On this trip of extremes, experience the thrill of whitewater rafting in the Midwest (yes, seriously!) and the amazing relaxation of a secluded cabin retreat.
90 minutes north of the Twin Cities, Crooked Creek Retreat provides the perfect oasis of secluded, tranquil nature situated close to the Midwest’s best whitewater rafting available. On this trip, we’re exploring what we’re calling Big Time Nature — hiking Minnesota’s largest state park and hurdling ourselves down the river toward the Midwest’s best kept water secret, whitewater rafting the Kettle River. If rapid names like “Mother’s Delight”, the “Dragon’s Tooth” and “Hell’s Gate” send an excited chill down your back, this is the trip for you.
But fear not—we’ll juxtapose the thrill of blood rushing adventure with a serene and amazing come down back at camp, complete with sauna and cold plunge sessions, a very Minnesotan, aptly-named Goose Garden, and a group dinner perfect for restoring our energy and bodies after an extreme time. We are SO excited for this one!
Adventure Rating: Intermediate
This trip is rated at Intermediate because of the necessary stamina needed for whitewater rafting. The rafting trip will be guided by professional guides.
ACTIVITIES
Enjoy a 3-4 hour whitewater rafting trip down the Kettle River. This river provides some of the best whitewater in the whole region, with rapids rating up to Class IV! We’ll be joined by seasoned river guides as we boop and bop our way through the electrifying waters and rapids.
Hike at St. Croix State Park, Minnesota’s largest state park, taking in the views of the St. Croix River and river basin
Stop at the Minnesota Goose Garden, a perfectly quirky natural garden in the shape of—you guessed it—a Canada Goose. The garden is full of handcrafted sculptures and the flora in the garden is planted so that in the future, when the trees reach their mature height, the goose will be three dimensional.
Find deep relaxation at our home away from home—Crooked Creek Retreat. Take advantage of the sauna and cold plunges on the property and the tranquil setting to take a break after our big adventures.
Enjoy a group dinner post-rafting in town to refuel and celebrate an adventure well done!
ACCOMMODATIONS & LOCATION
We’ll be staying in cabins at Crooked Creek Retreat, with a variety of sleeping and amenity options (see options below). One of the cabins has a modern bathroom, while the other two utilize outhouses. Each cabin features a wood burning stove.
Cedar Cabin
A modern cabin featuring a private queen bedroom, 2 twin beds in another room, and 4 twin beds in an upper loft. Two modern bathrooms within the cabin.Maple Cabin
Features 6 bench-style built in beds with access to an adjoining restroom with a composting toilet or outhouse. This one has summer camp vibes!Pine Cabin
One queen bed and two twin beds in a shared room, with access to an outhouse.
About the Kettle River
Established in 1967 as a state water trail, the Kettle River was named "Akiko zibi" by the Ojibwe. The name literally translates to "Kettle River," named for the water-worn rocks found near its rapids, five miles above the junction of the river with the St. Croix River.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Your registration provides you:
Two professional Wander Women guides to help make the trip as seamless and fun as possible
Cabin accommodations & parking
A Wanderer swag bag full of goodies
All meals (except one dinner) cooked for you by Wander Women guides
Rafting reservation and all gear
Camping accessories: Camp kitchen, camping chairs, fire kits, first aid kits, dining ware, fire wood, games, coolers
A detailed pre-trip online guide with everything you need to know for your trip
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Participants will be responsible for providing/paying for:
Transportation to/from the trip (we always encourage carpooling and can connect you with other participants to ride with!) and to trip activity locations
Tuesday dinner
State park entrance fees
INVESTMENT
There are multiple bed and room choices for this trip — pick which is best for you!
Private Room Queen in Modern Cabin: $725
Shared Room Twin in Modern Cabin: $615
Shared Room Queen in Rustic Cabin: $675
Shared Room Twin in Rustic Cabin: $595
PAYMENT PLAN
We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
Deposit for this trip: $365/$305/$340/$300 (in order listed above)