Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Overview
Photos
Slideshows
Videos
Sightings



	About

	Ownership


	Links
	Minnesota DNR The Nature Conservancy

	Overview
	The Nature Conservancy owns the land at Frenchman’s Bluff and leases it back to the Minnesota DNR. The site is 50 acres of glacial moraine overlooking the Red River Valley/Glacial Lake Agassiz basin. It includes an abandoned quarry near the parking area. There is a 5½ acre section of bur oak - aspen forest at the northeast corner. The understory in this section includes a dense shrub layer. While not impenetrable, passage through this area is difficult at best. There is another, smaller forested section south of the quarry. The rest of the preserve is dry sand - gravel prairie and mesic prairie.

	History


	Management


	Comments


	Location

	Maps
	Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates


	Size
	50.45 acres

	Parking
	There is a parking lot with room for several vehicles on the west side of County Road 36 at the southeast corner of the SNA. N47 11.687, W96 10.405


	Driving Directions
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					Norman County
					Northwest Minnesota



	Activities

	Hiking Trails
	There are no maintained trails. A well-worn footpath leads a short distance from the parking area to the north rim of the gravel pit and then disappears. There are no other trails.

	Hunting
	No hunting


	Ecology

	Ecological Classification
	Ecological Province			Prairie Parkland Province
	Ecological Section			Red River Valley
	Ecological Subsection			Red River Prairie
	Land Type Associations			Flom Till Plain

	Native Plant Communities*
	Bur Oak - Aspen Forest Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern) Mesic Prairie (Northern)
	* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

	Natural Features


	Visitor Photos

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	Dan W. Andree

	Frenchman's Bluff SNA prescribed burn area regrowth... … it is regrowing nicely and should do well long as it gets normal rains in that region.

	… a prescribed burn they did this Spring at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA. That section needed it. So was good they did it and we have had some rains recently. That photo was taken on May 14, 2023. The burn was done some time around May 10, 2023. … It will be interesting to see how it grows. I could just barely see grass and plant sprouts poking through the burn that day. But I haven’t been out there since. I will check it out eventually one day and see.

	Prairie Flowers


	A big change this season from last seasons heat and drought.


	“Prairie flowers in bloom at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA”


	Frenchman's Bluff ...Sept. 30, 2021 Took this today on a hike on the preserve. Looked nice so had to photograph it. Fall season can be short.

	Frenchman's Bluff top of the hill view... Sept. 30, 2021 up on the big hill at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA.

	Frenchman's Bluff non-burned area and prescribed burn.... areas. Late June 2021.



	I took a hike this afternoon at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA though still snow covered for the most part but melting at the same time with the milder temperature and on and off sunlight. A beautiful day.

	Another view looking up the bluff or big hill




	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

	Parking Lot




	Wood Routed Sign


	Quarry




	Bur Oak - Aspen Forest


	Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern)


	Mesic Prairie (Northern)


	View from the Bluff

Camera


	Slideshows

slideshow


	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings

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Dan W. Andree

Insects and Arachnids

bearded bee fly (Anastoechus barbatus)

bumble bees (Bombus spp.)

common checkered-skipper (Pyrgus communis)

coral hairstreak (Satyrium titus)

cuckoo bee (Triepeolus spp.)

giant robber fly (Promachus vertebratus)

Milbert’s tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

northern flower moth (Schinia septentrionalis)

orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia)

swift crab spider (Mecaphesa celer)

variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Plants

clammy groundcherry (Physalis heterophylla)

heart-leaved four o’clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea)

prairie onion (Allium stellatum)

smooth sumac (Rhus glabra)

staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)

western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)

wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum)

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings


Visits
8/17/2010		8/2/2013

Birds

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

Special Concern

Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)

Minnesota DNR Bird checklist

eBird Field Checklist

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

Fungi and Lichens

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Fungus List

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Lichen List

Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa)

Insects and Arachnids


Three insect species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:
Endangered	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek)
Special Concern	Pawnee skipper (Hesperia leonardus pawnee)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Insects List

common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

dog day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis)

goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis)

Mammals


One mammal species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:
Special Concern	northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Mammals List

plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)

Plants


Five plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:
Endangered	Frenchman’s Bluff moonwort (Botrychium gallicomontanum)
Special Concern	blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata) plains reed grass (Calamagrostis montanensis) prairie moonwort (Botrychium campestre) spikeoat (Avenula hookeri)