Wisconsin has 2 designated Wild and Scenic Rivers with 19 protected segments covering 255.5 miles, all administered by the National Park Service. The St. Croix Wild and Scenic River — which forms the border with Minnesota for most of its length — accounts for 234.2 miles across 17 segments and is the dominant feature of the state’s WSR system. The Wolf Wild and Scenic River in the north-central part of the state adds 21.3 miles of protected water flowing through the Menominee Indian Reservation and adjacent Nicolet National Forest land. Both rivers carry Scenic and Recreational classifications. Click any segment on the map below for details.

Wild and Scenic Rivers in Wisconsin at a Glance

The St. Croix was among the original eight rivers designated when Congress passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968, placing Wisconsin at the founding of the national program. The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is a joint Minnesota-Wisconsin NPS unit — both states share the corridor along the river’s entire length from the Wisconsin headwaters south to the Mississippi confluence at Prescott. The Namekagon tributary, which rises near Cable, Wisconsin, is also part of the Riverway and contributes significant upper-watershed character, though USFS data attributes most of its segments under the broader St. Croix river record. The Wolf River designation in Langlade and Menominee counties protects a separate north-central Wisconsin river known for its Class III-IV rapids and cultural significance to the Menominee Nation.

Classification Breakdown

All 255.5 miles in Wisconsin are classified as either Scenic or Recreational — no Wild segments are designated on the Wisconsin side. The Scenic segments run through the narrower, more forested gorge sections of the St. Croix and the upper Wolf, while Recreational segments cover the broader, more accessible reaches with developed put-ins and adjacent roads.

Managing Agencies

The National Park Service administers all 19 Wisconsin segments through the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The NPS coordinates river management with the Wisconsin DNR, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and adjacent county governments along both rivers.

Longest Designated Rivers in Wisconsin

The St. Croix on the Wisconsin side includes some of the most celebrated paddling and fishing water in the upper Midwest — the gorge at St. Croix Falls is one of the finest columnar basalt canyons in the region, and downstream the river broadens into broad, island-studded flatwater approaching Prescott. The Wolf River is a different character entirely: a hard-rock, fast-gradient stream that drops through a series of Class III and IV rapids in the Langlade County section before slowing through the Menominee Reservation. The Wolf is one of the premier whitewater rivers in the upper Midwest and has cultural significance for the Menominee Nation, who have long opposed dam development on the river.

Where to Run, Hike, or Fish Wisconsin’s Wild and Scenic Rivers

For multi-day whitewater

The Wolf River between Langlade and Menominee counties offers Wisconsin’s best Class III-IV whitewater, with rapids including Sherry Rapids, Dalles of the Wolf, and the Big Falls section near Hollister. Spring runoff from April through June brings the highest water and most exciting conditions; guided outfitter trips are available out of White Lake and Langlade. The St. Croix does not offer significant whitewater, but its length makes it ideal for multi-day flatwater expeditions — the NPS permits camping on islands and NPS-managed sites from Trego south to Stillwater.

For hiking and access

Interstate State Park at St. Croix Falls is the gateway to the gorge section of the river on the Wisconsin side, with trails along the basalt cliffs and access to the International Boundary Quarry potholes. The NPS maintains the Marshland Visitor Center near Hudson for the lower St. Croix. Along the Wolf, Langlade County’s USFS land within the Nicolet-Chequamegon National Forest provides trailhead access to several riverside campsites and primitive put-ins.

For native fish

The Wolf River is nationally recognized for its wild muskellunge population — it is consistently listed among the top muskie rivers in North America — and also holds strong populations of walleye, smallmouth bass, and native brook trout in its headwater tributaries. The St. Croix supports walleye, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish throughout the designated corridor, with muskie present in the lower Scenic sections. Wisconsin DNR fisheries staff co-manage spawning habitat and stocking policy with the NPS and tribal wildlife managers on both rivers.

Maps for Neighboring States

Wisconsin’s St. Croix is jointly designated with Minnesota, which holds the opposite bank. Illinois to the south has a small WSR designation — see the Illinois Wild and Scenic Rivers map. Michigan shares the Great Lakes watershed — see the Michigan Wild and Scenic Rivers map. Iowa has no federally designated Wild and Scenic rivers. For the complete national picture, see the US Wild and Scenic Rivers map.

Data Sources

River segment geometry, classification, mileage, and managing-agency attributes come from the US Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse, specifically the National Wild and Scenic River Segments dataset jointly maintained by the USFS, NPS, BLM, and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Source service: USFS EDW Wild Scenic River Segments. Authoritative national index: rivers.gov. State recreation and fish-management context: Wisconsin DNR, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.