Frenchman’s Bluff SNA
About • Location • Activities • Ecology
About |
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Ownership |
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Overview |
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The Nature Conservancy owns the land at Frenchman’s Bluff and leases it back to the Minnesota DNR. The site is 50 acres of glacial moraine overlooking the Red River Valley/Glacial Lake Agassiz basin. It includes an abandoned quarry near the parking area. There is a 5½ acre section of bur oak - aspen forest at the northeast corner. The understory in this section includes a dense shrub layer. While not impenetrable, passage through this area is difficult at best. There is another, smaller forested section south of the quarry. The rest of the preserve is dry sand - gravel prairie and mesic prairie. |
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History |
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Management |
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Comments |
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Location |
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Size |
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50.45 acres |
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Driving Directions |
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Parking |
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There is a parking lot with room for several vehicles on the west side of County Road 36 at the southeast corner of the SNA. N47 11.687, W96 10.405 |
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Maps |
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Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates |
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Activities |
Hiking Birding Nature photography Cross country skiing Snowshoeing |
Trails |
There are no maintained trails. A well-worn footpath leads a short distance from the parking area to the north rim of the gravel pit and then disappears. There are no other trails. |
Hunting and Fishing |
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Ecology |
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Ecological Classification |
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| Ecological Province |  |
Prairie Parkland Province | |||
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Red River Valley | |||
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Red River Prairie | |||
| Land Type Association | Flom Till Plain | ||||
Native Plant Communities* |
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Bur Oak - Aspen Forest Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern) Mesic Prairie (Northern) |
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| * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources | |||||
Natural Features |
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Visitor Photos |
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Dan W. Andree |
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Frenchman’s Bluff SNA prescribed burn area regrowth... |
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… a prescribed burn they did this Spring at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA. That section needed it. So was good they did it and we have had some rains recently. That photo was taken on May 14, 2023. The burn was done some time around May 10, 2023. … It will be interesting to see how it grows. I could just barely see grass and plant sprouts poking through the burn that day. But I haven’t been out there since. I will check it out eventually one day and see. |
… it is regrowing nicely and should do well long as it gets normal rains in that region. | |
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Prairie Flowers |
A big change this season from last seasons heat and drought. |
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“Prairie flowers in bloom at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA” |
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Frenchman’s Bluff ...Sept. 30, 2021 Took this today on a hike on the preserve. Looked nice so had to photograph it. Fall season can be short. |
Frenchman’s Bluff top of the hill view... Sept. 30, 2021 up on the big hill at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA. |
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Frenchman’s Bluff non-burned area and prescribed burn.... areas. Late June 2021. |
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| I took a hike this afternoon at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA though still snow covered for the most part but melting at the same time with the milder temperature and on and off sunlight. A beautiful day. | Another view looking up the bluff or big hill | |
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Parking |
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Parking |
Wood routed sign | |
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Quarry |
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Quarry |
Bur Oak - Aspen Forest | |
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Mesic Prairie (Northern) |
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Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern) |
View from the Bluff | |
Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Share your sightings or comments about of this destination. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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Fungi and Lichens |
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| Curtis’s Puffball (Lycoperdon curtisii) |  |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
Visits |
8/17/2010 8/2/2013 |
Birds |
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American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) |
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Fungi and Lichens |
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Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa)
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Insects and Arachnids |
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common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala) |
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Mammals |
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| plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) |  |
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_02.jpg "bur oak (var. macrocarpa)")
Reptiles |
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| plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix) |  |
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Created: Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |