Woodland Trails Regional Park

 

 

About

Ownership

 

Links

City of Elk River

 

Overview

The City of Elk River describes Woodland Trails Regional Park as “crown jewel of the Elk River Park system”. That may make it sound like a big fish in a little pond, but that phrase would not do it justice. This 427-acre park has two native plant communities, about 10 miles of hiking trails, and a biathlon range. The trails are wide and well marked, including distance markers every kilometer.

Woodland Trails Regional Park preserves an area of low hills and swales formed by the advance of the Wisconsin glaciation about 12,000 years ago. Today, the area is mostly covered in a oak-maple woodland. A small black ash swamp occupies a low area to the west.

 

History

In 2015, Woodland Trails Park expanded to include the nearby Big Tooth Ridge Park.

In August of 2016 the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission disignated Woodland Trails Park as a Regional Park. The designation makes it possible to receive state funding for park projects.

 

Management

 

 

Comments

 

Location

Size

427 acres

 

Driving Directions

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  Area and County
    County   Sherburne County
    Region   Central Minnesota

Parking

20135 Elk Lake Road 
Elk River, MN  55330-5600

Park entrance
N45 20.159, W93 36.165

 

Hours

6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

 

Fees

No fee

 

Maps

Winter Trail Map

Summer Trail Map

Activities

Hiking

Trail running

Biking

Mountain biking

Horseback riding

Picnicking

Camping

Swimming

Boating

Canoeing

Birding

Nature photography

Horseshoes

Volleyball

Geocaching

Cross country skiing

Skate-skiing

Winter hiking

Snowshoeing

Snowmobiling

 

Trails

Hiking

Mileages not provided

Winter hiking

 

Paved bike

A 4.75-mile completed section of the Great Northern Trail, a paved bike trail, passes througn the park.

Horse

 

Dog

 

Cross country skiing

 

Snowshoe

 

 

Hunting and Fishing

 

Ecology

Ecological Classification

  Ecological Classification
Ecological Province Ecological Province  

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

 
Ecological Section Ecological Section  

Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal

 
Ecological Subsection Ecological Subsection  

Anoka Sand Plain

 
Land Type Association    

Anoka Lake Plain

Elk River Moraine

 
         

Native Plant Communities*

 

Black Ash - Yellow Birch - Red Maple - Alder Swamp (Eastcentral)

Southern Dry-Mesic Oak (Maple) Woodland

 
* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources    
     

Natural Features

   

 

 

 

 

 

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Woodland Trails Regional Park   Woodland Trails Regional Park

Park entrance

     
Woodland Trails Regional Park   Woodland Trails Regional Park

Prairie Loop

  Poplar Loop
     
Woodland Trails Regional Park   Woodland Trails Regional Park

North Mickey

  Great Northern Trail
     
Woodland Trails Regional Park   Woodland Trails Regional Park

The “Pin”

     
Woodland Trails Regional Park   Woodland Trails Regional Park

Gravity Box

  Wash Pond Flats
     
Woodland Trails Regional Park   Woodland Trails Regional Park

Terminal Morraine

     
Woodland Trails Regional Park   Woodland Trails Regional Park

Top of the World

 

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Other Videos

Woodland Trails Regional Park Winter Trails
City of Elk River

About

Mar 1, 2022

The seasons are changing in Minnesota, but before winter transitions to spring, we wanted to show residents just what goes into winter trail maintenance at Woodland Trails Regional Park, while also highlighting and thanking the many volunteers who make it happen! Check it out!

 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Visits

4/23/2016

5/12/2017

Amphibians

Ameroasian treefrogs (Dryophytes spp.)

boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata)

  boreal chorus frog

Birds

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

Special Concern

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

eBird Field Checklist

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Eastern Wood-peewee (Contopus virens)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

 

American Goldfinch

Blue Jay

Canada Goose

Gray Catbird

Mallard

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Wood Duck

Fungi and Lichens

Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum)

Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa)

Common Greenshield Lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata)

Crown Rust (Puccinia coronata)

Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus)

False Tinder Fungus (Phellinus igniarius)

False Turkey Tail (Stereum ostrea)

Hairy Bracket (Trametes hirsuta)

Hoof Fungus (Fomes fomentarius)

Milk-white Toothed Polypore (Irpex lacteus)

Northern Cinnabar Polypore (Trametes cinnabarina)

Smooth Patch (Aleurodiscus oakesii)

Thin-Walled Maze Polypore (Daedaleopsis confragosa)

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

 

Common Greenshield Lichen

Dryad’s Saddle

Hoof Fungus

Willow Bracket

Insects and Arachnids

blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis)

common green darner (Anax junius)

dot-tailed whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta)

eastern boxelder bug (Boisea trivittata)

eastern comma (Polygonia comma)

eastern tent caterpillar moth (Malacosoma americana)

eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis)

goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis)

mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

spongy oak apple gall wasp (Amphibolips confluenta)

spring azure (Celastrina ladon)

willow pinecone gall midge (Rabdophaga strobiloides)

 

common green darner

eastern comma

mourning cloak

spongy oak apple gall wasp

Mammals

American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  plains pocket gopher

Plants

One plant species with conservation status in Minnesota is found here:

Special Concern

creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)

Plants frequently found in:

Black Ash - Yellow Birch - Red Maple - Alder Swamp (Eastcentral) WFn64b

Southern Dry-Mesic Oak (Maple) Woodland FDs37

   

 

absinthe wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)

alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum)

American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana)

American elm (Ulmus americana)

American hazelnut (Corylus americana)

American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana)

American plum (Prunus americana)

American stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis)

apple (Malus domestica)

big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)

bigleaf aster (Eurybia macrophylla)

bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata)

black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina)

black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)

black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii)

bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii)

bluntleaf sandwort (Moehringia lateriflora)

boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo)

bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa)

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)

Canada moonseed (Menispermum canadense)

chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana)

cleavers (Galium aparine)

common blue violet (Viola sororia)

common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

common burdock (Arctium minus)

common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale)

common duckweed (Lemna minor)

common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca)

common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus)

common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

crested wood fern (Dryopteris cristata)

cut-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata)

downy arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesqueanum)

downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens)

Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens)

early meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum)

eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum)

eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana)

eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

field horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta)

field thistle (Cirsium discolor)

fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum)

garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa)

ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

Howell’s pussytoes (Antennaria howellii)

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

interrupted fern (Claytosmunda claytoniana)

jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

kidney-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus)

late goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense)

Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)

nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)

narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia)

nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum)

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)

northern starflower (Lysimachia borealis)

ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica)

paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera)

Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera)

prairie violet (Viola pedatifida)

purple meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum)

quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

red clover (Trifolium pratense)

red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)

red maple (Acer rubrum var. rubrum)

red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea)

rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica)

round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata)

rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine)

Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)

silvery cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea)

small white violet (Viola macloskeyi ssp. pallens)

smooth sumac (Rhus glabra)

speckled alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa)

sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum)

sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)

switch grass (Panicum virgatum var. virgatum)

tamarack (Larix laricina)

variegated yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon ssp. argentatum)

veiny pea (Lathyrus venosus var. intonsus)

Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana)

white avens (Geum canadense)

white clover (Trifolium repens ssp. repens)

white oak (Quercus alba)

wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)

wild grape (Vitis riparia)

wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)

wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia)

woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea)

 

Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder)

Acer rubrum var. rubrum (red maple)

Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum (sugar maple)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)

Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)

Alnus incana ssp. rugosa (speckled alder)

Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem)

Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia (wood anemone)

Antennaria howellii (Howell’s pussytoes)

Antennaria neglecta (field pussytoes)

Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine)

Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla)

Arctium minus (common burdock)

Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit)

Artemisia absinthium (absinthe wormwood)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum (northern lady fern)

Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera (paper birch)

Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)

Celtis occidentalis (northern hackberry)

Cirsium discolor (field thistle)

Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood)

Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood)

Corylus americana (American hazelnut)

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s breeches)

Dryopteris cristata (crested wood fern)

Enemion biternatum (eastern false rue anemone)

Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)

Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine (scouring rush horsetail)

Eurybia macrophylla (bigleaf aster)

Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry)

Frangula alnus (glossy buckthorn)

Galium aparine (cleavers)

Galium triflorum (fragrant bedstraw)

Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)

Geum canadense (white avens)

Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy)

Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed)

Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar)

Lamium galeobdolon ssp. argentatum (variegated yellow archangel)

Larix laricina (tamarack)

Lathyrus venosus var. intonsus) (veiny pea)

Lemna minor (common duckweed)

Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort)

Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover)

Lonicera morrowii (Morrow’s honeysuckle)

Lysimachia borealis (northern starflower)

Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)

Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum (common false Solomon’s seal)

Malus domestica (apple)

Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern)

Menispermum canadense (Canada moonseed)

Moehringia lateriflora (bluntleaf sandwort)

Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)

Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)

Osmorhiza claytonii (bland sweet cicely)

Claytosmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern)

Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana (American hophornbeam)

Panicum virgatum var. virgatum (switch grass)

Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine)

Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)

Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain)

Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood)

Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen)

Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)

Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil)

Potentilla norvegica (rough cinquefoil)

Potentilla recta (sulphur cinquefoil)

Prunus americana (American plum)

Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry)

Prunus virginiana var. virginiana (chokecherry)

Quercus alba (white oak)

Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak)

Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak)

Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaved buttercup)

Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn)

Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)

Ribes missouriense (Missouri gooseberry)

Rubus allegheniensis (Allegheny blackberry)

Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)

Rubus pubescens (dwarf raspberry)

Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata (cut-leaved coneflower)

Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry)

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Solidago altissima (late goldenrod)

Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod)

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)

Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion)

Thalictrum dasycarpum (purple meadow-rue)

Thalictrum dioicum (early meadow-rue)

Thalictrum thalictroides (rue anemone)

Tilia americana var. americana (American basswood)

Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover)

Trifolium pratense (red clover)

Trifolium repens ssp. repens (white clover)

Trillium cernuum (nodding trillium)

Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail)

Ulmus americana (American elm)

Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm)

Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle)

Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein)

Viburnum lentago (nannyberry)

Viburnum rafinesqueanum (downy arrowwood)

Viola macloskeyi ssp. pallens (small white violet)

Viola pedatifida (prairie violet)

Viola pubescens (downy yellow violet)

Viola sororia (common blue violet)

Vitis riparia (wild grape)

Zanthoxylum americanum (northern prickly ash)

 

alsike clover

American plum

black cherry

black raspberry

Canada mayflower

common blue violet

common evening primrose

common mullein

downy yellow violet

Dutchman’s breeches

eastern white pine

field thistle

ground ivy

Missouri gooseberry

Morrow’s honeysuckle

nannyberry

northern prickly ash

northern pin oak

northern starflower

prairie violet

purple meadow-rue

red clover

red elderberry

rue anemone

white clover

wild columbine

wild geranium

wild grape

wild strawberry

wood anemone

Reptiles

common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)

  western painted turtle

 

 

Binoculars

 

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