About • Location • Activities • Ecology
About |
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Ownership |
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City of Mendota Heights |
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Links |
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Pilot Knob Preservation Association National Park Service, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area |
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Overview |
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Pilot Knob is an historic site in Mendota Heights on the east bank of the Minnesota River. Two overlooks provide spectacular vistas of Fort Snelling, the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, and the Minneapolis skyline. A half-mile of paved and mowed trails include interpretive signs that describe the history of the site. The trail connects to Dakota County’s Big Rivers Regional Trail, a paved bike trail. Bald Eagles and migrating raptors are often seen flying overhead. Pilot Knob is known to the Dakota as Oheyawahi, or “a hill much visited.” It served as a burial site for for Dakota Villages along the Minnesota River. It is here that the Dakota signed a treaty in 1851 that transferred millions of acres of land to the United States. The City of Mendota Heights acquired 25 acres on the hill in 2006. Overhead power lines were buried underground, brush was cut and removed, prairie was restored, and wildflowers and oak trees were planted. |
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History |
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On March 14, 2017, Pilot Knob was added to the National Registed of Historic Places. |
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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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25 acres |
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Parking |
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2100 Pilot Knob Road There is a small parking area on the east side of Pilot Knob Road. N44 52.732, W93 10.029 |
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Hours |
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Fees |
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No fee |
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Driving Directions |
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Dakota County | ||||||
Metro Area | ||||||
Activities |
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Hiking Trails |
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0.35 mile paved 0.1 mile mowed |
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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 | Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province |
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Ecological Section | Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal |
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Ecological Subsection | St. Paul-Baldwin Plains and Moraines |
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Land Type Association | Wescott Moraine |
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Native Plant Communities* |
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Not mapped (10/11/2021) |
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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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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
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Kirk Nelson |
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Known to Dakota people as Oheyawahi, "the hill much visited," Pilot Knob is a place of distinctive historical, cultural, and environmental importance, a sacred site, a landmark of Minnesota's beginnings. Pilot Knob is located on the east end of the Mendota Bridge, south of Highway 55 in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. — Pilot Knob Preservation Association |
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Sheep grazing |
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Road to Parking |
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Sign |
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Trail from parking area |
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Council Fires Overlook |
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Overlook area |
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Up slope from Council Fires Overlook |
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Trail |
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View of Minneapolis |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Parking |
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A brochure with a map is available at the parking area |
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Restored Prairie |
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View from the Top |
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Interpretive Sign |
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Council Fires Overlook |
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Future Trail |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Conservation Grazing at Pilot Knob Hill Great River Greening |
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About
Published on Jul 19, 2013 As part of a long-term prairie reconstruction effort at Pilot Knob Hill in Mendota Heights, Great River Greening introduced horses and ponies for conservation grazing on a warm, sunny morning in July. Conservation grazing is a restoration technique that introduces grazing livestock to feed on nonnative grasses as a means to increase the biodiversity of the native landscape. In addition to conservation grazing, other efforts, including prescribed burning, mowing, and removal of buckthorn and sumac invasive species, have been implemented throughout the year. This combination of conservation efforts is carefully planned for native species to thrive and nonnative species to be eliminated from the area. The city of Mendota Heights is funding this event through a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. About Pilot Knob Located on a high, prominent hill on the east bank of the Minnesota River near where it meets the Mississippi River, Pilot Knob provides sweeping views of both, as well as Fort Snelling State Park, and downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. It attracts numerous uncommon and rare bird species and provides critical habitat for native grassland wildlife that includes eagles, migrating raptors and songbirds, long-eared owls, wild turkeys, and whitetail deer. Prairie Restoration and Community Stewardship About Great River Greening www.greatrivergreening.org |
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Butterflies dalebunny |
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About
Published on Aug 12, 2016 10 AUG 2016 Butterflies and flowers on Pilot Knob, Mendota Heights, MN. |
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Rare Bee
During a bumble bee survey conducted in July, 2016, a rusty patched bumble bee was found here.
Created: 12/22/2016
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