Minnesota Seasons - Uncas Dunes SNA


Uncas Dunes SNA

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			Sherburne County




Size	Northwest Unit 606 acres Southeast Unit 72 acres

Maps	Maps with GPS coordinates Complete Northwest Unit Southeast Unit Sand Dunes State Forest Trail Map

Parking	Northwest Unit (Ann Lake Campground and Day Use Area) N45 25.410, W93 41.578 Northwest Unit (245^th Ave. NW – park on shoulder) N45 24.901 W93 41.985 Southeast Unit (233^rd Ave.) N45 23.601, W93 40.460

Hiking Trails	A hiking trail follows the northern boundary of the SNA. Another trail follows about half of the southern boundary. The North Orock Trail, a horse/hiking trail, passes through the SNA and connects the SNA boundary trails. All of the trails are former forest roads.

Hunting	All hunting. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details.

Ecological Classification	Province	Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province
	Section	Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal
	Subsection(s)	Anoka Sand Plain
	Land Type Association(s)	Anoka Lake Plain

Native Plant Communities¹	Alder - (Maple - Loosestrife) Swamp Dry Barrens Oak Savanna (Southern): Oak Subtype Northern Rich Fen (Basin) Sedge Meadow Southern Dry-Mesic Oak (Maple) Woodland Tamarack Swamp (Southern)

Ownership	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Links	Minnesota DNR

Comments	This SNA is within the boundaries of Sand Dunes State Forest. Getting There To locate this SNA follow the directions on the Minnesota DNR Web page to get to the Ann Lake Campground and Day Use Area. Drive through the campground until you get to the parking area for the SNA just past campsite #28. Deer Flies If you bring a head net, do not leave it in the car. At some point you will want to use it. Poison Ivy This site is memorable for, among other things, an overabundance of poison ivy. Long pants are recommended, even for the trails.

Images
Northwest Unit Parking (Ann Lake Campground)

Northwest Unit Parking (245^th Ave. NW)



Southeast Unit

Amphibians

	American toad (Bufo americanus) wood frog (Rana sylvatica)

Birds	Sandhill cranes nest on this site. Minnesota DNR Bird checkist

	American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) Eastern Wood-peewee (Contopus virens) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

Fungi

	Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa) British Soldiers (Cladonia cristatella)

Insects and Arachnids	One insect species with protected status in Minnesota is found here: Endangered – Uncas skipper (Hesperia uncas) This is one of only two sites in Minnesota where the Uncas skipper can be found.

	American dog tick (Dermacentor variablis) autumn meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum) band-winged meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum) black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) common green darner (Anax junius) common whitetail (Plathemis lydia) common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala nephala) dog day cicada (Tibicen canicularis) dot-tailed whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum) frosted whiteface (Leucorrhinia frigida) great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Halloween pennant (Celithemis eponina) monarch (Danaus plexippus) mustached clubtail (Gomphus adelphus) mustard white (Pieris oleracea) northern pearly eye (Lethe anthedon anthedon) twelve-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella) white admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis) white-faced meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum) widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)

Mammals

	plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Plants	Two plant species with protected status in Minnesota are found here: Threatened – beaked skeletonweed (Shinnersoseris rostrata) Special concern – seaside three-awn (Aristida tuberculosa) Minnesota DNR Plant List Plants frequently found in: Alder - (Maple - Loosestrife) Swamp FPn73a Dry Barrens Oak Savanna (Southern): Oak Subtype UPs14a2 Northern Rich Fen (Basin) OPn92 Sedge Meadow WMn82b Southern Dry-Mesic Oak (Maple) Woodland FDs37 Tamarack Swamp (Southern) FPs63a

	American basswood (Tilia americana) American elm (Ulmus americana) American hazel (Corylus americana) American hog peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata var. bracteata) American lopseed (Phryma leptostachya) American starflower (Trientalis borealis) American white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) amur maple (Acer ginnala) asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) balsam fir (Abies balsamea) bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) black bindweed (Fallopia convolvulus) black medick (Medicago lupulina) black oak (Quercus velutina) black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii) bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis) boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo) broadleaf enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior) butter and eggs (Linaria vulgaris) Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis) chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana) clammy groundcherry (Physalis heterophylla var. heterophylla) Cleland’s evening primrose (Oenothera clelandii) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) downy phlox (Phlox pilosa ssp. fulgida) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) giant chickweed (Myosoton aquaticum) giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida var. trifida) glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) grayleaf red raspberry (Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus) green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) green carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) green foxtail (Setaria viridis var. viridis) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) hairy hedge nettle (Stachys pilosa var. pilosa) hairy puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense var. croceum) hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) jack pine (Pinus banksiana) June grass (Koeleria macrantha) large-flowered beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus) leadplant (Amorpha canescens) long-spine sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) narrow-leaved hawk’s-beard (Crepis tectorum) narrow-leaved meadowsweet (Spiraea alba var. alba) northern lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) Norway spruce (Picea abies) orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) plains snake-cotton (Froelichia floridana var. campestris) pointed-leaved tick-trefoil (Desmodium glutinosum) prairie coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) prairie lettuce (Lactuca ludoviciana) prairie peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum var. densiflorum) prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) prairie spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis var. occidentalis) prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) rabbit’s foot clover (Trifolium arvense) red clover (Trifolium pratense) red maple (Acer rubrum var. rubrum) red pine (Pinus resinosa) rose twisted-stalk (Streptopus lanceolatus var. longipipes) rough blazing star (Liatris aspera) rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica) rough false pennyroyal (Hedeoma hispida) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) silvery cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea) slender beardtongue (Penstemon gracilis var. gracilis) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) spotted lady’s thumb (Persicaria maculosa) starry false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum) stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus ssp. subrhomboideus) stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata) tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris) tall thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) timothy (Phleum pratense) variegated yellow pond lily (Nuphar variegata) Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum) western bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum) western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) white campion (Silene latifolia ssp. alba) white clover (Trifolium repens) white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana) white spruce (Picea glauca) white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) white-flowered leaf-cup (Polymnia canadensis) wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) wild grape (Vitis riparia) winter vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. villosa) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) woodland horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) yellow goat’s beard (Tragopogon dubius) yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Visits	6/19/2005 7/21/2011