NAMEKAGON RIVER

In an area rich with natural beauty, the Namekagon River is a fluid gem that stands out, its quality and allure nationally recognized.

The 98-mile-long river is the northern tributary of the St. Croix River, a part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

The river begins at the Namekagon Lake dam northeast of Cable and flows south and west to join the St. Croix River near Danbury.

The Namekagon is one of eight rivers that form the nucleus of the National Wild and Scenic River System. The "wild river" designation signifies that the river has outstanding scenic, historical, and/or wildlife value.

As part of a protected river system, the Nam-ekagon is managed and preserved in its natural state by the National Park Service in cooperation with Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of natural resources and Northern States Power Co.

The river moves through a mosaic of environments: marshes, sandy banks, pines, birches, and mixed hardwoods.

A combination of mostly undeveloped publicly and privately owned land borders the river. The only way to see much of the river is by canoe.

The National Park Service maintains a visitor center on Hwy. 63 in Trego, and river landings and canoe access to primitive campsites. Information is available at the visitor center.