The word "Shetek" is Ojibwe for "pelican," a bird
which visits Lake Shetek during the summer and fall. The park contains the
largest lake in southwestern Minnesota, which forms the headwaters of the Des
Moines River. Expect great fishing for walleye, northern, crappie, and
bullheads. Loon Island, a 45-acre bird sanctuary, is accessible on foot via a
causeway and includes an interpretive trail. Visit the Koch Cabin and monument
memorializing pioneer settlers. The park includes a swimming beach, boat launch,
campgrounds and a scenic six-mile loop bicycle trail into the town of Currie.
Boat and canoe rentals are available.Quick stats:
1,108 acres
120,000 annual visits
Naturalist:
Although there is no naturalist on staff at this time, interpretive programs
are presented occasionally. Stop at the park office for Junior Park Naturalist
Booklets and self-guided activities.
Wildlife
A quiet hike on one of the park trails can yield a glimpse of a white-tailed
deer, the sounds of bobolinks in the prairie, or the flight of a white pelican
overhead. The wooded shoreline of Lake Shetek provide cover for white-tail deer,
fox, mink, beaver, fox squirrels, muskrat, woodchuck and coyote. Several
wetlands in the park offer visitors an opportunity to view waterfowl, reptiles
and amphibians. At Eastlick Marsh, interpretive signs and an observation deck
with a spotting scope allow for close-up viewing and easy identification of
coots, grebes, ducks, herons, and pelicans. Many species of waterfowl nest in
and around the park in spring and early summer.
History
Long before European and American settlers appeared in the area, native
people were in the Lake Shetek area in pursuit of bison. In the mid 1830s,
European and American explorers such as Catlin, Nicollet, Prescot and Fremont
explored the area associated with Lake Shetek. The first white settlement
occurred in 1856. Although its population varied, it probably numbered no more
than 40 people at any one time. The settlement was located from Lake Fremont to
Beauty Lake along the eastern side of Lake Shetek. Most of those who came during
the 1856-1862 years did so because of Governor Ramsey's lenient land
regulations. Settlers were permitted to claim land after seven year's occupation
if they cleared sufficient land for a farm. In 1862, the U.S.-Dakota Conflict
occurred in the area where both settlers and Dakota Indians died.
Geology
Lake Shetek lies in the Coteau des Prairie ("highlands of the prairie")
region of Minnesota, a geological area which separates the Minnesota River from
the Missouri River watershed. Glaciers moved across this Coteau region two
million to 13,000 years ago. During the last stage of glaciation, this area was
covered with deep deposits of rock debris called glacial till. Glacial till,
which accumulated at the margins of the glacier, formed irregular hills and
depressions called moraines. Lake Shetek lies in the Altamont Moraine complex.
About 14,000 years ago, the climate warmed and the glaciers receded, producing
swift rivers of meltwater which sculpted channels and formed outwash plains.
Small landslides dammed meltwater channels and depressions which backed up water
and eventually created Lake Shetek.
Landscape
Before modern agriculture was introduced, most of the Lake Shetek area was a
treeless prairie with hundreds of species of wildflowers and grasses. Today, a
large portion of the 1,108-acre park consists of old fields and forests of oak,
hackberry, basswood, elm, and ash. In an effort to restore the natural prairie,
prescribed burns and invasive species control are used. Although it will take
decades to even partially restore the prairie, progress is being made. Blazing
star, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, vervain, sunflowers, and bottle gentian
are a few of the showy wildflowers growing in the park.
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