Brown's Creek State Trail

Brown's Creek State Trail is a 5.9-mile paved trail that runs from Stillwater, Minnesota and ends when it meets the Gateway State Trail. The trail runs atop what was formerly a Northern Pacific railway. The trail was built in 2014. The trail runs near Brown's Creek for about two miles. Brown's Creek is a designated trout stream managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The eastern most section of the trail runs for about a mile near the St. Croix River. Most of this popular trail goes through a deciduous tree forest.There are three main access points for the Brown's Creek State Trail.Stillwater: Laurel Street East on the north end of downtown Stillwater. There is a large parking lot with kiosks describing the trail here. This access is known as Stillwater Connection.Brown's Creek Nature Preserve: This parking area is located just south of the intersection of McKusick Road and Neal Avenue and is the halfway point of the trail. This spot is known as the Coldwater Stop.Duluth Junction: This parking area is located a quarter mile north of the western end of the trail. The lot is under the Gateway State Trail bridge that crosses over Minnesota Highway 96 (Dellwood Road).Beginning in Stillwater, the trail heads north near the St. Croix River. At the 0.8 mile mark the trail crosses over Minnesota Highway 95 (St. Croix Trail) via a bridge. The trail then heads west. At Mile 1.4 is Brown's Creek Overlook where Brown's Creek can be seen running through a deep ravine. There is another creek overlook at the 2.1-mile mark and trail cross Brown's Creek at mile 2.2. The Coldwater Stop at Brown's Creek Nature Preserve is located at the 2.9-mile mark. There is a kiosk and restroom here. At mile 3.3 there is a bike wheel sculpture and bicycle tune up station. At mile 5.2 there is a wetlands overlook. The Brown's Creek State Trail ends after 5.9 miles when it meets the Gateway State Trail at Duluth Junction.Brown's Creek State Trail has a very smooth and level surface and gradually gains about 300 feet of elevation making it suitable for most abilities. This trail is popular with hikers, runners, bicyclists, inline skaters and horseback riders.