COMPLETE Guide to the St. Croix Valley [2022 Where to Stay, Eat, and Play]

​** Updated : October, 2022 **
​Use the map to see a visual of all our recommendations - click the arrow next to our photo to have a pop up list! This post may also contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase a product via these links, with no extra cost to you

Getting There

The St. Croix Valley is located on the border of Minnesota & Wisconsin, about one hour northeast of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and consists of Taylor's Falls (Minnesota) and St. Croix Falls (Wisconsin) as well as the surrounding communities like Stillwater and Osceola. However, there is SO MUCH to explore in these area's that for this post we'll primarily be focusing on Taylor's Falls & St. Croix Falls, which are only separated by a bridge crossing the St. Croix River. Tyler's family actually lives near this area, so we've been many times! We highly recommend taking a day or weekend trip to the area during the fall season to see the stunning colors along the St. Croix River! (Just be prepared for lots of crowds!)

Places to Stay

Since Tyler's family lives nearby we've only ever taken day trips to this area, but we went ahead and did some research - these would be our top choices if we were to book a stay in the St. Croix Valley!

• Glamping at the Wild Mountain Winery (Taylors Falls)
• Stay in a renovated jail at the Old Jail Bed & Breakfast (Taylors Falls)
• Wannigan Point Cabins Resort (Taylors Falls)
• Big Rock Creek has many properties in the area, including glamping tents and a geodome! (St. Croix Falls)​
• Holiday Inn Express St. Croix Valley (St. Croix Falls)
• AmeriVu Inn & Suites (St. Croix Falls)

Places to Eat

There are lots of great places to eat in this area, with a mix of new places that have opened up within the last few years and some traditional spots that have always been a "must visit." Most recently, our favorites are :

• Juneberry Cafe - great grab and go meals with local ingredients (Taylors Falls)
• The Drive In Restaurant - a great local staple since 1956 (Taylors Falls)

Some other options in the area that we haven't tried yet (but always look busy) and are next on our list are :

• Schoony's Malt Shop & Pizzeria  - for a sweet tooth and pizza (Taylors Falls)
• Coffee Talk - local coffee shop (Taylors Falls)
• Romaynes - they seem to have a little bit of everything, with a great outdoor seating area! (Taylors Falls)
• Valley Sweets - ice cream shop (St. Croix Falls)
• Be Wild Burgers - a local burger joint (St. Croix Falls)

Things to Do

Contrary to what one might think, there is SO MUCH to do in this area! Perfect to explore for a day or weekend trip to! Our personal favorites have been :

• Scenic Boat Tour - this 45-80 minute ride (depending on water level) takes you down and back up the St. Croix River with a guided narration
• DIY winery tour! There are quite a few in this area, and although our favorite is the Dancing Dragonfly Winery, you can read our entire list of wineries here.
• Explore one of the many parks in the area and head out hiking! Our favorites are the William O'Brian State Park, Interstate State Park and the Glacial Potholes there, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Heritage Park also has a great overlook of the river!
• Head to the Wild Mountain Recreation Area for waterpark fun, alpines slides, go karts, skiing and snow tubing depending on the season!
• ​Go Shopping - There are quite a few unique, local, antique stores in the area. My favorites are the River Alley Shoppes and the Bead Store.
• ​Go Explore - There are a ton of small towns and cities in this area, we highly recommend checking out Franconia, Schafer, Scandia, Marine on St. Croix, or Stillwater!

Other options in the area include : 

• Go mini golfing at Adventure Falls Mini Golf (located at the Drive In Restaurant)!
• ​Rent a canoe or kayak with Taylor's Falls Canoe Rental and head down the river!
• ​Head over to Fawn-Doe-Rosa Wildlife Educational Park to get up close with animals like deer, elk, and other farm animals!
• Check out the Folsom House, a historic, 19th century home turned museum.

Fun Facts

• These two sister cities are considered the Gateway to the Upper St. Croix River Valley.
• In 1886 there was a famous log jam that backed up for 7 miles on the river!
  
• If you look closely at the cliffs along the edge of the river, you might want to test your imagination and see if you can spot the lion, elephant, cross, and old man in the rock shapes!
  

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Our friends over at That Wisconsin Couple also have a blog post dedicated to exploring the St. Croix Valley area with your dog, check it out here!

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Check out our other Minnesota blogs here!

• ​Crosby-Ironton
• Cuyuna Cove
• DIY Winery Tour
• Grand Marais​

• Gunflint Trail
• ​Taylors Falls-St. Croix Falls
• Voyageur Canoe Outfitters​

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