Land Swap Would Shift St. Croix Sites

Federal and state officials are weighing an exchange of the St. Croix Boom Site and the Fairy Falls day-use area.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in National Parks

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and federal partners are working on a land swap that would move the St. Croix Boom Site to the National Park Service and transfer Fairy Falls to DNR management. The DNR is also seeking statutory decommissioning of the Boom Site's state wayside designation as part of the exchange.

Why it matters

The DNR says it lacks the resources to consistently meet the Boom Site's maintenance needs, while Fairy Falls has been closed to the public due to unsafe access. The exchange is framed as a way to improve long-term management and public enjoyment of both properties.

The St. Croix Boom Site State Wayside Park spans 15 acres along 0.75 miles of river, while Fairy Falls is a 40-acre natural area in Stillwater Township. The timing of the exchange remains unresolved, with the process estimated to take several years.

The players

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

The state agency that currently manages the St. Croix Boom Site and would take over management of Fairy Falls under the proposed exchange.

National Park Service

The federal agency that would receive the St. Croix Boom Site and intends to maintain it in its current condition.

Stillwater City Council

The local governing body of Stillwater that passed a resolution supporting the land exchange.

The details

The Boom Site, managed by the DNR since 2008 after transfer from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, would be transferred to the National Park Service, which intends to keep it in its current condition. Fairy Falls, a federally owned area within the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, would be managed by the DNR as a Scientific and Natural Area with a conservation focus.

The Boom Site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
The Boom Site was turned over to the DNR in 2008.
Fairy Falls was closed to the public from summer 2020 to winter 2022.
The DNR sent a letter to Stillwater officials on the Boom Site in August 2026.
The Stillwater City Council passed a resolution supporting the land exchange in late October 2026.

Seasonal Patterns

The proposed exchange concerns two St. Croix River sites within the federally designated St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, where Fairy Falls sits inside the federal boundary. Its future management arrangement shifts how federal and state agencies share responsibility for that river corridor.

Visitors planning trips to Fairy Falls should expect the site to remain closed until the exchange is complete and the DNR assumes management. Those visiting the St. Croix Boom Site should not expect new development, since the National Park Service intends to keep it in its current condition.

The takeaway

The proposed exchange would pair a federally managed river site with a state-managed natural area, a reminder that protected river lands often depend on coordinated stewardship across agencies. Watching how the DNR and National Park Service divide maintenance duties will show whether the arrangement improves access and upkeep.