Woodland Trails Park

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			Sherburne County
			Central Minnesota

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Size

427 acres

Maps

Summer Trail Map

Winter Trail Map

Park Entrance

N45 20.159, W93 36.165

Fee

No fee

Hiking Trails

4.7 miles paved bike trails
About 5 miles unpaved hiking trail

The 4¾-mile Great Northern Trail, a paved bike trail on an abandoned railway, passes througn the park.

Hunting

No hunting

Ecological Classification

Province

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

Section

Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal

Subsection(s)

Anoka Sand Plain

Land Type Association(s)

Anoka Lake Plain

Elk River Moraine

Native Plant Communities¹

Black Ash - Yellow Birch - Red Maple - Alder Swamp (Eastcentral)

Southern Dry-Mesic Oak (Maple) Woodland

Ownership

Links

City of Elk River

Comments

Overview
The City of Elk River describes Woodland Trails Park as “crown jewel of the Elk River Park system”. That may make it sound like a big fish in a little pond, but that phrase would not do it justice. This 371-acre park has two native plant communities, about 10 miles of hiking trails, and a biathlon range. The trails are wide and well marked, including distance markers every kilometer.

Woodland Trails Park preserves an area of low hills and swales formed by the advance of the Wisconsin glaciation about 12,000 years ago. Today, the area is mostly covered in a oak-maple woodland. A small black ash swamp occupies a low area to the west.

Significant Regional Designation
In August of 2016 the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission disignated Woodland Trails Park as a Significant Regional Designation. It is one of only 41 parks and trails in Greater Minnesota to receive that designation. The designation as a regional park makes it possible to receive state funding for park projects.

Visits

4/23/2016

5/12/2017


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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Park Entrance


Prairie Loop


Poplar Loop


North Mickey


Great Northern Trail


The “Pin”


Gravity Box


Terminal Morraine


Top of the World


Wash Pond Flats

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Observations


Amphibians	boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) treefrog (Hyla sp.)

Birds	American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) Eastern Wood-peewee (Contopus virens) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

Fungi and Lichens	Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum) Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa) Cinnabar Polypore (Pycnoporus cinnabarinus) Common Greenshield Lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata) Dryad’s Saddle (Polyporus squamosus) False Tinder Fungus (Phellinus igniarius) False Turkey Tail (Stereum ostrea) Hairy Bracket (Trametes hirsuta) Hammered Shield Lichen (Parmelia sulcata) Milk-white Toothed Polypore (Irpex lacteus) Oat Crown Rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) Smooth Patch (Aleurodiscus oaksii) Thin-Walled Maze Polypore (Daedaleopsis confragosa) True Tinder Polypore (Fomes fomentarius) Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

Insects and Arachnids	blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) common green darner (Anax junius) dot-tailed whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) eastern boxelder bug (Boisea trivittata) eastern comma (Polygonia comma) eastern tent caterpillar moth (Malacosoma americanum) eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis) goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis) mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) painted lady (Vanessa cardui) red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) spongy oak apple gall wasp (Amphibolips confluenta) spring azure (Celastrina ladon) willow pinecone gall midge (Rabdophaga strobiloides)

Mammals	American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Plants	Plants frequently found in: Black Ash - Yellow Birch - Red Maple - Alder Swamp (Eastcentral) WFn64b Southern Dry-Mesic Oak (Maple) Woodland FDs37

	Common Name Scientific Name absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana) American elm (Ulmus americana) American hazel (Corylus americana) American plum (Prunus americana) American starflower (Lysimachia borealis) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) bigleaf aster (Eurybia macrophylla) bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii) blunt-leaf grove sandwort (Moehringia lateriflora) boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) Canada moonseed (Menispermum canadense) 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 duckweed (Lemna minor) 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 strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) crested wood fern (Dryopteris cristata) cut-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata) downy arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesqueanum) downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens var. pubescens) Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens) early meadow rue (Thalictrum dioicum) eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) field thistle (Cirsium discolor) fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) Howell’s pussy-toes (Antennaria howellii) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana) ironwood (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana) jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) kidney-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) late goldenrod (Solidago altissima) little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium) Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense) Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum) northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) northern lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica) paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera) paradise apple (Malus pumila) Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) prairie violet (Viola pedatifida var. pedatifida) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) red clover (Trifolium pratense) red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa) red maple (Acer rubrum var. rubrum) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica) rough-fruited cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale var. affine) Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) silvery cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea) small white violet (Viola macloskeyi ssp. pallens) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) speckled alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa) stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum) switch grass (Panicum virgatum var. virgatum) tall meadow rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum) tamarack (Larix laricina) veiny pea (Lathyrus venosus) Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) white avens (Geum canadense) white clover (Trifolium repens) white oak (Quercus alba) wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) wild grape (Vitis riparia) wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) yellow archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon) Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder) Acer rubrum var. rubrum (red maple) Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum (sugar maple) Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) Alnus incana ssp. rugosa (speckled alder) Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia (wood anemone) Antennaria howellii (Howell’s pussy-toes) Antennaria neglecta (field pussytoes) Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine) Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla) Arctium minus (common burdock) Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit) Artemisia absinthium (absinth wormwood) Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum (northern lady fern) Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera (paper birch) Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge) Celtis occidentalis (northern hackberry) Cirsium discolor (field thistle) Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood) Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood) Corylus americana (American hazel) Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s breeches) Dryopteris cristata (crested wood fern) Enemion biternatum (eastern false rue anemone) Equisetum arvense (field horsetail) Equisetum hyemale var. affine (scouring rush horsetail) Eurybia macrophylla (bigleaf aster) Fragaria virginiana (common strawberry) Frangula alnus (glossy buckthorn) Galium aparine (cleavers) Galium triflorum (fragrant bedstraw) Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) Geum canadense (white avens) Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy) Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar) Lamiastrum galeobdolon (yellow archangel) Larix laricina (tamarack) Lathyrus venosus (veiny pea) Lemna minor (common duckweed) Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort) Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover) Lonicera morrowii (Morrow’s honeysuckle) Lysimachia borealis (American starflower) Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower) Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum (common false Solomon’s seal) Malus pumila (paradise apple) Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern) Menispermum canadense (Canada moonseed) Moehringia lateriflora (blunt-leaf grove sandwort) Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose) Osmorhiza claytonii (bland sweet cicely) Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern) Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana (ironwood) Panicum virgatum var. virgatum (switch grass) Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine) Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain) Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood) Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen) Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil) Potentilla norvegica (rough cinquefoil) Potentilla recta (rough-fruited cinquefoil) Prunus americana (American plum) Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry) Prunus virginiana var. virginiana (chokecherry) Quercus alba (white oak) Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak) Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak) Quercus rubra (northern red oak) Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaved buttercup) Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) Rhus glabra (smooth sumac) Ribes missouriense (Missouri gooseberry) Rubus allegheniensis (Allegheny blackberry) Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry) Rubus pubescens (dwarf raspberry) Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata (cut-leaved coneflower) Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry) Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium (little bluestem) Solidago altissima (late goldenrod) Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod) Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion) Thalictrum dasycarpum (tall meadow rue) Thalictrum dioicum (early meadow rue) Thalictrum thalictroides (rue anemone) Tilia americana var. americana (American basswood) Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover) Trifolium pratense (red clover) Trifolium repens (white clover) Trillium cernuum (nodding trillium) Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail) Ulmus americana (American elm) Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm) Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis (stinging nettle) Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein) Viburnum lentago (nannyberry) Viburnum rafinesqueanum (downy arrowwood) Viola macloskeyi ssp. pallens (small white violet) Viola pedatifida var. pedatifida (prairie violet) Viola pubescens var. pubescens (downy yellow violet) Viola sororia (common blue violet) Vitis riparia (wild grape) Zanthoxylum americanum (northern prickly ash)

Reptiles	common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)