Wild River State Park Backpack Sites

Wild River State Park (near Center City)

Wild River State Park stretches along the St. Croix River less than an hour north of St. Paul. Explore Minnesota says it covers 18 miles of the river’s wild and scenic section, with seven hike-in campsites and four canoe-in sites spread through the park.

Most of the hike-in sites are a mile or two from a parking lot, so this is a short overnight. The longest walk that reviewers describe, to the Buck Hill site, is about 2.4 miles.

The hike

Minnesota Seasons credits the park with more than 30 miles of hiking trails, along with about 20 miles of horse trail. The DNR’s 2025 park map names more than a dozen trails, including the River Terrace Loop (1.4 miles), a 3.2-mile Hiking Club loop, the Old Military Road, the F. Mondale River Trail, the Sunrise Trail, the Amik’s Pond and Windfall trails, the Mitigwaki Loop, and the Prairie, Goose Creek, and Highland Hills Loops. The map warns that the Goose Creek Loop isn’t maintained and may be wet, and that the Highland Hills Loops are steep and winding.

The Dyrt’s reviewers give a sense of each site. Amber N. (2019) walked 2.37 miles, mostly in shade, from the parking lot to Buck Hill, which she said has no drinking water and an unenclosed toilet nearby; she brought a water bladder. She described Deer Creek as “much closer to the car.” Sarah D. (October 2025) reached Deer Creek in about 30 minutes from the visitor center lot, about a mile, and noted “easy access to river water to boil or filter from the canoe landing.” HollyRose M. (2020) described the Spring site as about 400 meters from the river access, where she said water and a vault toilet are available year-round.

Up in the Highland Loop area, Abby K. (2022) stayed at Aspen Knob and criticized “the lack of water accessibility” there: you carry it all or make a steep hike to the visitor center to refill. If you want a longer walk, pair Buck Hill with one of the river loops for a full day on foot, and plan water around the river access points.

For a backpacking-only park west of the Twin Cities, see Lake Maria State Park.

Tips

Carry water to the upland sites. Reviewers report none at Buck Hill or Aspen Knob.
Pick your site by distance. Deer Creek and Spring are short walks; Buck Hill is the longest reviewed.
Expect mosquitoes in early summer; one reviewer called them bad in late June.
Avoid the Goose Creek Loop when wet; the DNR map says it isn’t maintained.
Bring a state park vehicle permit for the parking lot.

Camping

Camping is allowed only at designated sites, reserved through the Minnesota state parks system online or at 866-857-2757 up to 120 days ahead. DNR rules limit each site to one group of six or fewer, and check-in and checkout are at 4 p.m. The DNR’s backcountry page says backpack sites typically have a primitive toilet, tent pad, and fire ring, and DNR rules allow pets on a leash of six feet or less, though one listing site says pets aren’t allowed at these sites. Buy firewood near the park.

Inside Intel: In 2017, the Star Tribune named Wild River’s Breezy Valley site among its favorite Minnesota state park backpack sites. Among Dyrt reviewers, Sarah D. (2025) liked Deer Creek for its easy river water, and Amber N. (2019) chose the longer, mostly shaded walk to Buck Hill, which she contrasted with Deer Creek being “much closer to the car.”

Trail facts

Distance: About 4.7 miles round trip to Buck Hill; about 2 miles round trip to Deer Creek
Route type: Out-and-back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Campsites: Seven hike-in sites, including Buck Hill, Deer Creek, Spring, Aspen Knob, and Breezy Valley
Water: None at some upland sites; river access points near others; treat river water
Permits: State park reservation; vehicle permit
Dogs: Leashed pets allowed in state parks (confirm for backpack sites)
Trailheads: Visitor center and other park lots
Last verified: October 8, 2026

The Lowdown

Dinner with no tap at Buck Hill:

One camper carried a water bladder 2.4 miles to Buck Hill, where there's no drinking water, so meals that need little water make sense here. See the meals testers rate.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.