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Minnesota | Lower St. Croix
St. Croix RiverHighway 70 Landing to Sunrise Landing
Consolidated NPS Map 7 St. Croix Riverway route from Highway 70 to Sunrise Landing, with Stevens Creek retained as an intermediate public access near the short rapid sequence.
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Consolidated NPS Map 7 St. Croix Riverway route from Highway 70 to Sunrise Landing, with Stevens Creek retained as an intermediate public access near the short rapid sequence.
Access map
Put-in
St. Croix River, Highway 70 LandingMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Highway 70 as WAS00085 near river mile 89.5 and Stevens Creek as WAS02204 near river mile 84.6.
Take-out
St. Croix River, Sunrise Public Water Access SiteThe St. Croix Falls gauge is downstream of this split. Use it as the official corridor check, then make a local visual call for shallow bars, rapid shape, and wood.
Road shuttle
Stage Sunrise Landing first, then return to Highway 70. Inspect Stevens Creek if using it as a short take-out, alternate put-in, or rapid-area bailout.
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St. Croix River, Highway 70 Landing to St. Croix River, Sunrise Public Water Access Site is about 17.6 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Do not treat private banks or unsigned shoreline as bailout or camping options.
- Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Stevens Creek as WAS02204 near river mile 84.6 and Sunrise as WAS00299 near river mile 71.9.
- The St. Croix Falls gauge is downstream of the route, so local depth, wood, and landing checks matter before launch.
- Keep stops to legal Riverway sites and public landings; much of the shoreline cannot be used as an improvised exit.
More route and safety guidance
- Shallow summer water can expose sandbars and force walking. Read channels from the boat and avoid dragging into private or restricted banks.
- Use Riverway-designated sites and public landings only. Avoid fallen trees and treat rising water as a reason to reassess.
- Avoid fallen trees and outside-bend strainers; NPS explicitly warns that trees in the river can catch and overturn boats.
- Shallow summer water can expose sandbars and require walking. Check the St. Croix Falls gauge and make a local visual call before committing to the 12-plus-mile split.
- Use only public landings and designated Riverway campsites. Keep private or restricted banks out of the bailout and camping plan.
- Stevens Creek is the intermediate public access and the decision point around the mapped short rapid sequence.
- For the full route, leave a large daylight margin and use only public landings and designated Riverway campsites.
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Conditions
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Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Route shapeAbout 4.9 river miles
Minnesota public-water-access GIS places Highway 70 near river mile 89.5 and Stevens Creek near river mile 84.6 on the NPS Map 7 corridor.
- NPS Map 7 safetyShallow bars and Stevens Creek rapids
NPS Map 7 warns that shallow water can create sandbars in summer and that a short series of rapids exists around Stevens Creek Landing.
- Official DNR bands2,000 / 3,000-8,000 / 11,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets St. Croix Falls as Scrapable below 2,000 cfs, Low from 2,000 to 3,000, Medium from 3,000 to 8,000, High from 8,000 to 11,000, and Very High above 11,000.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-241,900 cfs at 2026-07-24 00:00 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Camping postureDesignated Riverway campsites only
NPS Map 7 allows camping only at designated first-come sites and lists limits for group size, stay length, fires, sanitation, trash, and food storage.
- Route shapeAbout 12.7 river miles
Minnesota public-water-access GIS places Stevens Creek near river mile 84.6 and Sunrise near river mile 71.9 on the NPS Map 7 corridor.
- NPS Map 7 corridorHighway 70 to Highway 8 section
NPS publishes Map 7 as the detailed current Riverway section map for Highway 70 Landing to Highway 8, with access, campsite, low-water, fallen-tree, and current-condition guidance.
- Official DNR bands2,000 / 3,000-8,000 / 11,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets St. Croix Falls as Scrapable below 2,000 cfs, Low from 2,000 to 3,000, Medium from 3,000 to 8,000, High from 8,000 to 11,000, and Very High above 11,000.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-241,900 cfs at 2026-07-24 00:00 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Camping postureDesignated Riverway campsites only
NPS Map 7 restricts camping to designated sites with stay, group-size, fire, sanitation, trash, and food-storage rules.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
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