Polk County Attractions
Located on Wisconsin's northwest border just an hour
away from Minneapolis/St. Paul and Duluth/Superior, Polk County is an
historic and present wilderness wonderland, richly forested with
hundreds of lakes and streams teeming with wildlife. The great St.
Croix River flows through deep gorges between two hundred foot bluffs
punctuated by legendary glacial rock formations along the county's
western border.
Inland, the forested hills and bluffs, eskers,
kames, valleys, lakes and streams created by the glacier and its
meltwaters present an ever-changing view of the mighty glacier's
legacy. Thundering rapids and cascading waterfalls announce their
presence from a distance while gentle streams quietly wait to be
discovered along the county's trails and forest lanes.
Polk County's dairy farms and cheese factories,
small towns and villages, lumber camps and pioneer settlements,
forests and streams, museums and cultural arts centers invite visitors
to enjoy its outdoor recreation opportunities, its historic past, its
festivals and celebrations; and, the frontier friendliness of its
people.
Today, University of Wisconsin historian, Margaret
Beattie Bogue wrote, "the vision of the St. Croix is in large
part the vision of a river as a recreational paradise." And, so
it is. Fish and fowl are found in abundance. Eagles and osprey nest
and feed on the river's edge. The new growth forest stands tall along
its towering bluffs, and the river runs free and clear through its
spectacular glacial gorge. Paddle-wheeling excursion boats today
cruise the spectacular Dalles of the St. Croix River. For 52 miles,
from St. Croix Falls to Prescott, the river is alive with canoes,
kayaks, sailboats and power craft, all enjoying the beauty and freedom
found in this National Scenic Riverway.
Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy Polk County's many
recreational opportunities, including camping, hiking, cycling,
mountain biking, boating, canoeing, sailing, horseback riding, nature
and bird watching, specimen gathering, swimming, soft and hard water
(ice) fishing, large and small game hunting, fowling, downhill and
cross country skiing, water skiing, wind surfing and skating,
ice-boating, snowmobiling, ATVing, golfing, wildlife and scenic
photography.
The county's many trails, including the 98-mile
Gandy Dancer rail trail, the beginning of the 1,000-mile Ice Age
Trail, and a dozen more single and multi-use trails meander through
breathtaking wilderness, rural countryside, charming crossroads, towns
and villages. Many of the county's trails interconnect with one
another and join with statewide trail networks, providing the
opportunity to take a leisurely walk through the forest, a challenging
mountain bike run, a thrilling day-long ATV, motorcycle or snowmobile
ride, a quiet glide over a well-groomed woodland ski run, or a
relaxing horseback ride through forest and glen.
With seven scenic courses to choose from, Polk
County golfers can play a different one every day of the week. Their
well-kept greens, helpful staff, talented pros and added amenities
make every outing an outing to remember.
The area's history is well preserved and comes alive
in Polk County's many museums and historical sites. Visitors can walk
through, touch and relive the lives of pioneer farmer/lumberjacks and
their families. You can visit their log cabin homes; stroll through a
lumber baron's mansion; view photographs of colossal log jams and the
brave crews that risked their lives to break them down. Visitors can
even depart the 21st Century from an early 20th Century Railroad Depot
and ride through the historic countryside in an elegantly restored
railroad car behind a lovingly preserved iron horse; see the massive
machinery, steam crawlers, sledges and winches used in the timber
industry; return to school in one-room schoolhouses that educated five
generations of area families.
Polk County is privileged to serve as the home of
three fine arts organizations, including: The St. Croix Artbarn in
Osceola where theater, visual arts, music, writing, dance and story
telling are promoted and presented to captivated audiences; the
nationally recognized St. Croix Festival Theatre Company that presents
lost and forgotten works of outstanding playwrights along with
unforgettable classic and contemporary stage works, and an annual
music festival in the historic Auditorium Theatre in St. Croix Falls;
and, the Northern Lakes Center for the Arts in Amery, a nationally
certified school for the arts that provides training, support,
rehearsal, performance and exhibit facilities for visual artists,
writers, community theater, and a 55-piece chamber orchestra.
Treasure hunters enjoy browsing through Polk
County's eclectic collection of artist's studios and galleries,
antique stores, craft outlets and flea markets for original,
contemporary regional and international artworks, 19th Century
clothing, household items, utensils, jewelry, family portraits,
agricultural implements, antique furnishings and decorative art, books
and manuscripts, weapons, relics of the Native American past,
basketry, weaving, contemporary collectibles, glassware, porcelains,
restored musical instruments, historic military apparel, unique
homemade whimseys and contemporary manufactured gift items galore.
Whether its a romantic moonlit dinner aboard a
paddle-wheeler on the St. Croix River, a picnic serenaded by the
falling waters of Cascade Falls, a good old-fashioned home cooked meal
in a cozy family restaurant, or a great warm-em-up breakfast after an
early morning duck hunt, Polk County chefs, cooks, and wait staffs go
the extra mile to feed you well in friendly style. Menus range from
burgers and fries, fish fries and chowder, pizzas and subs; and, salad
bar, chicken, chops, steak, and potatoes, to fine Californian and
European cuisine, served with pride in fast food outlets, family
restaurants, bistros and taverns, excursion boats and trailside picnic
spots, country clubs and night clubs, hotel dining rooms and other
fine dining establishments.
Polk County visitors have a wide range of lodging
accommodations to choose from, including primitive carry-in, carry-out
campsites along the trail; full service RV Campgrounds; secluded
forest cabins; romantic, rustic and historic bed and breakfast inns;
housekeeping homes and cottages; resort cabins and cottages complete
with boats, motors, outdoor grills, docks, swimming beaches and more;
and, economy and full service hotel/motels with swimming pools,
jacuzzis, saunas (this is Nordic Country) game rooms and dining
facilities.
Located across the St. Croix River from Minnesota,
Polk County is just an hour's drive from both Minneapolis/St. Paul and
Duluth/Superior -- Polk County is easy to get to and hard to leave. Back to top
Museums &
Historical Sites Back to top
Clear Lake Area Museum
Clear Lake
800-222-POLK
The Clear Lake Area Historical Museum, located in downtown Clear Lake,
allows visitors to walk down a re-created Main Street of yesteryear,
peek into a pioneer family's log cabin, visit a one-room schoolhouse,
admire a century-old church, and view photographs, uniform and
clothing, newspapers, weapons, and other memorabilia of the area's
political, sports and military activities.
Polk County Museum
Balsam Lake
715-485-9269
Housed in Balsam Lake's historic old courthouse, this three-story
museum's 57 exhibits take the visitor through the county's 150-year
history, from first settlement by Yankee lumber barons and immigrant
lumberjack/farmers through the present day. Open Memorial Day weekend
through Labor Day, 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays and holidays. Guided tours are available
by appointment April through October.
Rural Life Museum
Balsam Lake
800-222-7655
Visit this museum's old country school, general store and railroad
depot filled with intriguing artifacts of rural pioneer families, the
telegraph station and iron road they relied upon for news of the
world, travel and commerce.
Frederic Depot
Frederic
800-222-7655
Now a stop along the Gandy Dancer rail trail, this beautifully
restored 1901 Soo Line Depot houses memorabilia of the iron horse days
- a must stop for old-time railroad enthusiasts.
Emily Olson House
River Street, Osceola
800-947-0581/715-755-3300
Located in the restored mansion Andrew Jackson Clark built for his
bride, Emily, in 1862, the exhibits in this museum recount the history
of the Osceola area. Open 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Sundays from Memorial Day
weekend through October.
Osceola & St.
Croix Valley Railway
Osceola
715-755-3570
Except for the passengers and crew, everything on this railroad is
historic; from the 1916 Osceola Soo Line Depot to the elegantly
restored passenger cars and mighty steam engine that ply the line from
Osceola to Dresser from spring through fall. Operated by volunteers of
the Minnesota Transportation Museum, this railway offers rides in
early twentieth century style through spectacular scenery much as it
was in the early 19th century, before the great timber harvest.
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Parks & Nature Centers
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Apple River County Park
Apple River, North of Amery
This heavily wooded 18-acre park along the Apple River offers hiking
and snowmobile trails, canoeing, and swimming (with bathhouse, but no
lifeguard), picnicking, and playground with picnic shelters and
restrooms.
Atlas County Park
Long Trade Lake, N.W. of Luck
800-222-7655
Equipped with a boat landing on Long Trade Lake, a ball field, picnic
shelter trails and playground, this park consists of three different
sections of land connected by a footbridge. The fishing, hiking and
snowmobiling here is great.
Balsam Branch Ski
Trail
Balsam Branch, West of Amery
800-222-7655
Groomed for classic and skate-skiing, this 10-mile recreation trail
crosses the D.D. Kennedy Environmental Area, the Garfield Recreation
Area, and Lake Wapogasset Bible Camp. Parking and trail access are
available at D.D. Kennedy
Park and Garfield Recreation Area.
Black Brook County Park
Black Brook Flowage, S.W. of Amery
800-222-7655
The Black Brook Flowage is created by a large dam located in this park
along the Apple River, southwest of Amery. The park is equipped with a
picnic shelter, playground and boat landing for easy access to great
fishing.
D.D. Kennedy Environmental Area
Balsam Branch River, South of Balsam Lake
800-222-7655
This is a nature center for all the family to enjoy. Here, learning
about the history of the land, the forest, the wildlife and the people
who have lived here is coupled with the opportunity to camp, fish,
hike, canoe and cross country ski through its diverse and unique
ecosystems. With picnic shelter and playground, it's the perfect place
to stop, breathe the forest air, listen to the waters flow, the birds
sing and the critters rustle through the under brush, launch your
canoe or bait your hook.
East Lake Park
Southeast of Dresser
800-222-7655
Few places on earth display the beauty found in this park's abundant
American Lotus beds floating among clouds reflected in the
crystal-mirrored waters of East (Lotus) Lake. Here, visitors will find
a boat landing to launch a Lotus filming or fishing expedition, an
interpretive hiking trail, a refreshing water well, picnic shelter and
playground.
Interstate Park
U.S. Highway 8 & State Highway 35
St. Croix Falls 715-483-3747
Cooperatively created in 1895 by the States of Wisconsin and
Minnesota, this park occupies 850-acres divided into two units located
across from one another at the Dalles of the St. Croix River.
Connected by the Interstate Bridge on U.S. Highway 8, each unit offers
different views of the Dalles, different geological formations and
ecological communities: and, different varieties of recreational
opportunities. Here, osprey and bald eagles nest, soar and swoop over
the bluff-lined waters, scooping their dinner from the fish-filled
river; legendary rock formations stand sentinel over the forest;
crystal clear waters whisper down spectacularly beautiful Curtain
Falls; and the National Ice Age Trail ends its thousand mile journey
from the East.
The 290-acre Minnesota unit offers 48 campsites, a
1.25 mile river trail, a one-mile trail to the Curtain Falls overlook,
and a short trail over glacial potholes near the museum, boat landing
and visitor center adjacent to the bridge at U.S. Highway 8. In
addition to fishing, canoeing, camping and hiking, this unit offers
expert-level rock climbing and whitewater kayaking, also for experts
only. In the summer park naturalists provide interpretive programs,
explaining the origins and significance of the landscape, the diverse
wildlife habitats, their occupants and their development from the end
of the ice age to the present day.
In the Wisconsin unit of the park, visitors will
find a group campsite that accommodates 60 persons, 85 single family
campsites, seven picnic areas, and ten miles of hiking trails with
excellent views of the Dalles and its unique rock formations,
including the Old Man of the Dalles, the Devil's Chair and the Maltese
Cross. In addition to fishing, hiking, picnicking and camping, this
unit offers swimming, with lifeguards, at a park lake in summer; and
cross country skiing in winter.
Garfield Recreation Area
South of Hwy. 8, between Amery and Balsam Lake
800-222-7655
This 133-acre park in the Town of Garfield is full of large and small
game and offers hunting, cross-country skiing and mountain biking, all
in season.
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
St. Croix River, Polk County
800-222-7655
Extending on both sides of the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers for 250
miles, with boat launching facilities providing convenient access
every ten miles or so along the route, this Riverway provides
breath-taking views of bluff-lined gorges teeming with bird life and
unmatched fishing opportunities. Primitive (pack-it-in, pack-it-out)
camping is permitted along the shore. Canoeing, boating, wildlife
observation and photographic opportunities are unlimited.
Polk County Trails
800-222-7655
Polk County offers a variety of single and multi-use trails for year
'round enjoyment. The trails' many uses include hiking, cycling,
mountain biking, ATVing, horseback riding, motorcycling, snowshoeing,
snowmobiling and cross country skiing. Some are segmented into
restricted and non-restricted use sections; others are multi-use
throughout. Consult trail maps, available throughout the county, for
trail use details.
Balsam Branch Trail
Along the Balsam Branch River, adjacent to the D.D. Kennedy
Environmental Area near Amery, this trail is groomed for both classic
and skate skiing in winter.
Cattail Trail
Running 18 miles from the trail head, with parking next to the Apple
River in Amery to Almena in Barron County, this trail is popular for
hiking, cycling, horseback, ATV and motorcycle riding in Spring,
Summer and Fall, and snowmobiling and ATVing in Winter.
Clear Lake-Clayton Trail
In summer, this multi-use trail is popular for mountain biking as well
as hiking, ATVing, and motorcycling. In winter, it is ATV and
snowmobile territory.
Coon Lake Trail
This 5.3 kilometer hiking trail is groomed for both classic and
skate-style skiing in winter,
Gandy Dancer Trail
This converted rail trail runs 98 miles from St. Croix Falls to
Superior. The southern portion of the trail, from St. Croix Falls to
Danbury, is surfaced with crushed limestone. The entire route is open
to hiking and cycling in summer and ATVing and snowmobiling in winter.
In summer, all motorized vehicles are prohibited south of Danbury, but
ATVing is permitted on the section north of State Highway 77.
Ice Age Trail
Crossing from St. Croix Falls through Polk County's glacial landscape,
this hiking trail is segmented into various multi-use sections.
Consult trail maps for permitted uses along the route.
Interstate Park Trails
Twelve hiking/skiing trails travel ten miles over the unique glacial
terrain encompassed in this 890-acre park, providing four spectacular
overlooks and a warming shelter for skiers in winter.
Luck Ski Trail
East of the Luck Golf Course and Country Club, this 5.5-mile trail is
groomed for classic skiing with some straight-aways groomed for skate
skiing.
Trade River Trail
This 4- kilometer trail is groomed for both classic and skate skiing.
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Points of Interest Back to top
Hidden Falls
St. Croix and Taylors Falls
In the 19th Century, Wisconsin's St. Croix Falls and Minnesota's
Taylors Falls were named for the series of roaring rapids formed by a
forty-foot drop in water level over a six-mile stretch of the river
that flowed between them. Construction of hydroelectric dams down
river eventually flooded the valley northward to three times the old
river's width, hiding the "upper falls" that gave these
cities their names. The "lower falls' lying between the dams and
the Interstate Bridge are also largely hidden except in times of
excessive water flow as occurred in the Spring of 2001. When the
water's high, the hidden "lower falls" reappear.
Special Things To Do Back to top
Fine Arts Venues
Polk County
Polk County is home to a number of nationally recognized fine arts
organizations; groups that provide encouragement, training and
performance in music, writing, visual arts, story telling, dance and
theater, including:
St. Croix Art Barn
St. Croix
This 100-year old
dairy barn on the north side of Osceola has been renovated to provide a
200-seat theater, gallery and gift shop, this historic building is the
scene of family musicals and dramas, children's theater, community
dances, talent showcases, choral, band and chamber music concerts and
recitals, local and regional art exhibits, writers' workshops and
showcases, art camps and an annual "Art Explosion", a
hands-on family art festival. Call 715-294-ARTS for program schedules
and details.
St. Croix Festival
Theatre
St. Croix
A non-profit
professional theater company nationally recognized for producing lost
and forgotten works of outstanding playwrights, quality classical and
contemporary plays and an annual music festival in the historic
Auditorium Theatre in St. Croix Falls. Call 715-294-29917 for
information and schedules.
Northern Lakes Center for the
Arts
Amery
One of the principal reasons that Amery has been designated
one of the nation's top 100 small arts towns, the Northern Lakes Center for the
Arts provides space where
musicians practice, community theater groups perform, writers gather,
visual artists display their works and a 55-piece chamber orchestra
performs throughout the year. The group also operates one of
Wisconsin's five nationally certified schools for the arts. For more
information and schedules call 715-268-6811.
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