The Chisago Lakes area is a group of six small towns along US Highway 8 in Chisago County, Minnesota, about 45 to 50 minutes northeast of the Twin Cities: Chisago City, Lindström, Center City, Shafer, Taylors Falls, and Almelund.
The four things worth building a visit around:
-
- The water. The Chisago Lakes Water Trail connects a chain of ten lakes across roughly ten miles of paddling, more than 5,000 acres of water, and over 100 miles of shoreline.
-
- The St. Croix River. Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls has the glacial potholes and the river gorge. Wild River State Park runs along 18 miles of riverfront. Together the two hold more than 30 miles of trails.
-
- Swedish heritage. Center City, founded in 1851, was the first permanent Swedish settlement in Minnesota, and the area is the setting for Vilhelm Moberg’s emigrant novels.
-
- Franconia Sculpture Park. Free, open daily 8:00 am to 8:00 pm year round, in Shafer.
The name comes from the Ojibwe Ki-chi-saga, meaning fair and lovely waters. Before Swedish settlers arrived in the 1850s, Dakota and Ojibwe people traveled these connected lakes by canoe.
Getting Oriented
Everything here sits on or near a single road. Highway 8 runs east from I-35 at Forest Lake, through Chisago City and Lindström, into Center City, then Shafer, and finally drops three miles down into the St. Croix River valley at Taylors Falls. Almelund is north of Shafer.
End to end, the whole corridor is about twenty minutes of driving. That is the useful thing to understand: you are not choosing between towns, you are choosing an order.
| Town | Known for | From Center City |
|---|---|---|
| Chisago City | Ojiketa Regional Park, Paradise Park beach, Winehaven Winery | 8 min west |
| Lindström | Swedish heritage, coffee pot water tower, Allemansrätt Park | 3 min west |
| Center City | Chain of lakes, historic district, county seat | Center |
| Shafer | Franconia Sculpture Park, Pleasant Valley Orchard | 8 min east |
| Taylors Falls | Interstate State Park, St. Croix gorge, Wild Mountain | 12 min east |
| Almelund | Threshing Show, Apple Festival, rural quiet | 10 min north |
On the Water
The Chisago Lakes Water Trail
The paddling here is the area’s most underused asset. Ten connected lakes, roughly ten miles of trail, over 5,000 acres of water, and more than 100 miles of shoreline, linked by small channels and a few short portages.
There are two trailheads. The east trailhead is at Ki-Chi-Saga Park on South Center Lake. The west trailhead is at the Green Lake DNR boat landing. You can also put in at DNR ramps and city and county parks throughout the chain.
Because the lakes are connected, you can build a route to whatever length you want and turn around when you feel like it. Loons and bald eagles are common. Green Lake is the largest at 1,714 acres. Chisago Lake covers 873 acres with a maximum depth of 32 feet.
Best for: kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards. Beginners are fine here; this is protected inland water, not a river.
Pontoon and boat rentals
If paddling is not the plan, the chain is well suited to a pontoon. The connected lakes make for a genuine loop rather than laps around one basin, and there are shallow spots to anchor and swim.
Half-day rentals suit most first-timers better than full-day ones. Reserve summer weekends well ahead; boats book out before lodging does.
Full guide: [First-time pontoon renter’s guide →]
Swimming beaches
Paradise Park, Chisago City has a beach on Chisago Lake plus a playground. Several other public beaches around the chain offer sand, fishing piers, pavilions, grills, and volleyball, with paved accessible paths and parking. Most also provide winter access for ice fishing.
Fishing
Bass, northern pike, panfish, and walleye across the chain. Ice fishing is a genuine season here rather than an afterthought, and public accesses stay open through the winter.
The St. Croix River and the State Parks
The St. Croix was designated a National Wild and Scenic Riverway by Congress in 1968, and the stretch at Taylors Falls is the most dramatic landscape within an hour of Minneapolis.
Interstate State Park, Taylors Falls
298 acres along the St. Croix, and the single best-known attraction in the area.
The draw is the glacial potholes, which are deep cylindrical shafts drilled straight down into basalt by meltwater at the end of the last ice age. Some are dozens of feet deep. Kids climb the boulders, adults look at the river gorge through the Dalles, and everyone takes the same photograph.
Beyond the potholes: hiking, rock climbing on the cliffs above the river, camping, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. A Minnesota state park vehicle permit is required.
Plan on ninety minutes to two hours. Wear shoes with grip; the rock is uneven and gets slick.
Wild River State Park
Eighteen miles of St. Croix riverfront, and the quieter of the two parks.
Paved accessible trails make this the better choice for strollers, wheelchairs, and small children. The visitor center deck has a wide view over the river valley, and the birding is excellent. Between Wild River and Interstate, the two parks hold over 30 miles of trails.
Which one to pick: Interstate for drama and geology, Wild River for quiet and easy walking. If you only have time for one and it is your first visit, go to Interstate.
Scenic boat tours
Paddleboat tours run the St. Croix out of Taylors Falls in season, with concessions and an onboard restroom. It is the lowest-effort way to see the river gorge and the best option for a group with mixed mobility.
Paddling the river
Canoe and kayak routes run between Taylors Falls and Osceola, with beaches and islands along the way. This is river paddling rather than lake paddling, so plan the shuttle before you launch.
Parks and Trails
Allemansrätt Wilderness Park, Lindström. Over 90 acres of woodland and wetland managed as a Swedish Heritage and Wilderness Park, with several miles of lakeside trails, a private lake, good fishing, and the historic Ted Norelius lake home. A local favorite and less visited than the state parks. The name comes from the Nordic legal principle of the right to roam.
Ki-Chi-Saga Park. County park overlooking South Center Lake, and the east trailhead for the water trail. Home to the historic Karl Oskar House, plus athletic fields, playground, picnic pavilions, and hiking paths.
Ojiketa Regional Park, Chisago City. On the east shore of Green Lake, with trails and lake access.
Moberg Park, Lindström. Home to the statue of Vilhelm Moberg and the site of the area’s annual festivals, with a pavilion, restrooms, and open space.
Swedish Immigrant Regional Trail. Eleven miles of paved multi-use trail running roughly parallel to the route early Swedish immigrants used to reach their farms. The west segment starts near the Chisago Lakes Area Library in Chisago City and runs east to Center City. The east segment runs from Shafer to Taylors Falls. The long-term plan is to connect all six communities plus Wyoming.
Best for: biking, running, and walking without a car. This is the most useful trail in the area for anyone staying overnight.
Art, Heritage, and Small Museums
Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer
Free, open daily 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, 365 days a year, at the intersection of Highway 8 and Highway 95.
Over a hundred large-scale contemporary sculptures spread across open fields, with the collection rotating as new work is installed. Leashed dogs are welcome. A parking fee applies on weekends during peak season, roughly June through October.
Franconia Commons, the visitor center and gift shop, keeps a shorter season and is generally closed from mid-November to mid-April. The park itself stays open regardless, and a snow-covered sculpture field is genuinely worth seeing.
Allow an hour, more in good weather. This is the best free attraction in the area by a wide margin.
Swedish heritage
Lindström is the center of it. The water tower shaped like a Swedish coffee pot is the photograph, and the Karl Oskar and Kristina statues downtown reference Vilhelm Moberg’s emigrant novels, which are set in this exact stretch of Chisago County and are among the most widely read books in Swedish literary history.
Center City was founded in 1851 and is recognized as the first permanent Swedish settlement in Minnesota. The historic district and the oldest Swedish pioneer cemetery in the state are both here.
Gammelgården Museum, Scandia is an open-air museum of Swedish immigrant life with six preserved buildings, including an immigrant house from 1855 and the oldest Lutheran church building in Minnesota, from 1856. It runs May 1 through December 23, with the historic buildings open for tours May through October, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, admission around $10. Note that Scandia is in Washington County, about twenty minutes south of Center City.
Gustaf Anderson House and Museum and the Chisago County Historical Society cover the local record in more depth.
The quilt square trail
Large painted quilt squares mounted on buildings along the Highway 8 corridor from Chisago City to Taylors Falls. A low-key thing to notice on a drive rather than a destination, but it is genuinely charming once you start looking.
Farms, Orchards, and Drinks
Pleasant Valley Orchard, Shafer. A 71-acre farm with pick-your-own strawberries starting in mid-June and apples in late summer and fall. Goats, chickens, and a farm cat. One of the better family stops in the area.
Winehaven Winery, Chisago City. Local winery and tasting room.
Farmers markets run seasonally in several of the towns.
Wild Mountain, Taylors Falls
The area’s one large commercial attraction, and it runs two completely different operations depending on the season.
Summer: water park with waterslides and a lazy river, the Arctic Rush alpine slide, and go-karts.
Winter: downhill skiing, snowboarding, and tubing.
Best for: families with kids old enough for slides, and groups who want one high-energy day in an otherwise quiet weekend.
Season by Season
Summer
Boating, paddling, swimming, and long evenings. Sunset lands past 9:00 in late June. Strawberry picking starts mid-June. This is the busiest season and the one to book earliest for.
Do: a half-day pontoon, a beach afternoon, Wild Mountain water park, Franconia at golden hour.
Fall
The best-value season and arguably the best-looking one. St. Croix Valley color typically peaks between late September and mid-October. The water stays boatable into early October, and the crowds thin considerably after Labor Day.
Do: apple picking at Pleasant Valley, the bluff trails at Interstate State Park, a drive down into Taylors Falls under the tree canopy, Franconia with the fields turning.
Winter
The area does not close, which separates it from most Minnesota lake destinations.
Do: ice fishing on the chain, snowshoeing, skiing and tubing at Wild Mountain, ice rinks, and a snow-covered Franconia. Add a sauna and a heated rooftop and winter becomes the easiest weekend to book and the cheapest.
Spring
Quietest and cheapest. The river runs high through the Dalles in April and May, which is worth seeing. Trails are muddy. Bring boots and expect to have the place largely to yourself.
Annual Festivals
The Chisago Lakes towns run a dense festival calendar for their size. Dates shift year to year, so confirm before planning around one.
| Event | Town | Roughly when |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony in the Park | Lindström | Wednesdays, June through August |
| Midsommar Festival | Lindström | Mid to late June |
| Karl Oskar Days | Lindström | Early to mid July |
| Wannigan Days | Taylors Falls | Mid July |
| Center City Days | Center City | Late July |
| Almelund Threshing Show | Almelund | Early August |
| Ki-Chi-Saga Days | Chisago City | Late August |
| Shafer Days | Shafer | Mid September |
| Almelund Apple Festival | Almelund | Late September |
Midsommar in Lindström is the one to plan around if you want the Swedish heritage version of the area at full volume.
Rainy Day and Indoor Options
-
- Gammelgården Museum, in season
-
- Chisago County Historical Society and the Gustaf Anderson House
-
- Winehaven Winery tasting room
-
- Wild River State Park visitor center and interpretive display
-
- Local shops along Main Street in Taylors Falls and Lindström
-
- A private sauna session, which is arguably better in bad weather than good
Three Ways to Structure a Day
The classic first visit. Interstate State Park in the morning, lunch in Taylors Falls, Franconia Sculpture Park in the afternoon, dinner on a rooftop over the lake.
The water day. Pontoon or paddle the chain from mid-morning, anchor and swim, back mid-afternoon, sauna, dinner.
The heritage day. Lindström for the water tower and the Karl Oskar statues, Ki-Chi-Saga Park and the Karl Oskar House, then Gammelgården in Scandia. Finish at the historic district in Center City.
Full itinerary: [48 hours in Center City →]
Where to Stay
Lodging in the area runs from lake cabins and vacation rentals to chain motels along Highway 8. Nordic Harbor in Center City is the boutique option: six Scandinavian-inspired rooms, a luxury Haus that sleeps eight, a rooftop bar with panoramic lake views that is open and heated year round, Nordic Market below, and seasonal boat rentals on the chain.
Every overnight stay includes a private 90-minute sauna and cold plunge session, with no shared facilities and a reserved slot for your booking only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chisago Lakes area? A group of six small towns along US Highway 8 in Chisago County, Minnesota: Chisago City, Lindström, Center City, Shafer, Taylors Falls, and Almelund. It sits about 45 to 50 minutes northeast of the Twin Cities.
What does Chisago mean? It comes from the Ojibwe Ki-chi-saga, meaning fair and lovely waters. Many of today’s separate lakes were once one large lake.
What are the best things to do in the Chisago Lakes area? Paddling or boating the ten-lake chain, hiking the glacial potholes at Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls, visiting Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, exploring Swedish heritage sites in Lindström and Center City, and skiing or waterparking at Wild Mountain depending on the season.
How far is the Chisago Lakes area from Minneapolis? About 43 miles and 50 minutes via I-35 north to US Highway 8 east. From St. Paul it is roughly 39 miles and 45 minutes.
Is Franconia Sculpture Park free? Yes. It is free and open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm year round. A parking fee applies on weekends during peak season, roughly June through October.
How big is the Chisago Lakes chain? Ten connected lakes, more than 5,000 acres of water, over 100 miles of shoreline, and a water trail running roughly ten miles.
Can you kayak the Chisago Lakes? Yes. The Chisago Lakes Water Trail links the chain through small channels and short portages, with trailheads at Ki-Chi-Saga Park on South Center Lake and the Green Lake DNR boat landing.
Which state park is better, Interstate or Wild River? Interstate State Park has the glacial potholes, the river gorge, and rock climbing across 298 acres. Wild River is quieter, with paved accessible trails along 18 miles of riverfront. First-time visitors usually prefer Interstate.
Is there anything to do in the Chisago Lakes area in winter? Yes. Ice fishing on the chain, snowshoeing, ice rinks, skiing and tubing at Wild Mountain, and Franconia Sculpture Park, which stays open year round.
What is there to do with kids? Wild Mountain water park and alpine slide, Paradise Park beach in Chisago City, the boulders and potholes at Interstate State Park, strawberry and apple picking at Pleasant Valley Orchard in Shafer, the scenic paddleboat tour from Taylors Falls, and the playgrounds at Ki-Chi-Saga Park.
When is the best time to visit? Summer for water, fall for color and value, winter for quiet and the lowest rates. Fall is the most underrated.
Plan the Trip
Nordic Harbor is in Center City, Minnesota, in the middle of everything on this page. Six rooms, a Haus that sleeps eight, a year-round rooftop over the lake, and a private sauna and cold plunge session with every stay.
[Check availability →] · [Read the full weekend getaway guide →]
