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Minnesota | Lower St. Croix
St. Croix RiverWilliam O'Brien State Park hand-carry launch to Boom Site Landing
Lower St. Croix day from William O'Brien State Park to Boom Site. The main state-park ramp is closed, so this route starts only when the provisional downstream shoreline hand-carry is open and confirmed; wind, powerboats, private banks, and shallow bars still matter.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch from William O'Brien State Park and finish at Boom Site for the next lower St. Croix segment toward Stillwater. The water is generally nontechnical, but this route needs a lower-river conditions check for wind, wake, shallow bars, and landing status.
Access map
Put-in
William O'Brien downstream shoreline hand-carry (provisional)William O'Brien's main ramp is closed. DNR allows canoes and kayaks farther down the shoreline, but the saved pin near Riverside Trail and Shelter 1 is provisional and posted signs or park staff must confirm the exact launch.
Take-out
Boom Site public water accessBoom Site is the downstream public-water-access take-out north of Stillwater and can be busy in summer.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Boom Site, then confirm the posted downstream shoreline hand-carry in William O'Brien's Walter F. Mondale Day-use Area. The main ramp is closed; do not launch from an improvised bank if the hand-carry is not clearly open.
Additional access notes
- Do not use private banks as default stops; NPS lower-river materials emphasize private land and special camping rules.
More route and safety guidance
- NPS lower-river materials call out powerboats, special camping rules, shallow bars near Arcola, and private shoreline between public landings.
- Do not plan upstream boat travel past the Soo Line High Bridge from downstream water because NPS restricts upstream movement there for zebra-mussel control.
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Conditions
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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.
- Public access recordsWilliam O'Brien SPK WAS00278 / Boomsite WAS02194
Minnesota public-water-access GIS places William O'Brien State Park Landing at river mile 37.0 and Boomsite at river mile 25.6, supporting an 11.4-mile public-access segment.
- Official DNR bands2,000 / 3,000-8,000 / 11,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the St. Croix Falls gauge as scrapable below 2,000 cfs, medium from 3,000 to 8,000 cfs, and very high above 11,000 cfs.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-231,890 cfs at 2026-07-23 20:00 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.
- Lower-river characterNo rapids, shallow bars, powerboats common
NPS lower St. Croix materials place William O'Brien and Boom Site on the same paddling-guide corridor and warn about shallow areas, powerboats, private land, and special camping rules.
- Put-in statusMain ramp closed; provisional shoreline hand-carry
Minnesota DNR's current construction page closes the main ramp while allowing canoes and kayaks farther down the shoreline. The provisional launch coordinate is map-derived and must be confirmed from posted signs or park staff.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NPS lower St. Croix paddling guide PDF
- NPS Saint Croix boating rules
- MN DNR February 17, 2026 William O'Brien access update
- MN DNR Lake Alice construction and current access status
- MN DNR William O'Brien State Park
- MN DNR river levels
- MN DNR river-level site data
- Minnesota public water access feature service
- USGS 05340500 monitoring location
Other routes nearby
More on St. Croix River
All 11Nearby routes within 75 miles
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