Time slips by when you visit this park of the north. Walk the Savanna
Portage Trail, a historic trail traveled by fur traders, Dakota and Ojibwe
Indians, and explorers more than 200 years ago. Savanna Portage State Park has
15,818 acres of rolling hills, lakes, and bogs. The Continental Divide marks the
great division of water: water to the west flows into the Mississippi River;
water to the east runs into Lake Superior. Visitors can hike the Continental
Divide Trail and see forested vistas. During the summer, visitors enjoy swimming
at Loon Lake. Bike enthusiasts can pedal on roads, or on dirt trails designated
for mountain bikes. With four fishing lakes and a river, its common for anglers
to catch panfish, trout and bass. Come winter, this park offers snowmobilers
approximately 60 miles of trails to explore. This park is a favorite among
cross-country skiers too with 10 miles of trails to ski.Quick stats:
15,818 acres
58,662 annual visits
Naturalist:
Wildlife
Walk the hiking trails among the oak woods and see deer, bear, skunk, wolf,
moose, and coyote. The bogs of the park attract many small animals and
songbirds, especially warblers. The lakes are home to migrating loons and other
waterfowl.
History
Savanna means open grassland refers to the expanse of marsh grass in the
park. The park contains the historic Savanna Portage Trail that the Dakota and
Ojibwe Indians, explorers and voyageurs found a challenge. The trail required a
six mile portage across marsh, swamp, and forest which took an average of five
days to reach the West Savanna River. Today, visitors can hike the Savanna
Portage Trail, a well-maintained trail.
Geology
Savanna Portage contains many features which are the result of the glaciers
that moved through Minnesota. The large bogs are old glacial lakes that once
covered many thousands of acres of land. These old lakes are the result of water
that collected behind glacial moraine deposits. These mark the greatest advance
of these massive ice sheets. When the great ice melted, the glacial lake water
began to seek its natural drainage. These glacial lakes helped form the Savanna
River and the St. Louis River which exists today.
Landscape
Savanna Portage is a wilderness retreat. Northern hardwoods with birch, aspen
and some conifers dominate the forest. Old-growth hardwoods and tamarack peat
bogs provide diversity to the northern woods.
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