Ritter Farm Park

Lakeville, MN


	About

	Ownership


	Links
	Lakeville Parks and Facilities

	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. For a park of this size Ritter Farm Park is little visited, even by Lakeville residents. This may be in part due to its out-of-the-way location. Low visitor numbers may be seen as an asset for amateur naturalists or nature lovers looking for a solitary, not social, experience.

	History


	Management


	Comments


	Location

	Maps
	Ritter Farm Park trails

	Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates


	Size
	340 acres

	Parking
	19300 Ritter Trail Lakeville, MN 55044 N44 40.019, W93 17.739

	Hours
	6 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily

	Fees
	No fee


	Driving Directions
	Get driving directions from Google Maps to this destination from any address, and send those directions to your phone. Your Address (street address and either city and state or ZIP code)

					Dakota County
					Metro Area


	Activities

	Hiking Trails
	There are 8.6 miles of hiking/horse trails. 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. Matterhorn Trail on the west side of the park passes through a high(er) quality woodland, identified by the Minnesota Biological Survey as Pin Oak - Bur Oak Woodland.

	Hunting
	No hunting


	Ecology

	Ecological Classification
	Ecological Province			Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province
	Ecological Section			Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal
	Ecological Subsection			Big Woods
	Land Type Association			Elko Moraine

	Native Plant Communities*
	Pin Oak - Bur Oak Woodland
	* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

	Natural Features


	Visitor Photos

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	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

	Park entrance






	Parking


	Information Kiosk


	Picnic area


	Lake Marion


	Mader Loop Trail








	Low-lying portions of the Mader Trail are flooded in the spring.


	Matterhorn Trail




	Green (unnamed) trails Low-lying portions of the green (unnamed) trails are flooded in the spring.



	Cattail marsh


	Prairie restoration

Camera


	Slideshows


	Ritter Farm Park Place Profile Bridget Brunello

	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 Jeannine Marie

	About Published on Oct 15, 2015 http://www.jeanninemarie.com 651.434.1578 Unforgettable wedding photography in the Twin Cities and beyond.

slideshow


	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	Ritter Farm Park City of Lakeville

	About Uploaded on Jan 6, 2011 Find out about the history of the largest park in Lakeville.



	Ritter Farm Park Horse slipping Craig Natvig

	About Published on Jul 2, 2012 Sheila and I riding in Ritter on a slippery slope



	Ritter Farm Park in Lakeville Kevin Gilmore

	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 KSTP

	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 LakevillePuppetsLKG

	About Uploaded on Jun 28, 2010 Join Dickie Duck at Ritter Farm Park in Lakeville, MN as he checks out bugs & animals after dark

Camcorder

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Eleven bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Threatened	Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)
Special Concern	Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) Purple Martin (Progne subis) Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)