Gneiss Outcrops SNA
About • Location • Activities • Ecology
About |
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Overview |
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History |
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Management |
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Comments |
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Location |
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Maps |
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Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates |
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Size |
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241 acres |
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Parking |
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There are two deisgnated parking areas on the Minnesota DNR Website. The one on Cty Rd 40 is on the narrow shoulder at a curve in a narrow road. The second one is the north shoulder of 170th St. 0.1 mile west of Cty Rd 40. County Road 40 A safer parking spot, not on the DNR map, is a pull off on the north side of 170th St. 0.37 miles west of Cty Rd 40. 170th St. pull-off |
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Driving Directions |
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| Chippewa County | ||||||
| Southwest Minnesota | ||||||
Activities |
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Hiking Trails |
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No maintained trails |
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Hunting |
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No hunting |
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Ecology |
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Ecological Classification |
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| Ecological Province | Prairie Parkland Province |
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| Ecological Section | North Central Glaciated Plains |
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| Ecological Subsection | Minnesota River Prairie |
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| Land Type Association | Bunde Till Plain Milan Alluvial Plain |
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Native Plant Communities* |
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Crystalline Bedrock Outcrop (Prairie): Minnesota River Subtype |
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| * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources | |||||||
Natural Features |
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Waterproof footwear recommended
In a wet season, such as the spring of 2012, most of the site that is under 900 feet in altitude (see topographic map above) is under water. From the parking spot only a small portion of the SNA is accessible. The remainder of the site can be accessed from the terraced meadow at the eastern edge of the SNA. Waterproof footwear is recommended.
Visitor Photos |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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DNR Parking Recommendation (Cty Rd 40) |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Parking Recommendation (170th St.) |
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Wood Routed Sign |
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Slough |
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Meadow |
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Slideshows |
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| Gneiss Outcrops Joshua Mayer |
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| Gneiss Outcrops SNA minnesota_snas |
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About
The Gneiss Outcrops, formed approximately 3.6 billion years ago, are among the oldest known rock on the earth's surface. This SNA's significance steadily increases as other outcrops along the Minnesota River are exploited for granite mining, housing, and recreational use. These pyramidal outcrops along the Glacial River Warren Valley rise to about 50 feet above the general level of the land, revealing parallel bands of gneiss. |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Gneiss Outcrops Scientific and Natural Area Virtual Hike Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
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About
Apr 2, 2020 Gneiss Outcrops SNA, located along the Minnesota River, contains some of the oldest known rock on the Earth’s surface. In early July, you can find cactus blooming between lichen covered rocks. Find a rock to rest on and look out across a lake at this little world. Gneiss Outcrops was established as a Scientific and Natural Area on June 13, 1996. mndnr.gov/snas/sna01071 |
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