Minnesota Seasons - Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park


Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

County	Rice
GPS	N44 20.509 W93 06.347
Size	2,882 acres
Habitat	“Big woods” maple-basswood forest
Hiking Trails	13 miles

Links	Minnesota DNR

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Birds	Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea), a Minnesota special concern species, is found here. Minnesota DNR Bird Checklist

	American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American robin (Turdus migratorius) barred owl (Strix varia) black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus) northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)


Mammals

	eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) northern raccoon (Procyon lotor) whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)


Plants	This is the only state park where Minnesota dwarf trout lily, a federal and Minnesota endangered species, can be found.

	bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis) common blue violet (Viola sororia) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) cut-leaved toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) ironwood (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana) Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum ssp. triphyllum) large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum) Minnesota dwarf trout lily (Erythronium propullans) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale var. affine) sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. acuta) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) smooth yellow violet (Viola pubescens var. scabriuscula) Virginia spring beauty (Claytonia virginica var. virginica) Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum) white clover (Trifolium repens) white trout lily (Erythronium albidum) wild ginger (Asarum canadense) wild leek (Allium tricoccum var. tricoccum) wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia var. bifolia) yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris var. palustris)


Visits	7/9/1999 4/13/2000 4/27/2003 4/23/2005 5/6/2005 4/14/2006

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park