Lost Valley Prairie SNA

 

 

About

Ownership

Minnesota DNR logo

 

Links

Minnesota DNR

 

Overview

 

 

History

In 2011 the Minnesota DNR added 122 acres to this SNA.

 

Management

In 2010 over half of this SNA was actively farmed.

 

Comments

 

Location

Size

322 acres

 

Driving Directions

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  Area and County
    County   Washington County
    Region   Metro Area

Parking

N44 47.835, W92 49.461

 

Hours

 

 

Fees

 

 

Maps

Detail map (MN DNR)

 

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

Printable map    
Activities

Hiking, nature photography, birdwatching

 

Hiking Trails

No maintained trails

 

Hunting

No hunting

Ecology

Ecological Classification

  Ecological Classification
Ecological Province Ecological Province  

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

 
Ecological Section Ecological Section  

Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal

 
Ecological Subsection Ecological Subsection  

St. Paul-Baldwin Plains and Moraines

 
Land Type Association    

Afton Bedrock Hills

 
         

Native Plant Communities*

 

Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern)

 
* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources    
     

Natural Features

   

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

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Jaxon Lane

Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern)

Lost Valley Prairie SNA    

Kirk Nelson

Lost Valley Prairie SNA   Lost Valley Prairie SNA
     
Lost Valley Prairie SNA   Lost Valley Prairie SNA
     
Lost Valley Prairie SNA
     
Lost Valley Prairie SNA   Lost Valley Prairie SNA
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Parking

Lost Valley Prairie SNA   Lost Valley Prairie SNA
     

Wood Routed Sign

Lost Valley Prairie SNA   Lost Valley Prairie SNA
     

Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern)

Lost Valley Prairie SNA   Lost Valley Prairie SNA
     

Other Prairie

 

Birdfoot Violets on “Fish Knob”

Lost Valley Prairie SNA   Lost Valley Prairie SNA

 

Camera

Slideshows

Lost Valley Prairie SNA
C

Lost Valley Prairie SNA
About

(Scientific and Natural Area)

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

Lost Valley
Flat Water Films

About

Sep 13, 2022

Got a tip about an old military bridge hidden in the woods, cool. One of the best places yet!

"Lost Valley Prairie is a beautiful bedrock bluff prairie featuring a series of limestone ridges and dry swales. Ridge crests and upper slopes host little bluestem, prairie drop-seed, side-oats grama, hairy grama, Indian grass, and big bluestem; wildflowers such as puccoon, stiff gentian and prairie smoke; as well as potential habitat for mammals such as groundhogs, fox, coyote and American badgers. Of special interest are the fire-dependent Hill's thistle, a Minnesota special concern species, and state-threatened rock sandwort with its tiny white flowers and slender leaves, typically found much farther north and known to occur at only a few sites in the state. Among its many values, this SNA contributes to good water quality in the nearby St. Croix River, which receives the naturally-filtered flows from intermittent streams that cross the site."

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/detail.html?id=sna01041

Lost Valley Prairie Scientific and Natural Area Virtual Hike
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

About

Apr 2, 2020

Have you visited Lost Valley Prairie SNA? Go for a hike on your own, or come for one of the many volunteer events throughout the year! Lost Valley Prairie SNA is a beautiful bedrock bluff prairie featuring a series of limestone ridges and dry swales. The SNA was established July 18, 1990.

mndnr.gov/snas/sna01041

Lost Valley Prairie SNA
DIRO Outdoors

About

Jan 20, 2017

The site stewards at Lost Valley Prairie SNA in Hastings, MN give you some reasons why you should come out and volunteer!

Butterfly hike at Lost Valley Prairie SNA
MN Nature Awesomeness - East Metro Water Education

About

Aug 2, 2020

Throw on a cowboy hat and join me for a hike in the Lost Valley Prairie Scientific and Natural Area in Denmark Twp. Look for blazing star, grey-headed coneflower, and bee balm in bloom, as well as black swallowtail and monarch butterflies.

 

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Visitor Sightings
 

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Visits

4/14/2006

4/21/2006

7/27/2008

7/10/2010

2/22/2011

5/22/2014

5/24/2014

Birds

Two bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Endangered

Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii)

Special Concern

Purple Martin (Progne subis)

Minnesota DNR Bird checklist

eBird Field Checklist

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

 

American Goldfinch

Blue Jay

Brown-headed Cowbird

Northern Cardinal

Red-winged Blackbird

Wild Turkey

Fungi and Lichens

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Lichens List

Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa)

Yellow Morel (Morchella esculentoides)

  Black Knot

Insects and Arachnids

Minnesota Bee Atlas

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Insects List

American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)

common green darner (Anax junius)

common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

dog day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis)

goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis)

goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis)

great spangled fritillary (Argynnis cybele)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

the neighbor (Haploa contigua)

twelve-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella)

 

great spangled fritillary

red admiral

Tewlve-spotted Skimmer

     

Mammals

eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  whitetail deer

Plants

Six plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:

Threatened

blunt-lobed grapefern (Botrychium oneidense)

kittentails (Veronica bullii)

rock sandwort (Minuartia dawsonensis)

Special Concern

Hill’s thistle (Cirsium pumilum var. hillii)

Kinnickinnick dewberry (Rubus multifer)

St. Lawrence grapefern (Botrychium rugulosum)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List

Plants frequently found in:

Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern) UPs13c

 

alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa)

alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum)

American germander (Teucrium canadense)

American lopseed (Phryma leptostachya)

American plum (Prunus americana)

American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus)

American stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis)

balsam fir (Abies balsamea var. balsamea)

bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata ssp. umbellata)

big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)

birdfoot violet (Viola pedata)

bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)

black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina)

black medick (Medicago lupulina)

black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)

black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima)

black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii)

bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii)

bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo)

broadleaf enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea canadensis)

Canada lettuce (Lactuca canadensis)

Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis)

Canadian horseweed (Erigeron canadensis)

catnip (Nepeta cataria)

chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana)

cleavers (Galium aparine)

common blue violet (Viola sororia)

common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

common burdock (Arctium minus)

common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale)

common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca)

common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus)

common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum)

common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

curly dock (Rumex crispus)

cylindric blazing star (Liatris cylindracea)

Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria ssp. armeria)

eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana)

eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense)

field thistle (Cirsium discolor)

flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata)

fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum)

garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)

golden alexanders (Zizia aurea)

gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

green carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata)

ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

ground plum (Astragalus crassicarpus var. crassicarpus)

hairy Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum pubescens)

harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)

heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera)

hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium)

hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana)

hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens)

hoary vervain (Verbena stricta)

Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

kidney-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus)

late goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

musk thistle (Carduus nutans)

Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense)

northern lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum)

northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis)

northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)

oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)

Parlin’s pussytoes (Antennaria parlinii)

plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera)

prairie alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii)

prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya)

prairie blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium campestre)

prairie coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata)

prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)

prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus var. septentrionalis)

prairie ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata ssp. fasciculata)

prairie rose (Rosa arkansana)

prairie sagewort (Artemisia frigida)

prairie violet (Viola pedatifida var. pedatifida)

prickly sow thistle (Sonchus asper)

purple giant hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia)

purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)

purple meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum)

purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea)

quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota ssp. carota)

red clover (Trifolium pratense)

red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)

rough blazing star (Liatris aspera)

rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica)

rough false pennyroyal (Hedeoma hispida)

round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata)

Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)

smooth brome (Bromus inermis)

smooth oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra)

smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum)

smooth sumac (Rhus glabra)

spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)

staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)

sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)

tall cinquefoil (Drymocallis arguta)

Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica)

timothy (Phleum pratense ssp. pratense)

velvet-leaf (Abutilon theophrasti)

Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum)

western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)

white avens (Geum canadense)

white campion (Silene latifolia ssp. alba)

white clover (Trifolium repens ssp. repens)

white prairie clover (Dalea candida)

white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana)

white spruce (Picea glauca)

white sweet clover (Melilotus albus)

whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

wild grape (Vitis riparia)

wild oat (Avena fatua)

winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris)

woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea)

yellow goat’s beard (Tragopogon dubius)

yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)

yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

 

Abies balsamea var. balsamea (balsam fir)

Abutilon theophrasti (velvet-leaf)

Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)

Agastache scrophulariifolia (purple giant hyssop)

Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)

Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed)

Amorpha canescens (leadplant)

Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem)

Antennaria parlinii (Parlin’s pussytoes)

Apocynum androsaemifolium (spreading dogbane)

Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)

Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine)

Arctium minus (common burdock)

Artemisia frigida (prairie sagewort)

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (white sage)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

Asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed)

Astragalus crassicarpus var. crassicarpus (ground plum)

Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum (northern lady fern)

Avena fatua (wild oat)

Barbarea vulgaris (winter cress)

Berteroa incana (hoary alyssum)

Bromus inermis (smooth brome)

Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)

Campanula rotundifolia (harebell)

Carduus nutans (musk thistle)

Circaea canadensis (broadleaf enchanter’s nightshade)

Cirsium discolor (field thistle)

Comandra umbellata ssp. umbellata (bastard toadflax)

Coreopsis palmata (prairie coreopsis)

Dalea candida (white prairie clover)

Dalea purpurea var. purpurea (purple prairie clover)

Daucus carota ssp. carota (Queen Anne’s lace)

Dianthus armeria ssp. armeria (Deptford pink)

Drymocallis arguta (tall cinquefoil)

Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye)

Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass)

Erigeron canadensis (Canadian horseweed)

Erigeron strigosus var. septentrionalis (prairie fleabane)

Euphorbia corollata (flowering spurge)

Fragaria virginiana (common strawberry)

Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash)

Galium aparine (cleavers)

Galium triflorum (fragrant bedstraw)

Geum canadense (white avens)

Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy)

Hedeoma hispida (rough false pennyroyal)

Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra (smooth oxeye)

Heuchera richardsonii (prairie alumroot)

Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum (Virginia waterleaf)

Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort)

Hypoxis hirsuta (yellow star grass)

Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar)

Lactuca canadensis (Canada lettuce)

Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort)

Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover)

Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy)

Liatris aspera (rough blazing star)

Liatris cylindracea (cylindric blazing star)

Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya (prairie blazing star)

Lithospermum canescens (hoary puccoon)

Lonicera tatarica (Tatarian honeysuckle)

Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum (common false Solomon’s seal)

Medicago lupulina (black medick)

Medicago sativa ssp. sativa (alfalfa)

Melilotus albus (white sweet clover)

Mollugo verticillata (green carpetweed)

Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)

Nepeta cataria (catnip)

Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)

Osmorhiza claytonii (bland sweet cicely)

Oxalis stricta (yellow wood sorrel)

Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine)

Phleum pratense ssp. pratense (timothy)

Phryma leptostachya (American lopseed)

Picea glauca (white spruce)

Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)

Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain)

Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum (smooth Solomon’s seal)

Polygonatum pubescens (hairy Solomon’s seal)

Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood)

Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)

Potentilla norvegica (rough cinquefoil)

Potentilla recta (sulphur cinquefoil)

Prunus americana (American plum)

Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry)

Prunus virginiana var. virginiana (chokecherry)

Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak)

Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaved buttercup)

Ratibida pinnata (gray-headed coneflower)

Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn)

Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)

Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)

Ribes missouriense (Missouri gooseberry)

Rosa arkansana (prairie rose)

Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (American red raspberry)

Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)

Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan)

Rumex crispus (curly dock)

Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry)

Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot)

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Silene latifolia ssp. alba (white campion)

Sisyrinchium campestre (prairie blue-eyed grass)

Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade)

Solidago altissima (late goldenrod)

Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod)

Sonchus asper (prickly sow thistle)

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)

Sporobolus heterolepis (prairie dropseed)

Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion)

Teucrium canadense (American germander)

Thalictrum dasycarpum (purple meadow-rue)

Thlaspi arvense (field pennycress)

Toxicodendron rydbergii (western poison ivy)

Tragopogon dubius (yellow goat’s beard)

Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover)

Trifolium pratense (red clover)

Trifolium repens ssp. repens (white clover)

Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm)

Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle)

Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein)

Verbena stricta (hoary vervain)

Vernonia fasciculata ssp. fasciculata (prairie ironweed)

Viola pedata (birdfoot violet)

Viola pedatifida var. pedatifida (prairie violet)

Viola sororia (common blue violet)

Vitis riparia (wild grape)

Zanthoxylum americanum (northern prickly ash)

Zizia aptera (heart-leaved golden alexanders)

Zizia aurea (golden alexanders)

 

alsike clover

American germander

birdfoot violet

black cherry

black raspberry

black-eyed susan

catnip

chokecherry

common blue violet

common evening primrose

common St. Johnswort

common yarrow

eastern redcedar

flowering spurge

gray-headed coneflower

heart-leaved golden alexanders

leadplant

Missouri gooseberry

musk thistle

prairie coreopsis

prairie ironweed

prairie rose

prairie violet

Queen Anne’s Lace

round-headed bush clover

tall cinquefoil

purple meadow-rue

Virginia waterleaf

white prairie clover

whorled milkweed

wild columbine

winter cress

yellow wood sorrel

 

 

Binoculars

 

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