This is the only International Historic Site in the US. The island is on the US side of the border line which runs down the center of the Saint Croix River but it’s historically significant to Canada.
A small group of Frenchmen landed on Saint Croix Island in 1604 with a mission to claim the land for France, bring religion to the natives, and search for precious metals. Pierre Dudua, lieutenant-general in charge of the group, chose the island for it’s defensible position in the middle of the river but this proved to be a detriment when a much colder winter than they expected froze the river. Slabs of frozen ice, broken up by the tides, made crossing to the mainland impossible. 36 of the 79 men died, most likely from scurvy. With the coming of warmer weather the settlement was moved to Port Royal, Nova Scotia and, even though most of original men returned to France soon afterwards, this marked the start of the French presence in the New World.
The historic site consists of a small visitor center and a short trail leading to a view of the island. Life size statues of the settlers and natives plus informative signs are located along the trail.
The visitor center is accessible. The trail is crushed stone and fairly easy to roll along.
RV parking is directly in front of the visitor center in the area painted with diagonal lines. Site
45.12799, -67.14451
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