Ritter Farm Park
Lakeville, MN
About • Location • Activities • Ecology
About |
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Overview |
At 340 acres, Ritter Farm Park is by far the largest in the City of Lakeville park system. Its 8.6 miles of hiking/equestrian trails meander around prairie openings and through undeveloped woodlands; across low ridges and into shallow ravines; and through the parks only native plant community, Pin Oak - Bur Oak Woodland. In the winter, 5.7 miles of the trails are groomed for cross-country skiing but are used mostly for winter hiking. Winter hikers do not have to share the trails with horseback riders. |
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Location |
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Size |
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340 acres |
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Driving Directions |
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Parking |
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19300 Ritter Trail Park entrance Trailhead |
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Hours |
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6 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily |
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No fee |
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Maps |
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Visitors will benefit by printing a trail map (see Maps above) before their visit. Large, full color maps are posted at a just a handful of trail intersections. The trail intersections are numbered, and the numbers appear on the trailside maps. The trail names and intersection numbers are also shown on the new printed maps. This map is available on the Lakeville Geographic Information Systems Maps of Lakeville page, but curiously it is not available on the Ritter Farm Park page. |
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Activities |
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Hiking Trail running Biking Mountain biking Horseback riding Picnicking Camping Swimming Boating Canoeing Birdwatching Nature photography Horseshoes Volleyball Geocaching Cross country skiing Skate-skiing Winter hiking Snowshoeing Snowmobiling |
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Trails |
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Hunting and Fishing |
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Ecology |
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Ecological Classification |
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| Ecological Province |  |
Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province |
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Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal |
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Big Woods |
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| Land Type Association | Elko Moraine |
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Native Plant Communities* |
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Pin Oak - Bur Oak Woodland |
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| * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources | |||||
Natural Features |
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Visitor Photos |
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Park entrance |
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Sign at park entrance |
Information kiosk at parking lot | |
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Second park entrance |
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Parking lot |
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Picnic area |
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Lake Marion |
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Mader Loop Trail |
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Mader Loop Trail |
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Mader Loop Trail |
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Mader Loop Trail |
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Mader Loop Trail |
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Low-lying portions of the Mader Trail are flooded in the spring. |
Prairie restoration | |
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Matterhorn Trail |
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Matterhorn Trail |
Cattail marsh | |
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Green (unnamed) trails |
Low-lying portions of the green (unnamed) trails are flooded in the spring. |
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Slideshows |
Ritter Farm Park Place Profile |
About
Published on Jan 4, 2016 I created this video with the YouTube Slideshow Creator (http://www.youtube.com/upload) |
Ritter Farm Park | Kristy + Joe Engagement | Jeannine Marie Photography |
About
Published on Oct 15, 2015 http://www.jeanninemarie.com 651.434.1578 Unforgettable wedding photography in the Twin Cities and beyond. |
Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Ritter Farm Park |
About
Uploaded on Jan 6, 2011 Find out about the history of the largest park in Lakeville. |
Ritter Farm Park Horse slipping |
About
Published on Jul 2, 2012 Sheila and I riding in Ritter on a slippery slope |
Ritter Farm Park in Lakeville |
About
Published on Apr 28, 2012 The jewel of Lakeville. This was our first trip of the year to Ritter Farm Park with our pups. It's their little piece of heaven on earth. They love it! |
Possible Human Remains Discovered at Lakeville Park |
About
Published on May 16, 2014 Lakeville Police are investigating after bones believed to be human were discovered Thursday in a park. Police were called just after 2 p.m. to Ritter Farm Park located at 195th Street and I-35. Police believe the bones have been in the park for some time. |
LKG puppets Bugs & Animals after dark |
About
Uploaded on Jun 28, 2010 Join Dickie Duck at Ritter Farm Park in Lakeville, MN as he checks out bugs & animals after dark |
Visitor Sightings |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
Visits |
1/23/2016 5/23/2019 |
Amphibians |
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Fungi and Lichens |
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Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa) Crown Rust (Puccinia coronata) Hexagonal-pored Polypore (Neofavolus alveolaris) |
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Insects and Arachnids |
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boxelder pouchgall mite (Aceria negundi) goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis) plum finger gall mite (Eriophyes emarginatae) |
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Mammals |
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American beaver (Castor canadensis) American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) |
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Plants |
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Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List |
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Plants frequently found in: |
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Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) American elm (Ulmus americana) American hazelnut (Corylus americana) American plum (Prunus americana) American vetch (Vicia americana ssp. americana) American stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis) annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus) Bell’s honeysuckle (Lonicera × bella) bigleaf aster (Eurybia macrophylla) bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) black medick (Medicago lupulina) black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii) bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) Canada anemone (Anemonastrum canadense) Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) Canadian white violet (Viola canadensis var. rugulosa) candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica) chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana) common blue violet (Viola sororia) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common burdock (Arctium minus) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common duckweed (Lemna minor) common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum) common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus) common plantain (Plantago major) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) downy Parlin’s pussytoes (Antennaria parlinii ssp. fallax) downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens var. peckii) early meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern star sedge (Carex radiata) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) eastern woodland sedge (Carex blanda) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) field thistle (Cirsium discolor) fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) hairy vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. villosa) Howell’s pussytoes (Antennaria howellii ssp. neodioica) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis) kidney-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) late goldenrod (Solidago altissima) leafy spurge (Euphorbia virgata) Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense) Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) northern lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra var. glabra) ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica) pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) prairie crabapple (Malus ioensis) purple meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) red baneberry (Actaea rubra ssp. rubra) red clover (Trifolium pratense) red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) sandbar willow (Salix interior) Siberian peashrub (Caragana arborescens) silvery cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea) slender willow (Salix petiolaris) smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum) southern blue flag (Iris virginica var. shrevei) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida) sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum) upright carrionflower (Smilax ecirrhata) Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) white clover (Trifolium repens ssp. repens) white rattlesnake root (Nabalus albus) white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima) wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca ssp. americana)
Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder) Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum (sugar maple) Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) Actaea rubra ssp. rubra (red baneberry) Aesculus glabra var. glabra (Ohio buckeye) Ageratina altissima var. altissima (white snakeroot) Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) Anemonastrum canadense (Canada anemone) Anemone cylindrica (candle anemone) Antennaria howellii ssp. neodioica (Howell’s pussytoes) Antennaria parlinii ssp. fallax (downy Parlin’s pussytoes) Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine) Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla) Arctium minus (common burdock) Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit) Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum (northern lady fern) Barbarea vulgaris (winter cress) Caltha palustris var. palustris (yellow marsh marigold) Caragana arborescens (Siberian peashrub) Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge) Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge) Carex radiata (eastern star sedge) Celtis occidentalis (northern hackberry) Cirsium discolor (field thistle) Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) Cornus alternifolia (pagoda dogwood) Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood) Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood) Corylus americana (American hazelnut) Equisetum arvense (field horsetail) Erigeron annuus (annual fleabane) Euphorbia virgata (leafy spurge) Eurybia macrophylla (bigleaf aster) Fragaria vesca ssp. americana (woodland strawberry) Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) Galium triflorum (fragrant bedstraw) Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy) Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed) Iris versicolor (northern blue flag) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar) Lemna minor (common duckweed) Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort) Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover) Lonicera × bella (Bell’s honeysuckle) Lonicera morrowii (Morrow’s honeysuckle) Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower) Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum (common false Solomon’s seal) Malus ioensis (prairie crabapple) Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern) Medicago lupulina (black medick) Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) Nabalus albus (white rattlesnake root) Osmorhiza claytonii (bland sweet cicely) Oxalis stricta (yellow wood sorrel) Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine) Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) Plantago major (common plantain) Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain) Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum (smooth Solomon’s seal) Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood) Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen) Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil) Prunus americana (American plum) Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry) Prunus virginiana var. virginiana (chokecherry) Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak) Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak) Quercus rubra (northern red oak) Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaved buttercup) Ratibida pinnata (gray-headed coneflower) Reynoutria japonica (Japanese knotweed) Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) Ribes missouriense (Missouri gooseberry) Rubus allegheniensis (Allegheny blackberry) Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry) Salix interior (sandbar willow) Salix petiolaris (slender willow) Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry) Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot) Smilax ecirrhata (upright carrionflower) Solidago altissima (late goldenrod) Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod) Solidago rigida ssp. rigida (stiff goldenrod) Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion) Thalictrum dasycarpum (purple meadow-rue) Thalictrum dioicum (early meadow-rue) Thalictrum thalictroides (rue anemone) Toxicodendron rydbergii (western poison ivy) Trifolium pratense (red clover) Trifolium repens ssp. repens (white clover) Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail) Ulmus americana (American elm) Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle) Uvularia grandiflora (large-flowered bellwort) Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein) Vicia americana ssp. americana (American vetch) Vicia villosa ssp. villosa (hairy vetch) Viola canadensis var. rugulosa (Canadian white violet) Viola pubescens var. peckii (downy yellow violet) Viola sororia (common blue violet) |
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Reptiles |
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