SOLON SPRINGS BOTTLING CO.
Founded in 1885 Solon Springs is a northern Wisconsin summer resort community on the west shore of Upper St. Croix Lake, 36 miles south of Duluth.
Solon Springs was named in honor of local businessman, Thomas F. Solon (June 30, 1853 – January 8, 1923) who recognized the business opportunity arising out of the natural spring waters located where Leo Creek enters the Upper Saint Croix. Thomas founded Solon Springs Bottling Co. and, while the bottling works company has long since closed its doors, the town name survives.
WATERWAYS
Upper St. Croix Lake is a small, clear-water lake in Douglas County, Wisconsin that forms one of the earliest identifiable sources of the St. Croix River. Located within a landscape of glacially formed wetlands, forests, and small kettle lakes, Upper St. Croix Lake collects groundwater and runoff from the surrounding watershed before releasing it into the narrow channel that becomes the young St. Croix River. From this quiet headwater lake, the river begins its gradual southward journey through northern Wisconsin, eventually forming part of the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota before joining the Mississippi River. Because of its position at the very beginning of the watershed, Upper St. Croix Lake plays an important ecological role in maintaining the cold, clean water conditions that define the river’s headwaters and support the high-quality habitats found throughout the upper St. Croix basin.
TRAILWAYS
The North Country Trail (NCT) passes through the forests and river valleys of Douglas County, Wisconsin, closely following portions of the upper St. Croix River watershed. In the headwaters region near Upper St. Croix Lake, the trail winds through mixed northern hardwood forests, wetlands, and glacial terrain that shape the early St. Croix River valley. Hikers traveling this section of the trail experience the same quiet landscapes that sustain the river’s beginnings—clear streams, cold-water springs, and forested ridges that drain toward the young river. By passing through these headwaters and valley corridors, the trail provides direct access to one of the most ecologically significant portions of the St. Croix watershed, allowing visitors to experience the natural setting that gives rise to a river later recognized as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.