Minnesota Seasons - Blue Mounds State Park


Blue Mounds State Park

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			Rock County




Size	1,579 acres

Maps	Minnesota DNR Summer Map

Park Office	N43 42.998, W96 11.455

Hiking Trails	13 miles 1 mile interpretive trail

Hunting	No hunting.

Ecological Classification	Province	Prairie Parkland Province
	Section	North Central Glaciated Plains
	Subsection(s)	Inner Coteau
	Land Type Association(s)	Blue Mounds Luverne Alluvial Plain Trosky Till Plain

Native Plant Communities¹	Basswood - Bur Oak - (Green Ash) Forest Cattail - Sedge Marsh (Prairie) Crystalline Bedrock Outcrop (Prairie): Sioux Quartzite Subtype Dry Hill Prairie (Southern) Elm - Basswood - Black Ash - (Hackberry) Forest Mesic Prairie (Southern) Seepage Meadow/Carr: Tussock Sedge Subtype Southern Dry Savanna Spikerush - Bur Reed Marsh (Prairie) Wet Prairie (Southern)

Ownership	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Links	Minnesota DNR

Comments	Eagle Rock, the high point in the park at 1,683 feet, provides a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view that includes three states.

Images


Birds	Blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) nests here. Other birds that have been seen here, along with those listed below, include Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis), Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus), Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis), Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya), and Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides). Minnesota DNR Bird Checklist

	Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

Insects and Arachnids	One insect species with protected status in Minnesota is found here: Special concern – regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia)

	goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) monarch (Danaus plexippus) orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme) painted lady (Vanessa cardui) regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia)

Mammals	Coyote (Canis latrans thamnos) can be seen in this park.

	American bison (Bison bison) Mearns’ cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus mearnsi) plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)


Plants	One plant species with protected status in Minnesota is found here: Endangered – Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) University of Minnesota Herbarium Plant List Plants frequently found in: Basswood - Bur Oak - (Green Ash) Forest MHs38b Cattail - Sedge Marsh (Prairie) MRp83a Crystalline Bedrock Outcrop (Prairie): Sioux Quartzite Subtype ROs12a2 Dry Hill Prairie (Southern) UPs13d Elm - Basswood - Black Ash - (Hackberry) Forest MHs49a Mesic Prairie (Southern) UPs23a Seepage Meadow/Carr: Tussock Sedge Subtype WMs83a1 Southern Dry Savanna UPs14 Spikerush - Bur Reed Marsh (Prairie) MRp93b Wet Prairie (Southern) WPs54b

	American bugleweed (Lycopus americanus) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) blue vervain (Verbena hastata) brittle pricklypear (Opuntia fragilis) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior) Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis) candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) common plantain (Plantago major) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) compass plant (Silphium laciniatum) curly dock (Rumex crispus) dotted blazing star (Liatris punctata var. punctata) dwarf milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia) eastern pricklypear (Opuntia humifusa) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) grass-leaved goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia) hoary vervain (Verbena stricta) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) leadplant (Amorpha canescens) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) prairie onion (Allium stellatum) prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea) red clover (Trifolium pratense) Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota ssp. carota) reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) rough blazing star (Liatris aspera) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) short-awned foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis) showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) smooth scouring rush (Equisetum laevigatum) smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) prickly sow thistle (Sonchus asper) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata) tall cinquefoil (Drymocallis arguta) timothy (Phleum pratense) white clover (Trifolium repens) white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) white prairie clover (Dalea candida) white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana) white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima) white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) wild grape (Vitis riparia) yellow goat’s beard (Tragopogon dubius) yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Visits	8/1/1999