Things to do in Taylors Falls

Taylors Falls is a small river town on the St. Croix, and most of what people come for sits within a short walk of the Highway 8 and Highway 95 intersection: the glacial potholes at Interstate State Park, 80-minute narrated boat tours through the Dalles of the St. Croix, canoe and kayak trips downriver, and the historic Folsom House. Wild Mountain, a ski area in winter and a water park in summer, is just outside town, and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, is across the bridge. As of November 2026, the boat tours, canoe rental and park campground are all closed for the season.

This guide is for anyone planning a day trip or weekend in Taylors Falls. It covers what each attraction offers, what is open right now, the 2027 boat fares that have already been posted, parking, and what is across the river in Wisconsin.

Hours, closures and prices were read from each attraction's own website or the managing agency on November 11, 2026. The park itself has its own detailed guide, so this page only summarizes it.

Taylors Falls attractions at a glance

Interstate State Park and the glacial potholes

The reason most people come to Taylors Falls is Minnesota's Interstate State Park, at the edge of downtown. The DNR map counts more than 400 glacial potholes, plus the cliffs of the Dalles of the St. Croix. The park is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and needs a state park vehicle permit, $7 for a day or $35 for a year, per the DNR permit page.

Two things to know for a late-fall visit, from the DNR's park page as of November 2026:

• The campground is closed for the season and the water is turned off, so bring your own. The visitor center is listed as closed until spring 2027.
• The park posts short-notice entrance and trail closures as alerts. Check the alerts on the DNR park page the day before you go.

Trails, the pothole area, climbing rules and camping are all covered in our Interstate State Park guide.

On the river: boat tours and canoe trips

Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours

The boat company says it has run narrated tours on the St. Croix since 1906, and calls 2026 its 120th year. The daily tour lasts 80 minutes and runs 7 days a week from May to late October. Its site describes the route as a narrated tour of the Upper Dalles, passing the glacial potholes and the rock formations it calls Lion's Head, Turk's Head and the Old Man of the Dalles. The two boats, the Taylors Falls Queen and the Taylors Falls Princess, are enclosed on the lower level with an open upper deck. Sundown cruises and a 21-and-over Twilight Music and Wine Tasting Cruise run on select evenings.

As of November 2026 the company is closed for the season and says it will reopen the first weekend in May. It has already posted its daily tour fares for the 2027 season (the prices below are 2027 prices, not 2026):

A booking fee is added to every fare. Groups of 20 or more get lower rates. The company's FAQ says leashed dogs are allowed on the daily, sundown and twilight cruises, and that the onboard snack bar takes cash and credit cards.

Parking: the lot near the boat company is paid, by credit card only, at $2 an hour for the first three hours and $4 an hour after that, per its parking page. If that lot is full, the company suggests parking in town and walking under the bridge, or parking at Minnesota Interstate State Park with a $7 permit. The ticket stand is at the intersection of Highway 8 and Highway 95.

Canoe and kayak rental

Taylors Falls Canoe and Kayak Rental, which says it has been family owned since 1910, works from a base inside Minnesota Interstate State Park. In a normal year it is open 7 days a week from the first Saturday in May through the second Sunday in October. Its two main trips:

• St. Croix River trip to Osceola Landing: paddle downriver, then ride a shuttle back to your car in Taylors Falls. From $42.99, about 2 to 3 hours.
• William O'Brien Express: park at William O'Brien State Park, ride the shuttle up to Interstate State Park, and paddle back to your car. From $71.99, about 5 to 7 hours, listed for advanced paddlers.

As of November 2026, the rental's website says it is "CLOSED FOR 2026 SEASON" and "will be open during 2027 Osceola Bridge Construction." Check its site in spring for the 2027 start date and shuttle schedule. For the downstream park, see the William O'Brien State Park guide.

History in town: the Folsom House

The Folsom House, at 272 W. Government St., is the Folsom family's home, which MNHS says is restored to its 19th-century appearance, and is listed by the Minnesota Historical Society among its historic sites. MNHS says the site is managed by the Taylors Falls Historical Society, that admission is free (donations appreciated), and that visits are by guided tour. A free parking lot is on site. MNHS does not show regular hours on its page as of November 2026, so call 651-465-3125 or email folsomhouse@mnhs.org before you go.

Wild Mountain: skiing in winter, water rides in summer

Wild Mountain is a ski and snowboard area at 37200 Wild Mtn Rd in Taylors Falls. As of November 11, 2026, its hours page says "Reopening November 2026" without a specific date. When it is open, all lifts and ropes start at 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays. Snow tubing has its own hours and prices on the site. Winter season passes are listed from $199.

In summer, Wild Mountain runs the Wild Adventure Island water park, the four Avalanche Alley waterslides and the Arctic Rush alpine slides.

Across the bridge: St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin

Highway 8 crosses the St. Croix River from Taylors Falls into St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Two stops there pair well with a Taylors Falls visit:

• Interstate Park (Wisconsin): the Wisconsin DNR calls it Wisconsin's oldest state park, established in 1900. It is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. year-round and needs a Wisconsin vehicle admission sticker, which is separate from the Minnesota permit. Its Ice Age Interpretive Center has a film, photographs and murals about Wisconsin's glacial history.
• St. Croix River Visitor Center: run by the National Park Service for the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, at 401 N. Hamilton St. It is open mid-April through the end of October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, so it is closed as of November 2026. When it is closed, the Riverway's National Parks passport stamp is available at the Polk County Information Center at Highways 8 and 35 in St. Croix Falls.

Before you go

1. Check what is open. In winter, the boat tours, canoe rental, campground, park visitor center and NPS visitor center are closed. Interstate State Park's day-use area and Wisconsin's Interstate Park stay open year-round.
2. Check the DNR park alerts for Interstate State Park the day before you go, since entrance and trail closures are posted there.
3. Buy the right permit. Minnesota's park needs a Minnesota vehicle permit ($7 day or $35 year-round); Wisconsin's park needs a Wisconsin sticker.
4. Bring water if you visit before spring; the Minnesota park's water is off.
5. Book boat tickets the day before to get the lower advance fare once 2027 tours open.
6. Call ahead for the Folsom House, since its hours are not posted.

Getting there from the Twin Cities: the DNR's directions are I-35 north to the Taylors Falls exit (Highway 8 east), then about 22 miles. Browse more Twin Cities and St. Croix Valley guides or other things to do in Minnesota.

Related guides: Interstate State Park · Wild River State Park · Things to do in Stillwater · Stillwater restaurants

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Sources

• Minnesota DNR, Interstate State Park (alerts, seasonal update, directions, hours): https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/park.html?id=spk00178
• Minnesota DNR, Vehicle permits: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/permit.html
• Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours, home page: https://www.taylorsfallsboat.com/
• Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours, Daily excursion: https://www.taylorsfallsboat.com/boat-tours/daily-excursion/
• Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours, About us: https://www.taylorsfallsboat.com/about/
• Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours, FAQs: https://www.taylorsfallsboat.com/faqs/
• Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours, Parking: https://www.taylorsfallsboat.com/parking/
• Taylors Falls Canoe and Kayak Rental, Canoe and kayak: https://www.taylorsfallscanoe.com/canoe-and-kayak
• Minnesota Historical Society, Folsom House: https://www.mnhs.org/folsomhouse
• Wild Mountain, home page: https://www.wildmountain.com/
• Wild Mountain, Hours of operation: https://www.wildmountain.com/wild-mountain/mountain-info/hours-of-operation
• Wild Mountain, Summer attractions: https://www.wildmountain.com/summer/attractions
• Wisconsin DNR, Interstate State Park: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/interstate
• National Park Service, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Operating hours and seasons: https://www.nps.gov/sacn/planyourvisit/hours.htm