Blue Mounds State Park is full of natural surprises.
Start with the Sioux quartzite cliff, rising 100 feet from the plains. A bison
herd grazes on the prairie. Prickly pear cactus blooms in June and July. A sea
of prairie grasses and flowers sway in the wind. The park is also a favorite for
birdwatchers who want to see nesting blue grosbeaks and other birds. Enjoy
camping and swimming.Quick stats:
1826 acres
80,603 annual visits
9,220 overnight visits
Naturalist:
The best way to learn more about Blue Mounds State Park is to stop at the
park office for a map and information about the park.
Wildlife
Bison, elk, wolves and prairie chickens roamed this part of Minnesota over
150-200 years ago. Today, a herd of bison resides in the park. The park has a
small population of coyotes and a stable deer population. Birdwatchers can catch
glimpses of several western species as well as the birds of the tallgrass
prairie.
History
Plains Indians depended on the bison to survive. Different weapons were used
to kill bison including the lance, and the bow and arrow. It is not known if the
park's quartzite cliffs were used by the Plains Indians to stampede the bison
off the cliff. Local rumors have persisted for years on the existence of large
quantities of bison bones piled at the base of the cliff. No evidence exists
today to substantiate these claims and stories. The large rock outcrop, first
known as "The Mound," has provided the park area with an exciting past. The
cliff appeared blue to settlers going west in the 1860s and 1870s. They named
the prominent landmark, the Blue Mound. The mystery of the Blue Mound is not
restricted to the cliffs. At the Mound's southern end is a 1,250 foot long line
of rocks aligned in a east-west direction. Who built it and why is unknown. It
is known that on the first day of spring and fall, the sunrise and sunset are
lined up on this stone alignment. Visitors can hike to these rocks. In 1934,
Rock County citizens asked the U.S. government for a Work Projects
Administration (WPA) project in the Blue Mounds area. The first phase of the
project was completed in 1937 with the construction of two dams on Mound Creek.
These form the present lakes in the park. In the 1950s, thousands of trees were
planted around the two lakes and in the campground. In 1961, the name of the
park was changed from the Mound Springs Recreation Area to Blue Mounds State
Park. That wasn't the only change: the park added three bison from the Fort
Niobrara Wildlife Refuge near Valentine, Nebraska to start the present bison
herd. Today, the Blue Mounds' herd is maintained at more than 100 bison.
Geology
The Sioux quartzite rock was formed on the bottom of an ancient sea. Vast
quantities of sand were deposited on this ancient sea floor. Ripple marks from
this sandy, watery origin have been preserved and can be seen along many of the
park's rock outcrops. Sandstone was formed from the further accumulation and
weight of sand water. Through time, heat and chemical reactions transformed the
sandstone into a very hard quartzite. The pink to purplish color in the
quartzite is due to the presence of iron oxide. Glaciers have been the most
recent geological event to shape the landscape in the last two million years.
Glacial striations and scratches gouged into rock when loose rocks were dragged
across the bedrock can be seen along the rock outcrops near the cliff line.
Retreating glaciers buried the surrounding bedrock with a "glacial drift" of
rock, sand, and gravel 200-300 feet deep. The last glacial advance, known as the
Wisconsin Ice Stage, did not cover the southwest corner of Minnesota.
Landscape
Blue Mounds State Park contains a small remaining fragment of the once vast
tallgrass prairie which covered much of North America. The abundant rock
outcrops and shallow soil prevented much of the land within the park from being
plowed. However, heavy grazing by domestic livestock has diminished the native
grasses and wildflowers and introduced foreign and exotic, weedy plants. Special
management programs are now underway to restore the native grasses and
wildflowers. Late summer offers visitors a panorama of prairie colors when
hundreds of different wildflowers bloom and grasses grow. For example, the big
bluestem grasses grow to seven feet tall, at a rate of almost an inch a day. In
addition, Blue Mounds is one of several places in Minnesota where cactus grows.
Patches of prickly pear cactus can be found growing in shallow soils atop the
quartzite outcrops. In late June and early July, the yellow flower of the cactus
blooms.
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