Troy & I decided to go camping at the last minute. We thought we would chance it and camp at one of the state parks non-reservable campsites.
There are 3 state parks fairly close together heading north on I-35.
Interstate State Park, Wild River State Park & St. Croix State Park. After we got on the road, I called each to check on campsite availability.
Interstate Park had no campsites left. This was our first choice as there are only 37 campsites in the campground.
Wild River had 2 spots left, both hike-in camping spots. (Too bad we don't have lightweight gear)
St. Croix State Park claimed to have over 25 non-reservable spots left.
When we reached St. Croix State Park we were fairly impressed by the stately entrance and the 5 mile drive before reaching the campground area.
Driving through we noted only a small hand of campsites left and none offered much privacy from the neighboring campsites. The sites were so close together that we felt like we were trying to find parking at Walmart.
Here’s the breakdown on St. Croix’s 3 Campgrounds:
Riverview Campground has 59 sites, mostly electric for RV type camping
Paint Rock Springs has 66 campsites - non-electric, communal type sites.
Old Logging Trail Campground has 90 campsites, non-electric. This would be the only area we would ever consider camping in – The sites offered some privacy between campsites, but you could still see the front/ back of your neighbors regardless.
We counted 15 kids in a pack riding their bikes down the middle of the road, and later another gang of 10-15 walking on the road towards the bathroom area. My guess is with 217 campsites, there were at least 850 people camping at St. Croix State Park.
This just wasn't our kind of camping and we opted for the comfort and privacy of our living room. Next time, we’re going to reserve our spot at one of the smaller campgrounds or try our hand at camping in one of the State Forests.
