French Regional Park

Overview
Photos
Slideshows
Videos
Sightings



			Hennepin County
			Metro Area

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Size

370 acres

Maps

Summer

Winter

Parking

Visitor Center Parking Lot
N45 1.324, W93 26.051

Hiking Trails

5.2 miles

Hunting

No hunting

Ecological Classification

Province

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

Section

Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal

Subsection(s)

Big Woods

Land Type Association(s)

Hopkins Moraine

Maple Plain Moraine

Native Plant Communities¹

Southern Mesic Maple-Basswood Forest

Natural Features

Lake shore, protected lake basin, deciduous woodland, marsh

Ownership

Links

Three Rivers Park District

Comments

Overview
This popular urban park on the north shore of Medicine Lake is surrounded on three sides by suburban housing. It has everything that its many visitors want, including a picnic area, fishing dock, swimming beach, boat launch, and a large playground. It also has 5.2 miles of natural surface hiking trails through deciduous woodlands. Visitors who come here for the trails are advised to come on a weekday when it is less crowded but still well used.

Visits

9/8/2014


Visitor Photos

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Park Entrance


Deciduous Woodlands


Marsh


Trails

Camera


Slideshows

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

	Phantom 2 Vision+ Test Flight #4 @ DroneVideoMN.com DroneVideoMN.com

	About Published on May 3, 2014 Phantom 2 Vision+ Test Flight #4 @ DroneVideoMN.com. Low light 720p video test. French Regional Park. 12605 Rockford Rd Plymouth, MN 55441.

	Kids in the Twin Cities Episode 4 Jesse Hendrickson

	About Published on Sep 1, 2014 Episode 4 - Kids in the Twin Cities - French Regional Park

	Clifton French Regional Park - Plymouth, MN Abdulrahman Filimban

	About Published on Aug 18, 2014 Clifton French Regional Park - Plymouth, MN 8/18/2014

	Sub-zero temps don't deter sledders at French Regional Park Minnesota Sun Channel

	About Uploaded on Dec 23, 2008 Sub-zero temperatures didn't deter sledders at French Regional Park in Plymouth this week.

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Observations

Amphibians	northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) treefrog (Dryophytes sp.)

Birds	Northern Bald Eagles nest in a restricted area of this park.

	One tracked species has been seen here:
	Tracked	Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

	eBird Field Checklist

	American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Eastern Wood-peewee (Contopus virens) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) Green Heron (Butorides virescens) Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

Fungi and Lichens	Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa) Fairy Fingers (Clavaria fragilis) False Turkey Tail (Stereum ostrea) Speckled Tar Spot (Rhytisma punctatum)

Insects and Arachnids	blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) cabbage white (Pieris rapae) Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) common green darner (Anax junius) dog day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis) eastern tailed-blue (Cupido comyntas) goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis) goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis) grape leaf miner moth (Phyllocnistis vitifoliella) great black digger wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus) lime nail gall mite (Eriophyes tiliae) maple spindle-gall mite (Vasates aceriscrumena) monarch (Danaus plexippus) multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) Virginian tiger moth (Spilosoma virginica) white snakeroot leaf miner (Liriomyza eupatoriella)

Mammals	American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Plants	Plants frequently found in: Southern Mesic Maple-Basswood Forest MHs39

	Common Name Scientific Name American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana) American black currant (Ribes americanum) American bugleweed (Lycopus americanus) American burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius var. hieraciifolius) American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) American elm (Ulmus americana) American hog peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata var. bracteata) American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana) American lopseed (Phryma leptostachya) American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus) American white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata ssp. tuberosa) Amur maple (Acer ginnala) annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus) arrow-leaved aster (Symphyotrichum urophyllum) barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta var. cornuta) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus) bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) black medick (Medicago lupulina) black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) black walnut (Juglans nigra) black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii) blue vervain (Verbena hastata var. scabra) bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo) broad-leaved arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia) broadleaf enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea canadensis ssp. canadensis) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) butter and eggs (Linaria vulgaris) Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) Canadian clearweed (Pilea pumila) Canadian honewort (Cryptotaenia canadensis) Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis) Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis) catnip (Nepeta cataria) chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana) cleavers (Galium aparine) climbing false buckwheat (Fallopia scandens) clustered black snakeroot (Sanicula odorata) common blue violet (Viola sororia) common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common bur-reed (Sparganium eurycarpum) common burdock (Arctium minus) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum) common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) crown vetch (Securigera varia) curly dock (Rumex crispus) curlytop knotweed (Persicaria lapathifolia) cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus var. multifidus) cut-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata) eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) field sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) heal-all (Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris) Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) late goldenrod (Solidago altissima) leadplant (Amorpha canescens) meadow horsetail (Equisetum pratense) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) northern arrowwood (Viburnum recognitum) northern bog goldenrod (Solidago uliginosa) 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 shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) paleleaf woodland sunflower (Helianthus strumosus) Pennsylvania smartweed (Persicaria pensylvanica) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) poke milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) prickly sow thistle (Sonchus asper) purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) purple-stem beggarticks (Bidens connata) pussy willow (Salix discolor) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) red clover (Trifolium pratense) red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) river birch (Betula nigra) rock elm (Ulmus thomasii) Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) sage-leaved willow (Salix candida) sandbar willow (Salix interior) scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine) sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) shining willow (Salix lucida ssp. lucida) silky dogwood (Cornus amomum ssp. obliqua) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) slender willow (Salix petiolaris) smooth rose (Rosa blanda var. blanda) smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) soft agrimony (Agrimonia pubescens) spotted lady’s thumb (Persicaria maculosa) spotted touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida) stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum) sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata) tall beggarticks (Bidens vulgata) tall meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum) tall thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) timothy (Phleum pratense) upright carrionflower (Smilax ecirrhata) velvet-leaf (Abutilon theophrasti) Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum) water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia) weeping willow (Salix x sepulcralis) western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) white avens (Geum canadense) white baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) white campion (Silene latifolia ssp. alba) white clover (Trifolium repens) white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides) white panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum) white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima) white spruce (Picea glauca) white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) white vervain (Verbena urticifolia var. urticifolia) wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) wild grape (Vitis riparia) wild mint (Mentha arvensis) wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta) zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) Abutilon theophrasti (velvet-leaf) Acer ginnala (Amur maple) Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder) Acer saccharinum (silver maple) Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum (sugar maple) Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) Actaea pachypoda (white baneberry) Ageratina altissima var. altissima (white snakeroot) Agrimonia pubescens (soft agrimony) Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed) Amorpha canescens (leadplant) Amphicarpaea bracteata var. bracteata (American hog peanut) Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem) Anemone canadensis (Canada anemone) Anemone virginiana (tall thimbleweed) Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp) Arctium minus (common burdock) Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit) Asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed) Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata (swamp milkweed) Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum (northern lady fern) Betula nigra (river birch) Bidens connata (purple-stem beggarticks) Bidens vulgata (tall beggarticks) Carya ovata (northern shagbark hickory) Celtis occidentalis (northern hackberry) Circaea canadensis ssp. canadensis (broadleaf enchanter’s nightshade) Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) Conyza canadensis (Canadian horseweed) Cornus amomum ssp. obliqua (silky dogwood) Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood) Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood) Corylus cornuta var. cornuta (beaked hazel) Cryptotaenia canadensis (Canadian honewort) Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower) Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass) Echinocystis lobata (wild cucumber) Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive) Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye) Equisetum arvense (field horsetail) Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine (scouring rush horsetail) Equisetum pratense (meadow horsetail) Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass) Erechtites hieraciifolius var. hieraciifolius (American burnweed) Erigeron annuus (annual fleabane) Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum (common boneset) Fallopia scandens (climbing false buckwheat) Fragaria virginiana (common strawberry) Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) Galium aparine (cleavers) Galium triflorum (fragrant bedstraw) Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) Geum canadense (white avens) Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy) Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed) Helianthus strumosus (paleleaf woodland sunflower) Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum (Virginia waterleaf) Impatiens capensis (spotted touch-me-not) Juglans nigra (black walnut) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar) Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce) Laportea canadensis (Canadian woodnettle) Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) Lonicera tatarica (Tatarian honeysuckle) Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil) Lycopus americanus (American bugleweed) Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum (common false Solomon’s seal) Medicago lupulina (black medick) Melilotus albus (white sweet clover) Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover) Mentha arvensis (wild mint) Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) Nepeta cataria (catnip) Nymphaea odorata ssp. tuberosa (American white waterlily) Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose) Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) Osmorhiza claytonii (bland sweet cicely) Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana (American hophornbeam) Oxalis stricta (yellow wood sorrel) Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine) Persicaria amphibia (water smartweed) Persicaria lapathifolia (curlytop knotweed) Persicaria maculosa (spotted lady’s thumb) Persicaria pensylvanica (Pennsylvania smartweed) Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) Phleum pratense (timothy) Phryma leptostachya (American lopseed) Picea glauca (white spruce) Pilea pumila (Canadian clearweed) Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain) Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum (smooth Solomon’s seal) Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood) Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) Potentilla recta (sulphur cinquefoil) Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris (heal-all) 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 sceleratus var. multifidus (cursed crowfoot) Ratibida pinnata (gray-headed coneflower) Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) Rhus glabra (smooth sumac) Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac) Ribes americanum (American black currant) Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) Rosa blanda var. blanda (smooth rose) Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (American red raspberry) Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry) Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan) Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata (cut-leaved coneflower) Rumex crispus (curly dock) Sagittaria latifolia (broad-leaved arrowhead) Salix candida (sage-leaved willow) Salix discolor (pussy willow) Salix interior (sandbar willow) Salix lucida ssp. lucida (shining willow) Salix petiolaris (slender willow) Salix x sepulcralis (weeping willow) Sambucus canadensis (American elderberry) Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry) Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot) Sanicula odorata (clustered black snakeroot) Securigera varia (crown vetch) Setaria pumila ssp. pumila (yellow foxtail) Silene latifolia ssp. alba (white campion) Smilax ecirrhata (upright carrionflower) Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade) Solidago altissima (late goldenrod) Solidago flexicaulis (zigzag goldenrod) Solidago rigida ssp. rigida (stiff goldenrod) Solidago uliginosa (northern bog goldenrod) Sonchus arvensis (field sow thistle) Sonchus asper (prickly sow thistle) Sparganium eurycarpum (common bur-reed) Symphoricarpos occidentalis (wolfberry) Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides (white heath aster) Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (white panicled aster) Symphyotrichum urophyllum (arrow-leaved aster) Syringa vulgaris (common lilac) Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion) Thalictrum dasycarpum (tall meadow-rue) Tilia americana var. americana (American basswood) Toxicodendron rydbergii (western poison ivy) Trifolium pratense (red clover) Trifolium repens (white clover) Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail) Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail) Ulmus americana (American elm) Ulmus thomasii (rock elm) Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis (stinging nettle) Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein) Verbena hastata var. scabra (blue vervain) Verbena urticifolia var. urticifolia (white vervain) Viburnum recognitum (northern arrowwood) Viola sororia (common blue violet) Vitis riparia (wild grape) Zanthoxylum americanum (northern prickly ash) Zizia aurea (golden alexanders)

Reptiles	painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)