William O'Brien State Park
Riverside Trail

The Riverside Trail is an easy hike that starts out along the serene St. Croix River, then loops back to follow the shores of Lake Alice.

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Sections of the trail tread softly on the needles of enormous pine trees, the quiet lightly broken by the low rush of water along the short rock walls that line the river.

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As the trail leaves the river, it follows a tiny stream and the sounds change to clicking comb and plucked banjo as the frogs make themselves known.

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Further on, the trail visits Lake Alice, a home to eagles and hawks floating high on the air, and geese and ducks floating low on the water. This is a place of beauty - walk quietly and listen closely, there are wonders to be found.

Approach

From the Marine General Store (one of my favorite places to shop) in Marine, Minnesota, follow MN Hwy 95 north 1.9 miles to the entrance to William O' Brien state park on your left.

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Turn left into the park, stopping at the entrance station where you will need to pay an entrance fee.

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Proceed to the tee in the road, then turn left and proceed downhill beneath the highway bridge. Follow the road to the end, where you will find ample parking along Lake Alice.

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Coordinates for the hike: 45.2185700,-92.7588300

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Parking / Trailhead amenities

The parking lot is paved, level, and huge. There are both pit and flush toilets available. There are shelters, picnic tables, a swimming beach, a sand volleyball court, and a boat launch.

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Trail observations

The trailhead exits the parking lot at the far end from where the roadway enters. The trail cuts to the left of a shelter and heads towards the river. There is a map board at the trailhead. Initially the trail is paved, but then it turns to gravel and from there to pine needle, wood chip, dirt, and grass. The trail is wide and almost completely flat. This is a very easy and pleasant hike.

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Trail statistics

The trail is 2.07 miles long. The sum of all the uphill climbs is 98 feet.

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Trail waypoints

0.01 mi	Parking lot	Parking lot
0.12 mi	Finding trail	Looking towards the shelter where the trail starts
0.23 mi	Trailhead	Start of the Riverside Trail
0.24 mi	Map board	Trail map
0.26 mi	Go straight	Intersection - go straight
0.28 mi	To river	Stay on the trail towards the river
0.29 mi	Faucet	Water faucet
0.32 mi	Bench	Bench
0.41 mi	Bench	Bench
0.55 mi	Camp ground	Camp ground,River
0.62 mi	River view	View of the St. Croix from the trail
0.83 mi	Camp ground	Camp ground
1.11 mi	Go left	Turn left and follow trail along a small stream
1.43 mi	Go straight	Intersection - cross the paved road and follow the Hiking Trail
1.77 mi	Along road	Walking between the road and the lake for a little bit here
1.78 mi	Bench	View from a bench along the trail
1.88 mi	Shelter	Shelter at the end of the trail
2.07 mi	End of trail	End of trail