william o'brien state park

The trails are beautifully groomed and range from beginner to difficult 12 miles of cross country and skate skiing. The rolling terrain drifts from prairie to woods to frozen waters. Wildlife in the form of raptors, mink, white-tail deer and fox in the winter. Snowshoers can tackle the riverside trails.The park is beautifully maintained.

this is a very popular park in the summer. so we decided to try it in the winter when it's not so busy. there were groomed cross country ski trails and a couple hiking trails. we chose to hike the trail that goes down along the river. it's a nice loop, easy hiking, and not very long. so we branched off when we got to the lake and went up along the ridge that overlooks the picnic area. was a little bit trickier with an ascent in the snow, but worth it for the exercise factor. summer has nice campgrounds, hiking, and biking trails, canoeing, etc. so lots to see and do. very handy to the twin cities area.

Wm. Obrien is a great place. We like to go here to camp, hike, swim, and visit the visitors center. It is a very nice state park.

We stayed in sites 2e and 4e in the lower, riverside campground. We stayed 5 nights. The sites were very large and next to each other. We had our travel trailer in one and our sons set up two tents in the other. A large screened tent was set up in between to protect us from the rain as we ate. The bathrooms were always clean. Good showers with plenty of hot water but the shower building was COLD! After all, it was mid October and windy with rain, That didn't stop us from having a wonderful time with our grown sons, making memories.Sons went kayaking on the St. Croix River, which was full and fast due to a lot of rain. My hubby and I chickened out about the kayaking! Instead we went on a few hikes. The hiking trails along the river were wide and the trees were in their glory.We most definitely will return to this beautiful state park.

William O’Brien State Park is located on Highway 95, about two miles north of downtown Marine on St Croix, Minnesota. It is also about 30 miles north of St. Paul, Minnesota. The entrance to the park is about 50 feet west of Highway 95 so you can’t miss the entrance if you just keep your eyes open for the signs. The park and its campsite are close to Twin Cities so is an easy drive if you want to get away for the weekend. The Visitor Center is about a block from the Park Entrance. It is kind of a lame Visitor Center as there is no front desk so you cannot ask anyone a question (there was a Park Ranger in a small office in the back). The Visitor Center has restrooms and a small nature area with stuffed animals (I thought it was a kid’s display). They have over 16 miles of hiking trails but do not really have any biking trails. To bike you have to get on the bike path that cuts through the park but is really on the side of the road that leads to the park (Highway 95).I went on a Sunday afternoon in early October and generally enjoyed the park. I went on two different hikes of about three miles each and also went on a three mile bike ride. I first stopped at the park entrance and picked up a park map and talked to the DNR officer who showed me the best places to bike and hike. My first hike was the best and I started near the Visitor Center and then walked a half mile downhill to the circular trail next to the river and Lake Alice. I really enjoyed walking next to the river as the views are fantastic. The second hike was about 3 miles and generally went in a circle behind the Visitor Center. The bike ride was along Highway 95 and I went north about a half mile to Crabtree’s Restaurant and then went a mile south to downtown of Marine on St Croix (there is not really any bike trails inside the park)..Overall I enjoyed my visit but thought this park was just OK (nothing special). The best part of the park is down by the river so if you are camping try and get a campsite down there (plus you will be very close to the swimming beach). They also have basic rustic cabins with no plumbing (some have electricity and some do not). The cabins are up near the Visitor Center and not next to the river.

The State Park itself is beautiful, good camp sites and nice bathrooms for a State Park. Nice trails for hiking, a small lake and the river is right there also. Lots of raccoons at night, be sure to put ALL of your food away. Much cheaper firewood available just outside of the state park (be sure to get a receipt that it's approved firewood). The DNR officers are sticklers for rules and walk around with their clip boards - very sad. I will likely not go back due to this. A neighbor got yelled at at 7:30am (and woke the surrounding campers up) for momentarily having his lab off a leash. By the time the DNR officer got there to yell at him, the dog was already on a leash but he still got yelled at. Another neighbor got in trouble for having an extra car parked at their site. Just sad especially at the end of the season that they need to be like that over minor issues. On our last day there I actually saw the "camp host" checking out the vacant sites and he took the firewood that the previous campers paid for. Also sad.

My wife and I reserved a camping spot here for 4 days, knowing it was on the St. Croix, a beautiful,clear, waterway dividing MN and WI. However, this time (our first time to camp here), the river was brown, flooded, and the current 6X faster than normal! The campground was nice, although spots very close together. The shower house was kept clean. Nice, short trails. Close to InterstateState Park--an awesome place on the St. Croix to hike, also; and Stillwater, MN.

William O'Brien is the perfect size state park for a family to explore without feeling overwhelmed! We did a Geo caching program which was a ton of fun! The kids loved finding treasures in the park, equipment was provided. The beach is nice, there is a fishing pier and picnic areas. The camping areas are clean and inviting. We've camped and done day trips to this park and always have a nice time.

I and my family spent a about 2 and half hours at the park last Sunday. The park was lush green with the fresh rains on Saturday and was the weather was pleasant. There are two trails that can be done at the park, we chose to do the smaller trail (paved)of about 1.6 miles along the St Croix Park and around Lake Alice as my mom was along with us.There are lots of benches along the trail to rest in between and the trail is shaded and cool.The beach on Lake Alice is well maintained and has lots of picnic tables.We really had a good and refreshing afternoon at the Park.

On June 8, 2014, my wife and I went to William O'Brien State Park for a hike on one of their trails. We had been past this park many times, but had never stopped to visit the park.One should be aware this is a state park and as such is subject to an entrance fee of $5.00 for the day or a $25.00 all access pass for all the state parks in Minnesota. We have the all-access pass which runs a year from the month of purchase for 12 months, as we often visit state parks when traveling through the State of Minnesota.The park offers rentals of canoes and kayaks for a fee (did not investigate the fee). The park on this visit was somewhat over run with water at the river level is currently over it normal height and as such was causing some minor issues.The walking trails we took was not paved and was on the river side of the park. The trails are sectioned off based on location within the park. Maps may be available at the entrance, but were not available at the information station further into the park. The main restrooms are clean and ready available.Great location for family gathering, but suggest you bring your own drinking or eating items as they are not readily available within the park.Overall it is a very nice facility for a state park and suggest you stop by if in the area and want to walk, fish, picnic, or just spend a quiet day somewhere.

Has numerous scenic cross country trails. Well groomed for skate skiers. Traditional ski tracks rarely groomed and at best maybe a after thought. Traditional ski tracks formed by what appears to be skiers only. Great facilities, parking, friendly staff.

I came out here for the first time this summer to do some hiking. I parked at the nature center and looked around there before I began my hike. The walk I went on was about 6 miles thru the park. Of all the state parks I hiked this summer this park had the most wildlife that I saw. The amount of different birds I saw was amazing. My hightlight being when a family of sand hill cranes walked across the path right in front of me. I had never seen them walking around like that, they reminded me of brown tall flamingos. I saw a few beaver as well as deer. The bumblebees were in full flight as the wildflowers were all blooming in magnificent shades of purple and pink. There were some nice views of the area at some high points in the park. You sould see the St. Croix river valley rolling out in front of you. Well worth the trip and well worth returning for some more hiking adventures.

Less than 30 miles from Saint Paul is one of the two great State Parks in the region (Afton being the other). On a lovely late October afternoon my wife and I enjoyed a hike both along the river and up in the hills. The prettiest part of the park is along the river, and in the summer this is fairly crowded. The pine trees, rocky shore and the river make for great scenary. Lots of space for picnicing and a large campground.Up in the hills are many more miles of hiking and a second campground, complete with rustic camper cabins. Nothing fancy at William O'Brien, and very little change over the many decades I have been visiting here: it is about hiking, skiing, camping, picnicing and swimming.

This state park is close enough to the Twin Cities metro area that the campground reservations fill up within days of opening up. It has scenic nature landscapes that will appeal to those who like to walk in or photograph nature at its near pristine state. There are supposedly 11 species of snakes crawling in the park, but I also one snake in an entire day. For day trippers, bring your own trash bag because while there is an abundance of charcoal grills, there is a shortage of trash cans. Don't know why.

This is a very nice park for camping. We stayed at the Savanna campground which is not so crowded and mostly shaded. Not a lot of bugs or mosquitoes which is a relief. The restroom is clean and they have hot shower. We rented a canoe and had fun. Nice picnic area and hiking trails.