with its vast waterways, scenic countryside and charming communities. The area is home to picturesque county parks, historic sites, award winning trout streams and the western portion of Wisconsin’s Yellowstone Trail. Come in spring, summer, fall or winter to explore hundreds of acres of county parks and forests for camping, biking, kayaking, hiking, skiing, ice fishing and more. Learn more at www.sccwi.gov/parks.
You can explore and enjoy these St. Croix County parks, trails and beaches.
- Homestead Parklands on Perch Lake, 550 Perch Lake Road, Hudson, WI
- Eckert Blufflands on the St. Croix Park, 250 River Heights Trail
- Glen Hills Park,1049 Rustic Rd #3, Glenwood City, WI
- Loop Trail Blue Star Trailhead, 77 Houlton School Circle, Houlton, WI
- St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail, Houlton Park and Ride, Houlton, WI
- Pine Lake Park, 2056 120th Ave, Baldwin, WI
- Troy Beach Park, 490 County Road F, Hudson, WI
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Wisconsin State Parks
The Wisconsin State Park System provides places for outdoor recreation and for learning about nature and conservation. State parks, forests, trails and recreation areas see more than 20 million visits a year.
Willow River State Park east of Hudson features spectacular views of Willow Falls’ scenic cascade and the 200 foot Willow River Gorge. Prairie remnants, miles of scenic hiking trails, family and group campgrounds, lakeside picnic areas and a nature center are all found within 2,800 acres of rolling countryside. Visitors will also enjoy paddling, fishing and swimming opportunities on Little Falls Lake. Planning for the park started in 1970 and opened to the public in the summer of 1971. Willow River is one of Wisconsin’s most visited state parks overall, typically drawing nearly 1 million guests annually. A summer picture of Willow Falls is featured as the July photo in the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks 2022 calendar.
Kinnickinnic State Park is located where the St. Croix and Kinnickinnic rivers meet between Hudson and Prescott, offering experiences in two types of worlds. Enjoy the many popular water-based recreational pursuits on the St. Croix River and the quiet and solitude of the Kinnickinnic River Valley. A large sandy delta is found at the junction of the rivers. Visitors can also explore 10 miles of hiking trails.
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Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway WI and MN
The Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, a unit of the National Park System, was established by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968. Grab your paddle and your longing for adventure and head to the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers. Together they form the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, offering more than 200 miles of clean water that glides and rushes through a forested landscape. You can paddle, boat, fish and camp amidst this wild and scenic beauty. Hiking and historic towns also beckon.
The National Park Service operates a seasonal visitor center in St. Croix Falls where visitors can view exhibits, pick up park publications, Junior Ranger booklets and maps plus view the park film.
Experience wineries, breweries and creameries, and make new memories with a dinner cruise on the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
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Carpenter Nature Center and Hudson Campus
Nestled at the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers between Afton and Hastings, MN, the Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center provides a unique opportunity to learn and explore the outdoors. The free admission center has preserved wildlife habitat while also providing educational experiences for community families for more than 40 years.
The Carpenter Nature Center – Wisconsin Campus is located on property just south of Hudson, and is home to the new Al and Laurie Hein Visitor Center. The 300 acre campus includes restored prairie, wooded hills, an old farmstead and an oak savanna, linked together by winding trails, which are loved by all who walk them. It is protected and managed for native species, including many threatened animals, insects and plants. Admission is free, with events an activities planed throughout the year.
RiverFest Native American Videos
Suggested video: Battle of Bad Axe by Jim Jorstad
An educational video which traces the history and aftermath of the 1832 Battle at Bad Axe.
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Additional, RiverFest videos are available for viewing at any time on River Channel 15 Hudson/North Hudson Community Access Television’s YouTube Channel.
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Oneida Children’s Homecoming
View on YouTube
Description: Oneida children from Wisconsin whose remains were returned from the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. Three Carlisle students from near Green Bay who died about 1900 were returned to their Native lands in Wisconsin this past summer. Members from the Church of the Holy Apostles Episcopal Church in Oneida will share details of the return.
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Western Wisconsin Journal: Woodland Sky 
View on YouTube
Description: A 2019 Riverfest Woodland Sky Interview – Woodland Echoes: Native American Tastes, Sights & Sounds. Bobbi Pomminville interviews the Woodland Sky Native American Dance Company, a theatrical, authentic performance with Native American Ojibwe, Menominee, Potawatomi, Lakota and Apache dancers. The telling of historic stories using traditional Native American songs and dances.
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Native American Celebration in Review
View on YouTube
Description: The replay of the 2014 RiverFest program with Native American storyteller Mark Denny about the history of the horse in Native culture. Pow wow dancing with Mark Soulier and the TRAILS group from the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.
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Forts Folle Avoine Ojibwe Village
View on YouTube
Description: Visit the recreated Ojibwe Village at the Forts Folle Avoine Historical Park near Danbury, Wisconsin. Step into Woodland Native life during the fur trading era of 1802-1804 on the Yellow River. Learn from Park Director Kevin Hoyt, Native interpreter Jackson Buxton and St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin TRAILS coordinator Mark Soulier.
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Forts Folle Avoine Museum Tour
View on YouTube
Description: Join Park Director Kevin Hoyt from the Burnett County Historical Society for a tour of the museum at the Forts Folle Avoine Historical Park near Danbury, Wisconsin. Visit the interpretive center and learn about artifacts from the fur trade era.
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2020 RiverFest Native American Milwaukee Indian Summer
View on YouTube
Description: A short film by Logan Thomas Peterson capturing the magic of Native culture at the 2013 festival in Milwaukee. The event is no longer held, so enjoy the memories!
RiverFest Videos:
Additional, RiverFest videos are available for viewing at any time on River Channel 15 Hudson/North Hudson Community Access Television’s YouTube Channel.
Health & Wellness Videos:
Meditation with Kishori View on YouTube Description: Kishori Koch, from Ciranda will lead guided-meditation session along the beautiful St. Croix River. Tune into the gentle flow of water, get comfortable and breathe.
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Yoga with Kishori View on YouTube Description: Breath, move and re-energize your body through a simple series of basic postures, guided by Kishori Koch from Ciranda.
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Foraging Garden Walk View on YouTube Description: Hudson Grocery Co-op presents backyard foraging with Russ Lake. Learn about edible plants growing in your backyard. From common garden plants like daisies and hostas to wild plants like burdock and wood sorrel, there is an abundance of edible plants in your flower garden and backyard.
Videos for Children:
Just Add Water Virtual Classes
Air Time: Available anytime
Link:View Just Add Water videos here
Description: Here is a creative experiment – Just Add Water (JAW) virtual classes. Join us for some at home science and art fun, in four virtual visits with Liz Malanaphy, creator of JAW summer art and science classes.
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Library Storytime: The Prairie That Nature Built View on YouTube
Description: Sara O’Brien, Youth Services Assistant at the Hudson Area Public Library will read the children’s book The Prairie That Nature Built, by Marybeth Lorbiecki.
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Library Storytime: AHHHhhhh Water View on YouTube Description: Join Author/Illustrator Jean A. Gagnon Clausen of Green Wise Kids for a fun and engaging reading of her new book AHHHhhhh, Water!. Along with Greenbean the Frog, contributing authors Lawrence Clausen and Michel Tigan and the Green Wise kids you will learn the exciting and informative facts of why protecting our precious resource, water is so important for our world. Through puppetry, educational display and story reading kids of all ages will be inspired through this interactive online presentation of AHHHhhhh, Water.
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Animals of the St. Croix: Blanding’s and Wood Turtles View on YouTube Description: Carpenter Nature Center naturalist Jessie Eckroad will present the wildlife of the St. Croix River Valley. Meet Blanding’s and Wood Turtles animal ambassadors. Find out what you can do to help protect the river valley ecosystem and the amazing animals that live in the Valley.
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Animals of the St. Croix: Hognose Snake View on YouTube Description: Carpenter Nature Center naturalist Jessie Eckroad will present the wildlife of the St. Croix River Valley. Meet a Hognose Snake animal ambassador. Find out what you can do to help protect the river valley ecosystem and the amazing animals that live in the Valley.
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Animals of the St. Croix: Tiger Salamander View on YouTube Description: Carpenter Nature Center naturalist Jessie Eckroad will present the wildlife of the St. Croix River Valley. Meet a Tiger Salamander animal ambassador. Find out what you can do to help protect the river valley ecosystem and the amazing animals that live in the Valley.
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Animals of the St. Croix: Peregrine Falcon View on YouTube Description: Carpenter Nature Center naturalist Jessie Eckroad will present the wildlife of the St. Croix River Valley. Meet a Peregrine Falcon animal ambassador. Find out what you can do to help protect the river valley ecosystem and the amazing animals that live in the Valley.
Other RiverFest Videos:
Images of Hudson: Then and Now View on YouTube Description: The St. Croix County Historical Society will present “Then and Now” scenes of Hudson. The Historical Society will highlight some historic photos from their photo collection paired with drone videos filmed by Historical Society volunteer Dick Nelson. An interesting way to see how Hudson has changed over the years. Lean more about the SCCHS photo collection.
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Hot Air Ballooning Over the St. Croix View on YouTube Description: Pilot Steve Jacobs from Stillwater Balloons flies a hot air balloon over the St. Croix River for an amazing birds eye view of the river. Sponsored by Hudson Hot Air Affair.