Beaver Creek Valley State Park

Overview
Photos
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Videos
Sightings


	About

	Ownership


	Links
	Minnesota DNR

	Overview


	History


	Management


	Comments


	Location

	Maps
	all season map

	Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates


	Size
	1,216 acres statutory, 706 owned

	Parking
	15954 County 1 Caledonia, MN 55921 N43 38.664, W91 34.737

	Hours
	Daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

	Fees
	Daily park permit: $7 Annual park permit: $35


	Driving Directions
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					Houston County
					Southeast Minnesota


	Activities

	Hiking Trails
	8 miles

	Hunting
	The park may hold one or more managed hunts in the fall.


	Ecology

	Ecological Classification
	Ecological Province			Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province
	Ecological Section			Paleozoic Plateau
	Ecological Subsection			The Blufflands
	Land Type Association			Alluvial Plain Altura Ridgetops Brownsville Slopes Caledonia Ridgetops Elba Slopes

	Native Plant Communities*
	Algific Talus: Dolomite Subtype Black Ash - Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Blue Beech) Seepage Swamp Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern) Elm - Basswood - Black Ash - (Blue Beech) Forest Mesic Limestone - Dolomite Cliff (Southern) Mesic Sandstone Cliff (Southern) Oak - Shagbark Hickory Woodland Red Oak - Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Bitternut Hickory) Forest Red Oak - White Oak - (Sugar Maple) Forest Southern Dry Cliff Southern Mesic Cliff Sugar Maple - Basswood - Red Oak - (Blue Beech) Forest
	* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

	Natural Features


	Visitor Photos

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	Kirk Nelson

	Pedestrian bridge over Beaver Creek (a sign nearby reads, "Only one person at a time")


	Overlook near the Switch Back Trail


	Beaver Creek, looking upstream from the pedestrian bridge




	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

	Park Entrance

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	Slideshows


	Beaver Creek Valley State Park Richard Sanders

	About Beaver Creek Valley State park - Minnesota

slideshow


	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	Sarkar Family, USA Travel Beaver Creek Valley State Park August 2011 Gautam Sarkar

	About Uploaded on Aug 20, 2011 Sarkar Family, USA Travel Beaver Creek Valley State Park August 2011



	W4F - Webisode #7 - Fly Fishing "Beaver Creek Valley State Park" Camping and Fly Fishing Wish4FishTV

	About Published on Sep 24, 2013 Ken Tanaka of Wish4Fish takes you Beaver Creek Valley State Park for some Fly Fishing and Camping.

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Visitor Sightings

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Visits
5/22/1999	4/3/2009	4/11/2009

Amphibians

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Amphibians and Reptiles List

Birds


Six bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Endangered	Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Special Concern	Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) Purple Martin (Progne subis) Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Birds List

Minnesota DNR Bird Checklist

eBird Field Checklist

American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

green blowfly (Lucilia sp.)

margined carrion beetle (Oiceoptoma noveboracense)

mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

Mammals

Two mammal species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Special Concern

little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)

woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Mammals List

fox squirrel (Sciurus niger)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Plants


Sixteen plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:
Endangered	butternut (Juglans cinerea) Iowa golden saxifrage (Chrysosplenium iowense)
Threatened	bog bluegrass (Poa paludigena) glade fern (Diplazium pycnocarpon) James’ sedge (Carex jamesii) silverleaf grape (Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor) spreading sedge (Carex laxiculmis var. copulata)
Special Concern	ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) Goldie’s woodfern (Dryopteris goldiana) large-fruited black snakeroot (Sanicula trifoliata) Short’s aster (Symphyotrichum shortii) silver false spleenwort (Deparia acrostichoides) squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis) twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) white wild indigo (Baptisia alba var. macrophylla) yellow pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List

Plants frequently found in:

Algific Talus: Dolomite Subtype CTs46a2

Black Ash - Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Blue Beech) Seepage Swamp WFs57b

Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern) UPs13c

Elm - Basswood - Black Ash - (Blue Beech) Forest MHs49b

Mesic Limestone - Dolomite Cliff (Southern) CTs33b

Mesic Sandstone Cliff (Southern) CTs33a

Oak - Shagbark Hickory Woodland FDs38a

Red Oak - Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Bitternut Hickory) Forest MHs38c

Red Oak - White Oak - (Sugar Maple) Forest MHs37b

Southern Dry Cliff CTs12

Southern Mesic Cliff CTs33

Sugar Maple - Basswood - Red Oak - (Blue Beech) Forest MHs39b

Common Name
Scientific Name

American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana)

American cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum)

American elm (Ulmus americana)

American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana)

bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

blue vervain (Verbena hastata)

bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus var. nitidus)

bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa)

Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis)

common burdock (Arctium minus)

common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca)

common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus)

common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum)

eastern prickly gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati)

eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana)

eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

Greek valerian (Polemonium reptans var. reptans)

ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

hoary vervain (Verbena stricta)

May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum)

northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis)

northern red oak (Quercus rubra)

orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)

paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera)

plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera)

quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota ssp. carota)

rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine)

sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba)

showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

showy orchis (Galearis spectabilis)

silvergreen bryum moss (Bryum argenteum)

spotted water hemlock (Cicuta maculata var. maculata)

Virginia spring beauty (Claytonia virginica var. virginica)

Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum)

white oak (Quercus alba)

wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii)

wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)

wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)

winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris)

yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris var. palustris)

Anemone acutiloba (sharp-lobed hepatica)

Arctium minus (common burdock)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

Barbarea vulgaris (winter cress)

Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera (paper birch)

Bryum argenteum (silvergreen bryum moss)

Caltha palustris var. palustris (yellow marsh marigold)

Celtis occidentalis (northern hackberry)

Cicuta maculata var. maculata (spotted water hemlock)

Claytonia virginica var. virginica (Virginia spring beauty)

Daucus carota ssp. carota (Queen Anne’s lace)

Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye)

Enemion biternatum (eastern false rue anemone)

Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine (scouring rush horsetail)

Fragaria virginiana (common strawberry)

Galearis spectabilis (showy orchis)

Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)

Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy)

Hemerocallis fulva (orange daylily)

Heracleum maximum (American cow parsnip)

Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum (Virginia waterleaf)

Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar)

Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort)

Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)

Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana (American hophornbeam)

Pastinaca sativa (wild parsnip)

Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii (wild blue phlox)

Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)

Podophyllum peltatum (May-apple)

Polemonium reptans var. reptans (Greek valerian)

Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood)

Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)

Quercus alba (white oak)

Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak)

Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak)

Ranunculus hispidus var. nitidus (bristly buttercup)

Ribes cynosbati (eastern prickly gooseberry)

Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot)

Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod)

Solidago speciosa (showy goldenrod)

Thalictrum thalictroides (rue anemone)

Tilia americana (American basswood)

Ulmus americana (American elm)

Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein)

Verbena hastata (blue vervain)

Verbena stricta (hoary vervain)

Reptiles


Two reptile species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Threatened	timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
Special Concern	common five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Amphibians and Reptiles List

common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Binoculars

Last Updated:

Beaver Creek Valley State Park

About

Ownership

Links

Overview

History

Management

Comments

Location

Maps

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

Size

Parking

Hours

Fees

Driving Directions

Activities

Hiking Trails

Hunting

Ecology

Ecological Classification

Native Plant Communities*

Natural Features

Visitor Photos

Share your photo of this destination.

Kirk Nelson

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Slideshows

Visitor Videos

Share your video of this destination.

Other Videos

Visitor Sightings

Share your sightings or comments about of this destination.

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Visits

Amphibians

Birds

Fishes

Fungi and Lichens

Insects and Arachnids

Mammals

Plants

Reptiles