Environmental Education | Kids & Teens
Camp St. Croix is situated on high bluffs overlooking the St. Croix River, a national scenic riverway, and is surrounded by a wide variety of habitats. Located just south of I-94 in Hudson, Wisconsin, Camp St. Croix is only 30 minutes from downtown St. Paul. Because of our convenient location to the Twin Cities Metro area, transportation time and costs are reasonable.
Our curriculum directly supports the Minnesota Graduation Standards and the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards. We offer:
Our Facilities
Camp St. Croix is an ideal location to introduce students to the wonders of the natural world. This unique setting is home to a diverse combination of wildlife and ecosystems. While attending an Environmental Education program at YMCA Camp St. Croix, students will have the opportunity to study a bald eagle's nest, track deer along the river's edge and observe a wide range of animals, including hawks, owls, raccoons, red fox and rabbits. Ecosystems available for study include restored prairies, converted farmlands, ravines, coniferous and deciduous forest, a small pond and over one mile of shoreline on the St. Croix. Our facility has 15 spacious, winterized cabins overlooking the bluff, each with a capacity of up to twelve students and chaperones. In the middle of each cabin area is a centralized bathhouse with modern conveniences. Groups may also choose to rent the Savanna Lodge, a bunkhouse that can sleep up to 20 people and includes its own bathroom facilities inside the building. In addition, we offer ample indoor meeting space to make our quality programs available fall, winter and spring. Our modern Dining Hall facility, staffed by trained chefs, offers nutritious, well-balanced meals.
Enrich Your Present Curriculum
Camp St. Croix is a YMCA facility designed to promote and develop environmental awareness and responsibility through academic, social, community, and outdoor education experiences. Key environmental concepts are investigated by students while exploring our 400-acre outdoor classroom. Our programs encourage active participation in each study session, including hands-on experiments combined with firsthand experience. In addition, schools may choose to include social outcomes in their curriculum. Small study group sizes, along with a comprehensive set of teambuilding activities and positive peer interaction in the cabins will teach students conflict-resolution skills and enhance self-esteem while develop leadership potential.
The St. Croix Staff
The Camp St. Croix staff is dedicated to making your visit a successful one. Our low staff-to-student ratio contributes to the "family feel" of our program. Each of the St. Croix Environmental Instructors holds a bachelor’s degree and has experience leading youth in the outdoors. For the safety of your students, all Instructors are certified in CPR and First Aid. Every Environmental Education instructor is highly qualified to effectively teach each of our outdoor education class choices.
Program Accessibility
Within available resources and to the extent reasonable, the YMCA of Greater St. Paul intends to provide quality program experiences for persons with disabilities, impairments, and other special needs. With respect to any program for which a disability may affect an applicant’s participation, the YMCA asks all applicants to inform it of any disabilities or impairments that may have a bearing on their program involvement. This information is required for the YMCA to determine its ability to appropriately accommodate each individual. Upon request, a confidential consultation with a YMCA Director will be arranged.
Customized Programming
Camp St. Croix staff is willing to work with your school to tailor a program to meet your specific goals and objectives. All of our curriculum directly supports the Minnesota Graduation Standards and the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards. For more information, please contact us at (715) 386-4380. We look forward to creating a program to meet your needs.
YMCA Camp St. Croix has been providing information about environmental concerns for over 60 years. If you would like to find out about current issues facing the St. Croix Riverway, read about the history of environmental programming at Camp St. Croix, or if you would like to ask one of our Environmental Education Instructors about a specific issue, please contact Brian Geisler, Outdoor Education Program Coordinator.
