A month remains in a National Park Service experiment to attract visitors on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River.
By Labor Day, the temporary visitor center at Arcola Mills north of Stillwater had attracted 4,004 visitors, ranger Jonathan Moore said.
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is a national park, and the Park Service has headquarters in St. Croix Falls, Wis. The experiment at Arcola Mills, a historic lumber mill site about 6 miles north of Stillwater, will help the Park Service determine whether to establish a permanent presence in the area.
Two previous experiments at Arcola Mills took place in autumn only. This year's undertaking began May 9 and will end Oct. 21.
"We anticipate that it will be even busier when the fall color traffic starts," Moore said. Arcola Mills is off Hwy. 95, south of Marine on St. Croix and marked with a brown Park Service sign.
No decision has been made about future experiments, Moore said.
Kevin Giles
@stribgiles
