Twin Lakes SNA

 

 

     
 
About
 
 

Ownership

 
 

Minnesota DNR logo

 
     
 

Links

 
 

Minnesota DNR

 
     
 

Overview

 
 

 

 
     
 

History

 
 

Twin Lakes SNA was designated August 20, 2012.

 
     
 

Management

 
 

 

 
     
 

Comments

 
 

 

 
     
 
Location
 
 

Maps

 
 

 

 
         
 

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

 
  Printable map      
         
 

Size

 
 

48 acres

 
         
 

Parking

 
 

The Minnesota DNR recommends parking on the north shoulder of County Road 9. That is a busy road and there is little room to pull completely off the pavement before the shoulder drops off into a ditch.

County Road 9 (not recommended)
N45 27.132, W93 2.961

A better option is to park on the West shoulder of Vassar St. NE near the site’s wood routed sign. There is little traffic and there is plenty of room for several vehicles to pull completely off the road.

Vassar St NE (recommended)
N45 27.310, W93 2.513

Do not park at the field approach on County Road 9—that is private property.

 
         
 

Driving Directions

  Area and County  
 

Get driving directions from Google Maps to this destination from any address, and send those directions to your phone.

   
          Isanti County  
          Central Minnesota  
     
 
Activities
 
 

Hiking Trails

 
 

There are no maintained trails. There is an old forest road, now barely visible on the ground, that follows at a short distance the south and west shore of Horseshoe Lake.

 
     
 

Hunting

 
 

Youth deer hunt only. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Ecological Classification

  Ecological Classification  
  Ecological Province    

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

   
  Ecological Section    

Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal

   
  Ecological Subsection    

Anoka Sand Plain

   
  Land Type Association    

Anoka Lake Plain

   
             
 

Native Plant Communities*

   
 

Oak - (Red Maple) Woodland

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

Natural Features

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

South parking (not recommended)

The Minnesota DNR recommends parking on the north shoulder of County Road 9. That is a busy road and there is little room to pull completely off the pavement before the shoulder drops off into a ditch.

  Twin Lakes SNA  
           
 

East parking (recommended)

A better option is to park on the West shoulder of Vassar St. NE near the site’s wood routed sign. There is little traffic and there is plenty of room for several vehicles to pull completely off the road.

  Twin Lakes SNA  
           
        Twin Lakes SNA  
           
 

Field approach

Do not park at the field approach on County Road 9 – that is private property.

  Twin Lakes SNA  
           
        Twin Lakes SNA  
           
 

Wood routed sign

In 2012, the prairie in the tiny prairie at the northeast corner of this SNA was free of woody species.

  Twin Lakes SNA  
           
 

In 2018, Siberian elm was becoming established.

  Twin Lakes SNA  
           
 

Prairie

 
    Twin Lakes SNA      
           
 

Oak - (Red Maple) Woodland

 
    Twin Lakes SNA   Twin Lakes SNA  
           
    Twin Lakes SNA   Twin Lakes SNA  
           
 

Old forest road

 
    Twin Lakes SNA      
           
 

Horseshoe Lake

 
    Twin Lakes SNA      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Twin Lakes SNA
minnesota_snas
  Twin Lakes SNA  
 
About

Twin Lakes SNA

48 acres of white pine forest, preserved shoreline, and plenty of protected habitat for rare species.

Learn more about this SNA at www.mndnr.gov/snas/sna02052

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Twin Lakes Scientific and Natural Area Virtual Hike
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
 
   
 
About

Jun 11, 2020

Find the wild places! Image yourself taking a quiet stroll through Twin Lakes SNA in Isanti County. You find yourself surrounded by tall pines and old oaks, birds singing to you as you walk to the edge of Horseshoe Lake and enjoy the view. Though you may not visit this SNA in person, it is rewarding to know that we, as Minnesotans, have together protected this important habitat for the rare and wild in Minnesota.

mndnr.gov/snas/sna02052

 

 

Camcorder

           
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Visits

5/15/2012

  5/26/2018            
 
 

Amphibians

 
  American toad (Anaxyrus americanus)   American toad  
 

Birds

 
 

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

Special Concern

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

 
 

eBird Field Checklist

 
 

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Common Loon (Gavia immer)

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

Eastern Wood-peewee (Contopus virens)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

 

Black-capped Chickadee

Common Loon

Mallard

Mourning Dove

Wild Turkey

Wood Duck

 
 

Fungi and Lichens

 
 

Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum)

Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa)

Crown Rust (Puccinia coronata)

False Turkey Tail (Stereum ostrea)

Hoof Fungus (Fomes fomentarius)

  Hoof Fungus  
 

Insects and Arachnids

 
 

American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis)

chalk-fronted corporal (Ladona julia)

common baskettail (Epitheca cynosura)

eastern tent caterpillar moth (Malacosoma americana)

eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

four-spotted skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata)

goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis)

maple bladdergall mite (Vasates quadripedes)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

plum finger gall mite (Eriophyes emarginatae)

red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

western honey bee (Apis mellifera)

white admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis)

white-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata)

 

chalk-fronted corporal

finger gall of plum finger gall mite

eastern tent caterpillar

monarch

white admiral

 
 

Mammals

 
 

eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  whitetail deer  
 

Plants

 
 

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List

 
 

Plants frequently found in:

Oak - (Red Maple) Woodland FDs37a

     
 

 

alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa)

Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)

alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum)

American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus)

American stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis)

American vetch (Vicia americana ssp. americana)

American woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca ssp. americana)

arrow-leaved violet (Viola sagittata var. sagittata)

bigleaf aster (Eurybia macrophylla)

bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata)

black bindweed (Fallopia convolvulus)

black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina)

black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii)

bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii)

bluntleaf sandwort (Moehringia lateriflora)

boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo)

bristly greenbrier (Smilax tamnoides)

bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa)

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)

Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis)

Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis)

catnip (Nepeta cataria)

chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana)

cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)

cleavers (Galium aparine)

common blue violet (Viola sororia)

common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

common cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex)

common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale)

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

common juniper (Juniperus communis var. depressa)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus)

common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

cream pea (Lathyrus ochroleucus)

crested wood fern (Dryopteris cristata)

curly dock (Rumex crispus)

early figwort (Scrophularia lanceolata)

eastern prickly gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati)

eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana)

eastern star sedge (Carex radiata)

eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

fan clubmoss (Diphasiastrum digitatum)

field horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum)

glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)

gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana)

interrupted fern (Claytosmunda claytoniana)

jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)

narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

northern bedstraw (Galium boreale)

northern blue flag (Iris versicolor)

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

northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis)

northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)

northern red oak (Quercus rubra)

northern starflower (Lysimachia borealis)

one-cone clubmoss (Lycopodium lagopus)

ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica)

paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera)

Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

prickly rose (Rosa acicularis ssp. sayi)

prickly tree clubmoss (Dendrolycopodium dendroideum)

quackgrass (Elymus repens)

red clover (Trifolium pratense)

red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)

red maple (Acer rubrum var. rubrum)

round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata)

royal fern (Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis)

sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

sessile-leaf bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia)

Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)

silvery cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea)

smooth blackberry (Rubus canadensis)

smooth rose (Rosa blanda var. blanda)

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

smooth sumac (Rhus glabra)

spinulose wood fern (Dryopteris carthusiana)

spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)

starry false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum)

switch grass (Panicum virgatum var. virgatum)

touch-me-not (Impatiens sp.)

western bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum)

western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)

western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)

white oak (Quercus alba)

white rattlesnake root (Nabalus albus)

white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana)

white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima)

wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

wild grape (Vitis riparia)

wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)

wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia)

woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea)

 

Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder)

Acer rubrum var. rubrum (red maple)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)

Ageratina altissima var. altissima (white snakeroot)

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)

Ambrosia psilostachya (western ragweed)

Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia (wood anemone)

Apocynum androsaemifolium (spreading dogbane)

Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine)

Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla)

Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit)

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (white sage)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

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

Berteroa incana (hoary alyssum)

Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera (paper birch)

Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)

Carex radiata (eastern star sedge)

Dendrolycopodium dendroideum (prickly tree clubmoss)

Diphasiastrum digitatum (fan clubmoss)

Dryopteris carthusiana (spinulose wood fern)

Dryopteris cristata (crested wood fern)

Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved purple coneflower)

Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye)

Elymus repens (quackgrass)

Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)

Eurybia macrophylla (bigleaf aster)

Fallopia convolvulus (black bindweed)

Fragaria vesca ssp. americana (American woodland strawberry)

Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry)

Frangula alnus (glossy buckthorn)

Galium aparine (cleavers)

Galium boreale (northern bedstraw)

Galium triflorum (fragrant bedstraw)

Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy)

Impatiens sp. (touch-me-not)

Iris versicolor (northern blue flag)

Juniperus communis var. depressa (common juniper)

Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar)

Laportea canadensis (Canadian woodnettle)

Lathyrus ochroleucus (cream pea)

Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover)

Lycopodium lagopus (one-cone clubmoss)

Lysimachia borealis (northern starflower)

Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)

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

Maianthemum stellatum (starry false Solomon’s seal)

Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern)

Medicago sativa ssp. sativa (alfalfa)

Moehringia lateriflora (bluntleaf sandwort)

Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)

Nabalus albus (white rattlesnake root)

Nepeta cataria (catnip)

Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)

Osmorhiza claytonii (bland sweet cicely)

Claytosmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern)

Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis (royal fern)

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (cinnamon fern)

Panicum virgatum var. virgatum (switch grass)

Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine)

Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)

Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain)

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

Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen)

Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil)

Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil)

Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry)

Prunus virginiana var. virginiana (chokecherry)

Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum (western bracken fern)

Quercus alba (white oak)

Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak)

Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak)

Ratibida pinnata (gray-headed coneflower)

Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn)

Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)

Ribes cynosbati (eastern prickly gooseberry)

Rosa acicularis ssp. sayi (prickly rose)

Rosa blanda var. blanda (smooth rose)

Rubus allegheniensis (Allegheny blackberry)

Rubus canadensis (smooth blackberry)

Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (American red raspberry)

Rumex crispus (curly dock)

Sambucus canadensis (American elderberry)

Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry)

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Scrophularia lanceolata (early figwort)

Smilax tamnoides (bristly greenbrier)

Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod)

Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion)

Toxicodendron rydbergii (western poison ivy)

Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover)

Trifolium pratense (red clover)

Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm)

Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle)

Uvularia sessilifolia (sessile-leaf bellwort)

Vaccinium angustifolium (lowbush blueberry)

Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein)

Vicia americana ssp. americana (American vetch)

Viola sagittata var. sagittata (arrow-leaved violet)

Viola sororia (common blue violet)

Vitis riparia (wild grape)

Zanthoxylum americanum (northern prickly ash)

 

alsike clover

American elderberry

American vetch

black bindweed

black cherry

bur oak (var. macrocarpa)

chokecherry

common blue violet

common false Solomon’s seal

common mullein

common yarrow

fragrant bedstraw

gray-headed coneflower

hoary alyssum

northern bedstraw

northern blue flag

northern prickly ash

northern starflower

prairie rose

red elderberry

round-headed bush clover

silvery cinquefoil

smooth rose

spreading dogbane

western poison ivy flowers

wild bergamot

wild columbine

wood anemone

 
 

Reptiles

 
 

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

Threatened

Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)

 
         

 

 

Binoculars

 

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