Sesquicentennial Spotlight Tour - Deciduous Forest
Scientific and Natural Areas:
The SNA program preserves natural features and rare resources of exceptional scientific and educational value.
To learn more about the unique areas found in the Deciduous Forest Region, click here:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/deciduous.html.
Gully Fen SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01084/index.html
A complex of wetland seepage communities comprises Gully Fen SNA, where east meets west on the glacial Lake Agassiz lake bed. This is the western limit for coniferous species such as twin flower, small cranberry, bog rosemary, starflower, and creeping snowberry. Water slowly makes its way northward through patterned peatlands. The SNA includes calcareous seepage fens, tamarack and shrub seepage swamps, conifer and hardwood swamps, and rich fens. Two special treasures occur in the site's upper reaches--a 100-acre calcareous fen and a complex of tamarack with calcareous and rich fens. Plant communities shift in close, intricate patterns reflecting the maze of drainage and soils. One can see bog plants such as pitcher plant and bog rosemary, only inches away from fen plants--false asphodel and beak rush--all in easy reach of prairie plants such as goldenrod and lobelia. Previously threatened by development of rice paddies and logging, these sensitive areas and their surrounding landscapes now receive SNA protection from fragmentation and groundwater degradation.
Egret Island SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00974/index.html
Egret Island has the largest concentration of nesting colonial waterbirds in Minnesota. This low, wooded island on Pelican Lake has two pairs of peninsulas on opposite sides, creating protected bays and marshes that provide excellent habitat. It is one of the few large nesting areas for black-crowned night herons and great egrets. Other waterbirds that have been recorded on the island include great egrets, cattle egrets, snowy egrets, great blue herons, tricolored herons, little blue herons, and least bitterns. In 1977, an estimated 10,000 nests were documented. Pelican Lake is rich in other waterfowl as well; approximately 25 pairs of western grebes nest on the lake. The Nature Conservancy maintained the site as a preserve until gifting it to the SNA Program.
Bruce Hitman Heron Rookery SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01044/index.html
Bruce Hitman did an early study of the herons, and this small island SNA within Lake Johanna is named for him. The rookery is notable for being one of the largest and most diverse nesting sites for colonial water birds in the state. Large numbers of great blue herons, great egrets, double-crested cormorants, and black-crowned night herons nest here. The state rare bird species, little blue heron, snowy egret, yellow-crowned night heron, snowy egret, and cattle egret, have been present or nested at the site. Green-backed heron are also known to nest here.
Partch Woods SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00960/index.html
Located near the western border of hardwood forest, Partch Woods contains a fine example, for this latitude, of climax maple-basswood forest. It is named after Max Partch, a former professor at St. Cloud University and former student of Aldo Leopold. Partch purchased the property, used it for his study plots, and deeded it to The Nature Conservancy, who transferred it to the SNA program. Dr. Partch conducted extensive research over 27 years at this site. The numerous pipes and posts in the woods mark his original plots; please honor their placement. The site harbors a great variety of spring ephemerals and a spring-fed stream that flows into a wet meadow. The best time to visit is from late spring to early summer when trillium, bellwort, hepatica, and bloodroot are blooming.
Roscoe Prairie SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00963/index.html
A sandy outwash plain of the Crow River, the Roscoe Prairie landscape shows little variation in topography, yet it contains several prairie plant communities. The southern portion, a bit higher than the rest of the site, consists of nearly 25 acres of undisturbed blacksoil prairie, characterized by prairie dropseed, Indian grass, and big bluestem. The northern area is nearly level, with a few wet swales in which cordgrass and sedges dominate. Rich in species, this prairie SNA is home to pocket gophers, fox, short tail weasel, 13-lined ground squirrel, and whitetail jackrabbits. Hill's thistle, prairie orchids, spiderwort, prairie smoke, Indian turnip, purple prairie clover, wood sorrel, mountain mint, and spiked lobelia add their colors to prairie grasses through the summer, and a variety of butterfly species thrive here. Bird watchers may find upland sandpipers, marbled godwits, and American woodcock, among other bird species. Visit in the spring to watch migrating birds and see pasque flowers and puccoons in bloom; in late summer come see the abundant purple coneflower and leadplant. * indicates ownership in part or in whole by The Nature Conservancy.
Cold Spring Heron Colony SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00964/index.html
Cold Spring Heron Colony is a site of open floodplain meadow, floodplain forest, and a small prairie hill. The prairie hill, on the south side of Highway 23, contains many common and colorful plant species. In the past, this site has been home to a large heron colony that was studied longer than any other in the state. However, the herons abandoned the site in 1989. It is not known why the herons left, but a severe drought in 1988 and the loss of many nesting trees in 1983 are likely contributing factors. One day the herons may return to nest at Cold Spring and provide additional long-term research opportunities. The Nature Conservancy gifted this site as an SNA.
Quarry Park SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna02020/index.html
Granite bedrock outcrops lace their way through Quarry Park SNA among high quality wet meadow, wet prairie, oak woodland, and oak forest. This mix of communities supports rare birds and orchids and forms the most significant remaining example of the granite bedrock outcrop community in central Minnesota. Bedrock here is never more than 20 inches from the surface of shallow, loamy soils, and it emerges frequently along the flat to gently sloping terrain. The site, on the southwestern edge of St. Cloud, is the south part of the Stearns County Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, a 250-acre park depicting the granite industry, historically significant to the area. Look for Minnesota's largest population of the state-endangered tubercled rein-orchid among the scattered willow and dogwood lining the margins of the site's wet meadows. The woodlands and forest harbor breeding populations of the red-shouldered hawk, listed as a special concern in Minnesota. The SNA Program acquired a conservation easement from the County to permanently protect this site.
Rice Lake Savanna SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01064/index.html
Glacial meltwaters out of the north deposited their outwash sands across this large plain, providing the basis for an open, grassy landscape dotted with bur and pin oak--a classic savanna. Occasional fire opened the landscape, but wetlands prevented substantial prairie development. Rice Lake Savanna SNA is now one of our highest quality and largest remaining samples of this savanna community. The nearly level site includes scattered wetlands and 60 acres of dry, bur oak savanna carpeted with native grasses and wildflowers. About half the short, regularly-spaced bur oaks are single-stemmed with attractive, gnarled shapes; the multiple-stemmed trees were probably cut at one time. Little bluestem and porcupine grass dominate the ground layer, with occasional big bluestem and Indian grass. White sage, goldenrod, blazing star, puccoon, silky aster, purple prairie clover, and coreopsis color the site. Small sedge meadows lie in peaty depressions to the north and west, and a shallow sedge meadow, partly rimmed by quaking aspen, occupies the southeast corner. As part of the site restoration, planted pine and spruce will be removed through cutting and prescribed burning.
Hythecker Prairie SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01038/index.html
Hythecker Prairie is an excellent example of mesic tallgrass prairie. Because tallgrass prairie soils are well suited for cropland, very little original prairie remains undisturbed. This bit of prairie was protected from the plow by its namesake, who eventually sold it to The Nature Conservancy, which later transferred it to the state as an SNA. Rare plant species, including valerian, rattlesnake master, and compass plant, occupy the high quality prairie. Former old fields have been planted with seeds of native prairie species collected from the site. Visit in spring to view valerian in bloom, and in late summer to view blooming rattlesnake master, blazing stars, and sunflowers.
Uncas Dunes SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01039/index.html
Uncas Dunes, located within the Anoka Sandplain, contains a relic dunefield associated with Glacial Lake Grantsburg. Natural plant communities found here include oak savanna, oak forest, and wetland. The rare Uncas skipper gives this site its name; this is one of only two sites in the state where this species is found. Other rare species here include sea-beach needlegrass and annual skeleton-weed. Active management includes prescribed burning and removal of planted pine trees to assist in restoration and enhancement of the sand prairie. The best time to visit is late summer when asters and goldenrods are in bloom.
Helen Allison Savanna SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00962/index.html
Helen Allison Savanna was named for Helen Allison Irvine, "Minnesota's grass lady," who wrote a text on the 180 grasses of Minnesota. This SNA lies within the Anoka sand plain, providing an excellent example of sand dune plant succession, with blowouts and dunes in various stages of stabilization by pioneer species. Community types found on the site include oak sand savanna, dry prairie with bur oak and pin oak, thickets of willow and aspen, and sedge marshes in scattered depressions. Trees and shrubs characteristic of a savannah are found here: pin oak, bur oak, American hazelnut, choke cherry, willow, and quaking aspen. Other savanna species include lead plant, smooth sumac, slender willow, steeple bush, aster, and goldenrod. Look on the dunes for pioneer sand plants such as sea-beach needle grass and hairy panic grass. Sedge meadows contain tussocks of Hayden's sedge, along with marsh fern and blue-joint grass. Other rare plant species occurring here include long-bearded hawkweed, rhombic-petaled evening primrose, and tall nut-rush. Prime times to visit are when the pasque flowers bloom in the spring and when the prairie grasses are at their finest in late summer. * indicates ownership in part or in whole by The Nature Conservancy.
Boot Lake SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00967/index.html
Boot Lake SNA is part of a chain of ice-block lakes within a tunnel valley system, which was formed by enormous hydraulic pressure and erosion by subglacial rivers. The site contains a continuum of plant community types including oak forest, aspen-shrub thickets, and prominent old white pine stands; the wetland contains wooded bog, wet meadows, floating mats, emergent aquatic plants, duckweed, and algal communities. The rare plant species, water willow, sea-beach needle grass, and long-bearded hawkweed are present on the site, along with occasional sandhill cranes and Blanding's turtles. Red-shouldered hawks, pine warblers, Louisiana waterthrush and a number of other bird species nest on the site. Woodland wildflowers make a late spring visit memorable. The high deer population has prompted a long-term research project on the effect of deer in forest succession. Deer exclosures on the site are part of the study. No watercraft are permitted on the lake.
Falls Creek SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01057/index.html
Falls Creek is one of the most diverse natural areas remaining in Washington County. Folded and faulted rocks at this site show the largest displacement of any known Paleozoic rocks in Minnesota, revealing Decorah, Platteville, Glenwood, and St. Peter formations. Steep ravines line the intermittently active stream beds. Slopes face north or south primarily, with ground flora varied accordingly. Pine canopy openings on south slopes permit growth of many species native to bluff prairies. Oak forest occupies the drier ridge tops. The old fields on the site are undergoing reforestation with seedlings grown from acorns and seeds collected on the site. A deer exclosure protects the seedlings on one old field. The site is unique for its stand of virgin hardwood and white pine forest, which is rare along the St. Croix. Rare Louisiana water thrush and kitten-tails occur on this site. Woodland wildflowers, such as trilliums, rue anemone, and bellwort, bloom in the spring.
Mississippi River Islands SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00980/index.html
This site includes five islands formed of outwash and alluvium deposited by the Mississippi River. The islands now rise as high as 30 feet above river level. Flooding, erosion, and sedimentation have resulted in various stages of succession, creating a mosaic of wet floodplain forest, drier floodplain forest, and sandbar plant communities. The best time to visit is when mosquitoes are not at peak density and when stinging nettles are small or dormant.
Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01022/index.html
Mary Schmidt Crawford, the last private owner of this property, was a descendent of the original settlers. Purchased by The Nature Conservancy at the request of the DNR to preclude development of a housing subdivision, this site contains an excellent remnant of the maple-basswood forest called the "Big Woods," as well as several small wetlands. The forest floor contains a diverse assemblage of wildflowers. An old logging trail leads from the parking lot through portions of the site that were logged off in the early 1980s. The best time to visit is in late spring to view trillium, hepatica, and false rue anemone in bloom.
Wolsfeld Woods SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00985/index.html
Wolsfeld Woods, named for its German homesteaders, is a premier example of the original "Big Woods" forest that once covered the south central part of the state. Very few remnants remain due to urban expansion, agriculture, and industrial development. This large, mature stand of hardwoods covers gently rolling hills with a wide variety of tree species, including red oak, ironwood, butternut, maple, elm, and basswood. Trilliums, hepatica, bloodroot, and dutchman's breeches grow on the forest floor. The best time to visit is in late spring to view blooming woodland wildflowers and in fall for the outstanding color display. The Nature Conservancy assisted in the transfer of this gift to the state as an SNA. Visitors are required to stay on marked trails. Dogs are not permitted.
St. Croix Savanna SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01061/index.html
The St. Croix Savanna occurs along the top and side of a south-facing bluff, with views of the St. Croix River. Its slopes of loamy sand have eroded extensively, their soils now supporting an alluvial forest along the bottom. Scattered bur oak and pin oak on the open gravel prairie become increasingly dense toward the northeast and northwest, forming first an oak woodland and then an oak forest. Prescribed burning and removal of the exotic black locust has greatly enhanced the savanna. The dry savanna exhibits a significant diversity of grasses: hairy and side oats grama, needle and thread, prairie dropseed, and many others. Several species of goldenrod, sunflower, aster, and blazing star join the pasque flower, prairie gentian, coreopsis, flowering spurge, potentilla, fleabane, coneflowers, and hoary vervain in an ever-changing palette of prairie color. Rare kitten tails grow in the partial shade of bur oaks; other rare species found here include James' polanisia, Illinois tick-trefoil, and a species of pinweed. The St. Croix Savanna is the best hill prairie and oak savanna along the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Portions of the site are gifts of Ann McMannus and the estate of Hattie Miller.
Pig's Eye Island Heron Rookery SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01009/index.html
This metropolitan site, named after its famous settler, is notable for being one of the largest nesting sites for colonial waterbirds within the state. Species that nest in the rookery include great blue heron, great egret, black-crowned night-heron, double-crested cormorants, and yellow crowned night heron. This is one of the four places in the state where yellow-crowned night herons are known to nest. Bald eagles also nest in the immediate vicinity and may often be seen roosting in trees on the island.
Black Dog Nature Preserve SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01010/index.html
Named after the great Dakota Sioux chief, Black Dog Nature Preserve contains an excellent example of mesic prairie and degraded calcareous fen plant communities, both of which are among the rarest plant communities in the state. A calcareous fen is an endangered plant community dominated by grasses, sedges, and other vegetation adapted to its unusual calcium-rich groundwater, which flows year round. With the loss of this important groundwater source due to drawdowns from urban wells, the fen has lost many of the rare species formerly present. The mesic prairie--the finest known in the metropolitan area--grades to a wet prairie. Mesic prairie species such as big bluestem, prairie dropseed, yellow coneflower, and blazing star, can be seen here, along with such rare fen species as sticky false asphodel, hair-like beak-rush, whorled nut-rush, marsh arrow-grass, and valerian. Black Dog Preserve lies within the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge, and an interpretive sign marks the end of a trail through the site. Spring displays of swamp saxifrage and valerian can be spectacular, while in July, blazing stars take the stage. The late summer bloom of goldenrods and asters is also a treat. * indicates ownership in part or in whole by The Nature Conservancy.
Savage Fen SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00999/index.html
Savage Fen is notable for its rare wetland plant community. A series of alkaline seeps and springs emerge from the base of a bluff formed of calcareous glacial deposits, which were left by the Des Moines lobe at the end of the Wisconsin Glacial period. Rare plant species include valerian and marsh arrow grass throughout the fen community. The fen community found on the moist peat substrate is very sensitive to disturbance. The Nature Conservancy assisted in the protection of this unique wetland.
Chamberlain Woods SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01034/index.html
Chamberlain woods protects a mosaic of vegetation types fronting the Minnesota River. Horace F. and Esther Chamberlain personally acquired parcels of woodland totalling 254 acres, then gifted them to the state SNA program. Giant cottonwood, basswood, and elm trees dominate the seasonally wet floodplain forest next to the river. The uplands support remnants of oak savanna, while slopes closer to the river support species typical of the deciduous forest. A series of "point bars" mark the old banks of the river, capturing a visual history as the river route has changed. A variety of bird species including the Acadian flycatcher and bald eagle have been observed on the site. The best times to visit are in the spring, to observe the dynamics of the river in this floodplain forest, and in fall, when the area is open and dry enough to walk for over a mile and a half along the river's edge.
Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01030/index.html
Cannon River Turtle Preserve, located on the lower Cannon River, contains floodplain forest dominated by silver maple and cotton wood. American elm was formerly the most important species in this floodplain forest. The site provides habitat for the state-threatened wood turtle, which nests on the river's sand bars. While it is mostly found in the northeastern states, the wood turtle is rarely abundant anywhere. Low reproductive potential and loss of habitat combine to make the species vulnerable. Woodland turtles prefer small, fast moving streams in forests with grassy meadows on the banks and raised sandbars for nesting; the Cannon River Turtle Preserve appears to be just right. The best time to visit is in the spring, before mosquitoes become too abundant, or during fall leaf color season.
Grey Cloud Dunes SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01101/index.html
Grey Cloud Dunes encompasses two sandy terraces along the Mississippi River. The first, 40 to 60 feet above the river, is remarkable for its crescents and blowouts sculpted by southwesterly winds. The second, 110 feet above the river, has a dramatic cut-face. These river terraces mark the height of the river at various periods following the melting and retreat of the glaciers. Dunes on both terraces rise in waves, cresting 10 to 20 feet above the swales. Elm, silver maple, cottonwood, and box elder rim a wetland and a half mile of today's riverbank. Look for distinct plant communities on dune crests, slopes, and swales, as well as on blowouts, erosional faces, and small wetlands. Distinctive species adapted to the dry, sandy environment include little bluestem, penstemon, prairie dropseed, sand reed grass, gramma grass, silky prairie clover, among others. Rare sea-beach needlegrass occurs in several of the blowouts; purple sand grass, on bare sand areas; Illinois tick trefoil and long-bearded hawkweed occur occasionally throughout the entire site. Louisiana broomrape and Hill's thistles are also found here. Blue racers, an uncommon Minnesota snake, and prairie skinks live here. This site was a gift from Ashland Inc.
Harry W. Cater Homestead Prairie SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna02017/index.html
This SNA, gifted by the family of Harry W. Cater who homesteaded here, covers a sandy river terrace deposited by glacial meltwaters draining through here about 10,000 years ago. Fire and herds of grazing bison and elk probably limited development of woody vegetation. Today's communities include dry, upland oak savanna, mesic and wet-mesic prairie openings in aspen groves, floodplain forest along the Elk River, wet meadow and marsh on peat. Of these, the bur oak savanna and wet-mesic prairie are most significant. Straight-trunked bur oak trees, grown in open light, cover roughly half the savanna. Clusters of mixed shrubs--American hazel, Juneberry, and prickly ash--are scattered about the savanna. Groundcover on the open areas include sedge, porcupine grass, big bluestem, prairie phlox, and bastard toadflax. In old meanders of the Elk River floodplain lies the wet-mesic prairie dotted with patches of Bebb's willow and slender willow. Trembling aspen surround the prairie and shrubs. Cowbane, prairie loosestrife, and the sedge, Carex meadii, indicate prairie diversity uncommon to this landscape area. Occurrence of these species leaves open the possibility of other significant discoveries awaiting us on the site.
Hastings SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00954/index.html
The Hastings site contains two forest communities. The upland hardwood forest is dominated by old growth red oak, sugar maple, and basswood; the floodplain forest, by cottonwood, green ash, and silver maple. American elm, formerly the most important species, has all but vanished due to Dutch elm disease. A wide diversity of plant species occur on this site, including the very rare snow trillium. Talus slopes and steep escarpments of dolomitic limestone provide habitat for specialized plants, such as mosses, lichens, and liverworts. The best time to visit is early April for the snow trilliums, or later in spring when woodland wildflowers such as hepaticas, bloodroots, dutchman's breeches, and other trilliums are in bloom.
Kellogg-Weaver Dunes SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00979/index.html
Kellogg-Weaver Dunes contains a rolling sand dune topography well above the current floodplain of the Mississippi River, on a terrace where the Mississippi, Chippewa, and Zumbro Rivers once came together. Some dunes are 30 feet high. The site encompasses a diversity of successional stages ranging from blowouts with bare sand, to mature dunes with dry, mesic, or wet prairie species. An oak savanna, with pin oak, bur oak, and jack pine, occurs along the edges. One of the largest populations of the rare Blanding's turtle uses this site, which provides an ideal habitat of calm, shallow waters rich in aquatic vegetation, with sandy uplands for nesting. Unfortunately, roadways separate the water and upland Blanding's habitats, which means that both the mature females and their hatchlings risk roadkill during their journeys in June and late August. The sand dunes provide another special mid-summer event when the rough-seeded fameflower blooms daily after 4:30 p.m. for just three hours. Midsummer is a good time, too, to observe the rare yellow-fruited sedge and Ottoe skipper butterfly amidst the unusual grasses and wildflowers. Other good times to visit are in mid- to late-spring to see pasque flowers in bloom, and again in the fall for blazing stars, purple coneflowers and sunflowers. * indicates ownership in part or in whole by The Nature Conservancy.
Wood-Rill SNA
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01087/index.html
Wood-Rill SNA preserves a beautiful and sizeable remnant of the Big Woods, the vast ecosystem that once covered 2,000 square miles of Minnesota. Walking trails meander through its maple-basswood forest, over the steep hills of the St. Croix moraine, and down around a variety of wetlands. Undisturbed old-growth forest here varies from 120 to 400 years old. An upland canopy of red oak, basswood, sugar maple, and white oak towers over other trees, including a few butternut. Fenced study sites exclude both deer and earthworms to monitor their effects on ground-layer species of the forest community. A lake, ponds, and wet meadows--glacial legacy of ice block wetlands--lie scattered about the site. A moist lowland forest of red maple, black ash, hackberry, basswood, and green ash, grades into a small tamarack swamp at one end. The largest meadow is succeeding to a black ash swamp. Spring wildflowers, fall deciduous colors, the stillness of winter, and varied native communities--all combine to make this an SNA for all seasons. The majority of the site was gifted by Bruce and Ruth Dayton for all Minnesotans to enjoy.
NOTE – these areas are open to the public for observation and education, but not for intensive recreational activities. For more information on visiting a SNA, please visit http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/rules.html.
Information provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. For additional info, please visit the DNR’s website at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html.