Hovland Woods SNA

       
   

Area and County

    Cook County
    Northeast Minnesota
     
 

Driving Directions

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Size

1,323 acres

 
 
Maps

Detail map (MN DNR)

     

 Printable Maps with GPS coordinates

 
Printable map    
 
Units

North Unit

South Unit

 
Parking

See individual units (above) for parking information

 
Hiking Trails

There are several roads and trails in the North Unit. The Hovland Woods Trail is a 16-mile ATV trail. It forms a loop that passes through both units of Hovland Woods SNA. It is open to ATVs from May 15 to November 30, to hikers year round.

North Unit: The Hovland Woods Trail follows Boyd Road, a light duty dirt road, from the north parking area 0.83 miles to the north boundary of the SNA; 2.26 miles to the southwest corner of the North Unit; then 0.83 miles to Tom Lake Road, the Superior Hiking Trail,and the South Unit of the SNA. A 0.63-mile spur off the main trail on Boyd Road leads east to Stevens Lake. A minimum maintenance road leads southwest from Boyd Road for 0.68 miles. It ends at a fork with two trails, one leading west into Grand Portage State Forest, the other leading north and back onto the SNA.

South Unit: From Tom Lake Road, another light duty dirt road, the Hovland Woods Trail leads northeast following the road 0.71 miles to the north boundary of the South Unit. The Superior Hiking Trail passes through the South Unit for a short distance. The Hazel Campground is adjacent to the south boundary.

 
Hunting

All hunting. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details.

 
Ecological Classification Province  

Laurentian Mixed Forest

Ecological Classification
Section  

Northern Superior Uplands

Subsection(s)  

Border Lakes
North Shore Highlands

Land Type Association(s)

Northern Lights Lake Till Plain

Swamp River Till Plain

Tettegouche Till Plain

 
Native Plant Communities1

Alder - (Maple - Loosestrife) Swamp

Aspen - Birch Forest: Balsam Fir Subtype

Beaver Wetland Complex

Black Ash - Conifer Swamp (Northeastern)

Dry Mafic Cliff (Nothern) / Northern Talus Complex

Lowland White Cedar Forest (North Shore)

Mesic Mafic Cliff (Northern)

Northern Shrub Shore Fen

Paper Birch - Sugar Maple Forest (North Shore)

Sugar Maple Forest (North Shore)

Upland White Cedar Forest

White Cedar Swamp (Northeastern)

 
Ownership Minnesota DNR logo        
 
Links

Minnesota DNR

 
Comments

History
On February 4, 1992, a site in Cook County about 291 acres in size was designated as Hovland Woods Scientific and Natural Area. It protected old growth hardwoods, the special concern species Carolina spring beauty, and the state threatened species large-leaved sandwort (Carolina spring beauty has since been delisted). The site was greatly expanded on December 16, 2013. An adjacent parcel of about 290 acres was added to the original site, and a separate but nearby parcel of about 742 acres became the North Unit of this SNA.

 
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  Hovland Woods SNA
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  Hovland Woods SNA  
 
About

Hovland Woods SNA, a large forested natural area, contains mature and old-growth virgin forest communities now rare in the region. Beaver flowages, alder swamp, and a tributary of the Flute Reed River are also found on the property. Large old white spruce and white pine provide habitat for rare lichens and nesting eagles. Other species found on the site and in the general area include gray wolf and pine marten. Rare plants include the Carolina spring beauty and large-leaved sandwort.

 
     

 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Observations
   
Birds

One tracked bird species has been seen here:

 

Tracked

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

 
 

Minnesota DNR Bird checklist

 
Mammals

One mammal species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:

 

Threatened

gray wolf (Canis lupus)

 
Plants

One plant species with conservation status in Minnesota is found here:

 

Threatened

large-leaved sandwort (Moehringia macrophylla)

 
 

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Plant List

 
 

Plants frequently found in:

Alder - (Maple - Loosestrife) Swamp FPn73a

Aspen - Birch Forest: Balsam Fir Subtype FDn43b1

Black Ash - Conifer Swamp (Northeastern) WFn64a

Lowland White Cedar Forest (North Shore) WFn53a

Mesic Mafic Cliff (Northern) CTn32a

Northern Shrub Shore Fen OPn81

Paper Birch - Sugar Maple Forest (North Shore) MHn45a

Sugar Maple Forest (North Shore) MHn45c

Upland White Cedar Forest FDn43c

White Cedar Swamp (Northeastern) FPn63a

 

 

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