Interstate Park, St. Croix Falls, Wis., and Taylor Falls, Minn., 50 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. The rock ledges at the Dalles are ancient lava flows, of which seven may be identified, rising like giant steps above the river. The lava, or trap, is well jointed so that there are vertical precipices and isolated crags along the .
The 1100 wooded acres broken by moss-covered cliffs of traprock and bisected by the beautiful St. Croix River is well-known for being one of the most scenic and most natural park areas to be found in the entire nation. The “Pot Holes” (pits up to 60 feet deep) carved in solid volcanic rock presumably by the fantastic force of whirlpools created during the glacial runoffs from Lake Superior through this area — are a geological phenomenon. A historical marker notes that this was the very first State Park in Wisconsin and the first Interstate Park in the nation.
Facilities on the Wisconsin side include boat launching to the lower St. Croix River, two campgrounds, modern restrooms, many picnic areas, hiking trails, plus a swimming beach and bathhouse (complete with showers and lifeguards) at the lovely Lake of the Dalles. The Minnesota side offers a large campground right at the river’s edge, more picnic sites and hiking trails, and a confectionery museum. Excursion boat landings and canoe rentals.
In the 1860s, business leaders from St. Paul suggested mining basalt from the Dalles to produce gravel, sparking a movement to preserve the area. Local residents were already troubled by increasing buildings and damage to the rock formations. A travel agent named George Hazzard emerged as a prominent advocate for establishing a park, rallying support from newspapers, several local landowners, prominent figures like W.H.C. Folsom, and eventually a state senator and representative. These legislators proposed a bill in the Minnesota Legislature to establish the State Park of the Dalles of the St. Croix, calling for cooperation with Wisconsin to protect both sides of the Dalles. The bill passed in 1895, creating Minnesota’s second state park. Although Hazzard and his supporters faced more resistance in the Wisconsin Legislature, they ultimately succeeded in 1900, leading to the establishment of Wisconsin’s first state park and the nation’s first interstate park partnership.
