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Visitors who come to Lake Maria State Park will enjoy
one of the few remaining stands of the "Big Woods," a maple, oak and basswood
forest that once covered part of southern Minnesota.
The park is perfect for hikers, backpackers, horseback riders, and
cross-country skiers who enjoy the challenge of the rolling terrain. Take a
stroll on the boardwalk which winds through a marsh.
Backpack sites, located on remote lakes and ponds throughout the park, are
just two miles from the trailhead parking lot. New log camper cabins, located
near lakes and ponds, provide bunk beds for six people and a table and benches
for campers who want more of the creature comforts.
Lake Maria State Park is home to the Blandings turtle, easily identified by
bright yellow spots on its shell. It is one of Minnesota's threatened species.
Quick stats:
1,590 acres
73,202 annual visits
Naturalist:
Although there is no full-time naturalist on staff, programs are available
year-round.
Wildlife
The marshes, potholes, and lakes provide excellent habitat for wildlife.
Approximately 205 different species of birds have been reported living in, or
passing through on seasonal migrations. Visitors have seen bald eagles, Cooper's
hawk, Franklin's gull, osprey, common egret, common loon, trumpeter swans, great
blue heron, marsh hawk, and goldfinch. Owl species include the screech,
great-horned, snowy, and short-eared. Mammals include shrews, bats, moles,
rabbits, woodchucks, red and grey squirrels, pocket gophers, beaver, mice,
fisher, muskrats, mink, striped skunk, red fox, and white-tailed deer.
History
The Big Woods was a forest that once occupied 3,030 square miles in
south-central Minnesota. The forest was comprised of maple, basswood, white and
red elm, red oak, tamarack, and red cedar on the banks of numerous lakes. The
trees were so thick that sunlight couldn't penetrate to the forest floor in some
spots. French explorers called the forest "Bois Grand" or "Bois Fort." Later,
settlers altered the name to the "Big Woods." Today, farms, towns, suburbs, and
industry have replaced much of the Big Woods. Fortunately, Lake Maria State Park
retains a remnant of the grandness of the original Big Woods.
Geology
The park lies in the St. Croix Moraine which was formed during the last
glacier, the Wisconsin Age. The bedrock of the park is mainly granite covered by
several feet of rock debris. Three different glaciers carved the landscape. The
first glacier came about one million years ago; the last glacier came about
10,000 years ago. The ice brought two types of soil: red, sandy till from around
Lake Superior and clay and loam (sand, clay, silt, and organic matter) from the
Red River Valley.
Landscape
Lake Maria State Park is located at the northern edge of the Big Woods. This
region is characterized by rough, wooded terrain and terminal moraine. The
moraine consists of an accumulation of boulders, stone, and other debris left by
a glacier that melted 10,000 years ago.
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