William O'Brien State Park

William O'Brien State Park
Minnesota State Park
The St. Croix River at William O'Brien State Park
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Washington

Location	Marine on St. Croix
- elevation	801 ft (244 m) ^[1]
- coordinates	45°13′9″N 92°45′57″W / 45.21917°N 92.76583°W / 45.21917; -92.76583Coordinates: 45°13′9″N 92°45′57″W / 45.21917°N 92.76583°W / 45.21917; -92.76583

Area	1,520 acres (615 ha)

Founded	1947
Management	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Location of William O'Brien State Park in Minnesota

William O'Brien State Park is a 1,520-acre (6.2 km²) state park of Minnesota, USA, along the St. Croix River. Its hiking trails traverse rolling glacial moraine, riparian zones, restored oak savanna, wooded areas and bogs. It is a popular place for birdwatching, picnics, camping, cross-country skiing, canoeing, fishing, and other typical outdoor recreational activities.

The park is located approximately two miles north of the town of Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota.

History

The St. Croix river valley was inhabited by Dakota and Ojibwa. European trappers commercialized the fur-trade in the 17th century. Extensive logging took place in the mid-19th century; white pines were the target and most other tree species were ignored. Once the white pine was gone the lumber companies were happy to sell, and a lumber baron named William O'Brien bought up much of the land for his personal estate. In 1945, 20 years after William O'Brien's death, his daughter Alice offered 180 acres (0.73 km²) along the riverfront to the state. The donation was eagerly accepted, as Minnesota did not yet have a state park near the Twin Cities, and the park was ratified by the legislature two years later. The proximity to the metro area was a mixed blessing. Land was added to the park at every opportunity, to reduce crowding and to prevent housing developments from being built right up to the boundary. In 1958‚ S. David Greenberg donated Greenberg Island in memory of his parents. Accessible only by canoe‚ the island has become a haven for wildlife and wildflowers. The park was expanded into the bluffs west of Highway 95 and a second campground added. A large tract was added in 1973, leapfrogging a rail line, and another 120 acres (0.49 km²) came in 1986. William O'Brien remains one of the top five most-visited state parks in Minnesota.

Recreation

Boating:
- A concessionaire based inside the park rents canoes hourly and daily, and provides shuttle service back from take-out points.
- Public boat ramp. This section of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway is officially a "slow-speed" zone. Jetskis are not permitted.
Camping:
- 2 group camps along the river provide tent camping opportunities for 35-50 people each.
- Drive-in camping is available for both tents and RVs. There are two main camping areas, one near the river and one on top of the bluffs.
- Several sites on top of the bluff are accessible via a short (max. 100 yards) walk from a parking area.
- Small, rustic camper cabins in the campground on top of the bluff offer slightly more comfortable camping. Usually feature bunk beds and a screen-porch. They do not have running water or indoor bathrooms, though they are located within walking distance of campground bathrooms.
Fishing: Northern pike, walleye, bass, and trout can be caught from the St. Croix riverbank. There is a fishing pier near the outlet of Lake Alice.
Swimming: Sandy beach on Lake Alice. No swimming in river because of currents.
Trails: There are 12 miles (19 km) of hiking/cross-country skiing trails in the park, including trails that range from easy to difficult.

External links

William O'Brien State Park

References

↑ "William O'Brien State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1980-01-11. Retrieved 2011-02-25.

Arthur, Anne. Minnesota's State Parks. Adventure Publications, Inc.: Cambridge, MN, 1998.
Bewer, Tim. Moon Handbooks: Minnesota. Avalon Travel Publishing: Emeryville, CA, 2004.
Meyer, Roy W. Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks. Minnesota Historical Society Press: St. Paul, 1991.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2006. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site (online).

Protected areas of Minnesota

National

Parks	Voyageurs

Monuments	Grand Portage Pipestone

Rivers	Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

Scenic Trails	North Country Trail

Wildlife Refuges	Agassiz Big Stone Crane Meadows Glacial Ridge Hamden Slough Mille Lacs Minnesota Valley Northern Tallgrass Prairie Rice Lake Rydell Sherburne Tamarac Upper Mississippi River

Wetland Management Districts	Big Stone Detroit Lakes Fergus Falls Litchfield Minnesota Valley Morris Windom

Forests	Chippewa Superior

Natural Landmarks	Ancient River Warren Channel Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Itasca Natural Area Keeley Creek Natural Area Lac la Croix Research Natural Area Lake Agassiz Peatlands Natural Area Pine Point Research Natural Area Upper Red Lake Peatland

Wilderness	Agassiz Boundary Waters Canoe Area Tamarac

State

Parks	Afton Banning Bear Head Lake Beaver Creek Valley Big Stone Lake Blue Mounds Buffalo River Camden Carley Cascade River Charles A. Lindbergh Crow Wing Father Hennepin Flandrau Forestville Mystery Cave Fort Ridgely Fort Snelling Franz Jevne Frontenac George H. Crosby Manitou Glacial Lakes Glendalough Gooseberry Falls Grand Portage Great River Bluffs Hayes Lake Hill-Annex Mine Interstate Itasca Jay Cooke John A. Latsch Judge C. R. Magney Kilen Woods Lac qui Parle Lake Bemidji Lake Bronson Lake Carlos Lake Louise Lake Maria Lake Shetek Lake Vermilion Maplewood McCarthy Beach Mille Lacs Kathio Minneopa Monson Lake Moose Lake Myre-Big Island Nerstrand-Big Woods Old Mill Rice Lake Saint Croix Sakatah Lake Savanna Portage Scenic Schoolcraft Sibley Soudan Underground Mine Split Rock Creek Split Rock Lighthouse Temperance River Tettegouche Upper Sioux Agency Whitewater Wild River William O'Brien Zippel Bay

Recreation Areas	Big Bog Cuyuna Country Garden Island Greenleaf Lake Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle La Salle Lake Minnesota Valley Red River Saint Croix Islands

Waysides	Caribou Falls Devils Track Falls Flood Bay Inspiration Peak Joseph R. Brown Kodonce River Ray Berglund St. Croix Boom Site Sam Brown Memorial

Forests	Badoura Battleground Bear Island Beltrami Island Big Fork Birch Lakes Blackduck Bowstring Buena Vista Burntside Chengwatana Cloquet Valley Crow Wing D.A.R. Emily Finland Fond du Lac Foot Hills General C. C. Andrews George Washington Golden Anniversary Grand Portage Hill River Huntersville Insula Lake Jeanette Kabetogama Koochiching Lake Isabella Lake of the Woods Land O'Lakes Lost River Lyons Mississippi Headwaters Nemadji Northwest Angle Pat Bayle Remer Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Rum River Saint Croix Sand Dunes Savanna Smokey Bear Smoky Hills Snake River Solana Sturgeon River Two Inlets Waukenabo Wealthwood Welsh Lake White Earth Whiteface River

Scientific and Natural Areas	List of scientific and natural areas

Local

Parks	County and regional parks Three Rivers Park District

Other

Minnesota Historical Society	Alexander Ramsey House Birch Coulee Battlefield Charles A. Lindbergh House Comstock House Folsom House Forest History Center Forestville Fort Renville Fort Ridgely Fort Snelling Grand Mound Harkin's General Store James J. Hill House Jeffers Petroglyphs Lac qui Parle Mission Lower Sioux Agency Marine Mill Mill City Museum Mille Lacs Indian Museum Minnehaha Depot Minnesota History Center Minnesota State Capitol Morrison Mounds North West Company Post Oliver H. Kelley Homestead Sibley House Historic Site Split Rock Lighthouse Stumne Mounds Traverse des Sioux Upper Sioux Agency W. W. Mayo House

Nature centers	List of nature centers

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

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