Stillwater on the St. Croix River

When choosing a hotel in Stillwater, it’s worth first deciding what you want to focus on during your stay. The city on the St. Croix River brings together a distinctive bridge, a Main Street riverfront listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a museum about the history of the St. Croix Valley, and different connections to the river. You can tailor your search to architectural history, regional history, or trails and routes by the water. The places and routes below offer concrete starting points for these interests.

The Lift Bridge and its connection to downtown

The Stillwater Lift Bridge crosses the St. Croix River between Stillwater, Minnesota, and Houlton, Wisconsin. Built in 1931, it is a rare surviving example of a Waddell and Harrington-type vertical-lift road bridge. As such, it is not just a river crossing, but also a tangible reference point for the history of bridge construction. The bridge’s design and year of construction give it a distinct historical profile.

In 2020, the bridge was converted for bicycle and pedestrian use. It also has a functional and symbolic connection to downtown Stillwater. If you plan to cross on foot or by bike, check current conditions beforehand. Two aspects are important for getting your bearings: the bridge’s history and its connection to downtown, as well as the conditions for using it today.

The riverfront and the history of the St. Croix Valley

Stillwater’s Main Street riverfront is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More than 100 locally owned shops and restaurants are reported in this area; the number may change as businesses come and go. The riverfront thus combines a historic setting with local businesses and dining. If you’re interested in Stillwater’s urban history, it offers a different focus from the technical history of the Lift Bridge.

The Washington County Heritage Center was established in 2021. It is a museum and a central destination for the history of the St. Croix Valley, with interactive exhibits for all ages. It adds a regional perspective to the focus on individual structures and the Main Street riverfront. The topics are easy to distinguish: the Lift Bridge represents a specific structure, while the Heritage Center focuses on the history of the St. Croix Valley.

Distinguishing trails and river routes

The Brown’s Creek State Trail is 5.9 miles long. It includes a paved path and a parallel natural-surface trail that is suitable for horseback riding. The two trails therefore differ in their surfaces and in the explicit provision for horseback riding. In Stillwater, the Brown’s Creek State Trail connects to the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. This connection is a concrete point of reference for getting your bearings in the city if you want to focus on a land-based trail.

The described stretches of the river also have different points of reference. The Lower St. Croix section of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway runs from Highway 8 to Boom Site Landing in Stillwater, Minnesota. The St. Croix River Water Trail, by contrast, runs south from downtown Stillwater to its confluence with the Mississippi River near Prescott, Wisconsin. This makes it possible to distinguish a river stretch anchored in Stillwater from a route that continues to the confluence near Prescott.

The Stillwater Islands area between the Soo Line High Bridge and Stillwater adds a perspective from the water to these routes. The area is popular with houseboats, cabin cruisers, pontoon boats, and fishing boats. Stillwater therefore offers several distinct river-related themes: bridge history, land-based trails, clearly defined river stretches, and an area associated with different types of boats.

Discover more destinations: Lake Elmo, Woodbury, Forest Lake, Oakdale, Cottage Grove, Afton.

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