Westwood Hills Nature Center

 
About

Ownership

St. Louis Park

 

Links

St. Louis Park

 

Overview

 

 

History

 

 

Management

 

 

Comments

 

Location

Size

160 acres

 

Driving Directions

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  Area and County
    County   Hennepin County
    Region   Metro Area

Parking

8300 W. Franklin Ave.
St. Louis Park, MN 55426

N44 57.828, W93 23.175

 

Hours

Nature center trails are open every day from sunrise to sunset, year-round.

The interpretive center building is open year-round during the following times.

  • Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
 

Fees

Parking and admission are free.

 

Maps

Westwood Hills Nature Center trail map

Activities

Hiking

Birdwatching

Nature photography

Picnicking

Canoeing

Snowshoeing

 

Hiking Trails

Several hiking trails, including a 1.54-mile loop trail

 

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   Big Woods  
Land Type Association     Hopkins Moraine  
         

Native Plant Communities*

 

Not mapped (7/10/2020)

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

Natural Features

   

Westwood Lake, marsh, pine forest, maple/basswood forest

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

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Margot Avey

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center

Parking

  Information Kiosk
     

Signage

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center    
     

Trails

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center    
     

Trail Map

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     

Boardwalk

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center    
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center

Bridge

  Steps
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center

Westwood Lake

  Y-Dock
     

Winter

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center    
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center    

Spring

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Entrance

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center

Parking

  Paved trail
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center

Cattail Marsh

  Maple/Basswood forest
     

Boardwalk

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center
     
Westwood Hills Nature Center    
     

T-Dock

Westwood Hills Nature Center   Westwood Hills Nature Center

 

Camera

Slideshows

Westwood Hills Nature Center
Misty Garrick

Westwood Hills Nature Center

 

slideshow

     
 
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Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

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A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis

Comments

7/22/2023

At the Westwood Hills Nature Center, we saw some life on July 22 this year.

This was all found by the A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis.

Fungi and Lichens

Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum)    

Insects and Arachnids

ant (Family: Formicidae)

gnat (Family: Simuliidae)

honey bee (Genus: Apis)

lady bug (Family: Coccinellidae)

monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

mosquito (Aedes vexanas)

twelve spotted skimmer dragonfly (Libellula pulchella)

water strider (Order: Gerridae)

   

Mammals

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)    

Plants

brown-eyed susan (Rudbeckia triloba)

common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

common plantain (Genus: Plantago)

crab apple (Malus sylvestris)

creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea)

Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Moss (Order: Bryopsida)

sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum)

tamarack (Larix laricina)

water lily (Family: Nymphaeaceae)

   

BigFootMN

Birds

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)    

Margot Avey

Birds

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

 

Northern Shoveler

Trumpeter Swan

Fungi and Lichens

Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus)

Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea)

Grisette (Amanita vaginata)

Mica Cap (Coprinellus micaceus)

 

Sharp-scaly Pholiota (Pholiota squarrosoides)

Thin-Walled Maze Polypore (Daedaleopsis confragosa)

 

Tawny Grisette

Poplar Pholiota

Insects and Arachnids

eastern boxelder bug (Boisea trivittata)

orbweavers (Family Araneidae)

red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)

  red-spotted purple

Mammals

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)   whitetail deer

Reptiles

painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)   western painted turtle
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Visits

5/4/2019

Amphibians

boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata)   boreal chorus frog

Birds

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

Endangered

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

Threatened

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Special Concern

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea)

Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)

Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla)

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Purple Martin (Progne subis)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

eBird Field Checklist

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

 

Blue Jay

Mallard

Northern Cardinal

Wild Turkey

Wood Duck

Fungi and Lichens

Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum)   Artist’s Conk

Insects and Arachnids

common green darner (Anax junius)

eastern boxelder bug (Boisea trivittata)

red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

  common green darner

Mammals

American mink (Neovison vison)

eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  whitetail deer

Plants

 

American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana)

American black currant (Ribes americanum)

American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana)

American stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis)

black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina)

boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo)

broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia)

bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa)

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)

Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense)

common blue violet (Viola sororia)

common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

common burdock (Arctium minus)

common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale)

common duckweed (Lemna minor)

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

common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca)

common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus)

Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

early meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum)

eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum)

eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

hairy wood mint (Blephilia hirsuta var. hirsuta)

hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca)

Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense)

nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)

narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia)

northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

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

northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis)

northern red oak (Quercus rubra)

northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica)

Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera)

red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)

red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea)

red pine (Pinus resinosa)

river birch (Betula nigra)

sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

silver maple (Acer saccharinum)

spinulose wood fern (Dryopteris carthusiana)

staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)

sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum)

tamarack (Larix laricina)

Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum)

weeping willow (Salix × sepulcralis)

white clover (Trifolium repens ssp. repens)

white spruce (Picea glauca)

wild grape (Vitis riparia)

wild leek (Allium tricoccum)

yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris var. palustris)

 

Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder)

Acer saccharinum (silver maple)

Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum (sugar maple)

Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)

Allium tricoccum (wild leek)

Arctium minus (common burdock)

Asarum canadense (Canadian wild ginger)

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

Betula nigra (river birch)

Blephilia hirsuta var. hirsuta (hairy wood mint)

Caltha palustris var. palustris (yellow marsh marigold)

Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)

Celtis occidentalis (northern hackberry)

Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)

Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood)

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s breeches)

Dryopteris carthusiana (spinulose wood fern)

Enemion biternatum (eastern false rue anemone)

Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy)

Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum (Virginia waterleaf)

Larix laricina (tamarack)

Lemna minor (common duckweed)

Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort)

Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)

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

Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern)

Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)

Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana (American hophornbeam)

Picea glauca (white spruce)

Pinus resinosa (red pine)

Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)

Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood)

Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry)

Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak)

Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak)

Quercus rubra (northern red oak)

Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn)

Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)

Ribes americanum (American black currant)

Ribes missouriense (Missouri gooseberry)

Salix × sepulcralis (weeping willow)

Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry)

Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion)

Thalictrum dioicum (early meadow-rue)

Thuja occidentalis (northern white cedar)

Tilia americana var. americana (American basswood)

Trifolium repens ssp. repens (white clover)

Typha × glauca (hybrid cattail)

Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail)

Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)

Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle)

Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein)

Viburnum lentago (nannyberry)

Viola sororia (common blue violet)

Vitis riparia (wild grape)

 

American black currant

black cherry

Canada mayflower

common blue violet

common mullein

Dutchman’s breeches

ground ivy

Missouri gooseberry

nannyberry

Pennsylvania sedge

red elderberry

Virginia waterleaf

Canadian wild ginger

wild leek

yellow marsh marigold

Reptiles

painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)   western painted turtle

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 4/19/2019

Last Updated:

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