(CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC)

If you have questions please direct them to the   City of Stillwater, Minnesota

This approximately 50 acre natural area on the shores of the St. Croix River, in the Town of St. Joseph,   is owned and maintained by the City of Stillwater.

The City of Stillwater  in Minnesota has owned Kolliner Park since 1917, when the East Side Lumber Company donated the property to the city. The company transferred the property to the city with the intent of preserving the property’s natural beauty and restricting it from commercial development.Accompanying the deed to the property was a letter from the company president stating the purpose of the donation:

In giving this to the city, it is with the feeling and desire that the bluffs will be
preserved from devastation of commercial usage and the beauty of them kept
for all our people and to this end, we hope you will see fit to put the property
under the jurisdiction of your Park Board. We hope that in the years to come
that the shore rights will also prove of additional value to the city.

Since the property was deeded to the city of Stillwater, activities on the site have remained recreational in nature. In 1923, the Stillwater Park Commission began developing the part of the site north of STH 64 into a tourist camp. The tourist camp was a reflection of growing American enthusiasm for the automobile. In 1931, the American Legion Post 48 raised funds to construct a public bathing beach (known as Legion Beach) on the south side of STH 64, which included a bathhouse and a caretaker’s home. A paved access road and a small parking area were also constructed to provide access to the beach. The entire property, including the Tourist Camp and Legion Beach, was named Kolliner Park in the 1970s. Access to the park was closed in 1979 due to increased vandalism and traffic congestion at the east end of the Lift Bridge. Aside from a few benches, there are no park or recreational facilities within Kolliner Park; the previously-developed facilities no longer exist or have deteriorated. A limited number of individuals visit the property, primarily via the river.

Credit ~ Information from Minnesota DOT 2004 St. Croix River Crossing evaluation