View the natural beauty of the St. Croix river valley winding down trails then end up downtown Stillwater for more food and fun. Did you know you can bike from downtown Stillwater to downtown St. Paul or downtown Stillwater to Wisconsin? That’s right bike from the Birthplace to the Capital of Minnesota! Stillwater was also recently named a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. The award recognizes Stillwater for its commitment to creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit its residents of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.
Explore the beautiful valley on city, county, and state trails for hiking, biking, or in-line skating. Bring your bike or rent cruisers from self-rental station downtown or e-bikes from several shops. We’ve also got a bike retail & repair shop: Chilkoot Cyclery!
We have miles of trails with amenities like restrooms, restaurants, breweries, wineries, shopping, and lodging all right downtown by the trail head of the Brown’s Creek/Gateway Trail.
As part of the new St. Croix Crossing bridge and historic lift bridge renovation project, a 5-mile loop trail connects the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the St. Croix River. As of now, you can enjoy three quarters of this trail from downtown Stillwater south to the new bridge connecting to Wisconsin. Find amazing views and river valley information at three lookout points. The view from the St. Croix Crossing bridge was named Best View 2018 by CityPages viewers. The St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail was completed in 2020 with the final section which includes the historic lift bridge.
Order a Stillwater Bike Trails Map (part of the Stillwater Visitor Guide) – Click here to order via mail or pick up at downtown businesses.
For more information on nearby trails in Wisconsin visit: www.StCroixTrails.com
For complete Minnesota/Twin Cities biking information for longer trips visit Explore Minnesota/PedalMN, order a Twin Cities Bike Map, or check out the largest Twin Cities recreational bicycling club www.biketcbc.org or local St. Croix Valley Cycling Club Ride Maps. Map my Ride also has many road cycling routes that run through Stillwater. Minnesota is ranked as the #2 bicycle-friendly state in the country by the League of American Bicyclists.
The Minnesota IRONMAN bike ride in April features the Scenic St Croix River Valley covering Washington County and the communities of Scandia, Stillwater, Afton, Lake Elmo, Marine on the St Croix and Oak Park Heights. Several routes have been established for riders in all types of levels and distances.
The state-wide pro North Star Bicycle Festival annual criterium Grand Prix who’s bike race route includes the famous Chilkoot Hill known as one of the hardest climbs in America. Award ceremony takes place in June in downtown Stillwater. Join the fun and cheer on the riders as they reach the end of the their grueling race.
Annual running events such as road races, half marathon, 10K, 5K events also take place each year in scenic Stillwater. For a complete listing, visit Run Stillwater or our events calendar. Look for the new St. Croix Crossing half marathon over the new bridge this year on the loop trail!
