Lake Maria State Park
Encyclopedia
Lake Maria State Park is a 1580 acres (6.4 km²) state park
of Minnesota
, USA, west of Monticello
. The park was created in 1963 to provide a wilderness
area within easy drive of Minneapolis – Saint Paul. The park's amenities are designed primarily for hikers, backpackers
, and horseback riders and consequently use remains light compared to other state parks around the metro area.
runs through the park. This rolling and uneven landform is a result of the Wisconsin glaciation
and two previous glaciations. Irregular hills and ridges (kame
s) surround kettles
, depressions left by melting blocks of ice during the glaciers' retreat.
The park's vegetation consists of Big Woods
(maple
, basswood, elm
) mixed with old-growth oaks
and dotted with numerous wetlands, ponds, and small lakes. The park is located near the northern limit of the Big Woods.
The forest edge and wetland habitats support deer, foxes, fishers
, minks, beavers, and muskrats. 205 bird species have been identified in the park. The park is noted for its population of Blanding's turtles
, considered an endangered or threatened species by many U.S. state
s and Canada
.
would acquire the land and trade it to the state for state-owned land within Superior National Forest
. The deal fell through because the USFS would not use eminent domain
to buy the land from the various current owners. Lake Maria State Park was re-authorized in a 1963 bill that authorized fourteen state parks. Land acquisition through eminent domain began and the park officially opened in 1971. The concept for the park emphasized conservation over recreation, and so hike-in campsites were made in lieu of a drive-in campground. The park was expanded to the north and west in 1980 to include the whole shoreline of Maria Lake. Incidentally the lake originally called Maria Lake was renamed Bjorkland Lake by the DNR, and "Maria Lake" became an arm of Silver Lake, which lies mostly outside the park's western boundary.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA, west of Monticello
Monticello, Minnesota
Monticello is a city in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. Monticello was founded in 1856 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2006. The population was 12,759 at the 2010 census. The name Monticello is derived from the Italian word for "Little Mountain," it translates literally to...
. The park was created in 1963 to provide a wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
area within easy drive of Minneapolis – Saint Paul. The park's amenities are designed primarily for hikers, backpackers
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, and horseback riders and consequently use remains light compared to other state parks around the metro area.
Natural history
The St. Croix MoraineMoraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
runs through the park. This rolling and uneven landform is a result of the Wisconsin glaciation
Wisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
and two previous glaciations. Irregular hills and ridges (kame
Kame
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier...
s) surround kettles
Kettle (geology)
A kettle is a shallow, sediment-filled body of water formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters.-Overview:...
, depressions left by melting blocks of ice during the glaciers' retreat.
The park's vegetation consists of Big Woods
Big Woods
Big Woods refers to a type of temperate hardwood forest ecoregion found in south-central Minnesota. "Big Woods" is a direct translation of the name given to the region by French explorers: Grand Bois.-Trees:...
(maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
, basswood, elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
) mixed with old-growth oaks
Oaks
-Horse races:"Oaks" is generally used to describe a Thoroughbred horse race restricted to 3-year-old fillies. Among the best-known races using the term are:*Epsom Oaks, The Oaks Stakes, at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England; the original "Oaks" race...
and dotted with numerous wetlands, ponds, and small lakes. The park is located near the northern limit of the Big Woods.
The forest edge and wetland habitats support deer, foxes, fishers
Fisher (animal)
The fisher is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten...
, minks, beavers, and muskrats. 205 bird species have been identified in the park. The park is noted for its population of Blanding's turtles
Blanding's Turtle
Blanding's turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle of the family Emydidae. It is considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its range.-Taxonomy:...
, considered an endangered or threatened species by many U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Cultural history
The park was first proposed in 1947 in a deal in which the U.S. Forest ServiceUnited States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
would acquire the land and trade it to the state for state-owned land within Superior National Forest
Superior National Forest
Superior National Forest, part of the United States National Forest system, is located in the Arrowhead Region of the state of Minnesota between the Canada – United States border and the north shore of Lake Superior...
. The deal fell through because the USFS would not use eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to buy the land from the various current owners. Lake Maria State Park was re-authorized in a 1963 bill that authorized fourteen state parks. Land acquisition through eminent domain began and the park officially opened in 1971. The concept for the park emphasized conservation over recreation, and so hike-in campsites were made in lieu of a drive-in campground. The park was expanded to the north and west in 1980 to include the whole shoreline of Maria Lake. Incidentally the lake originally called Maria Lake was renamed Bjorkland Lake by the DNR, and "Maria Lake" became an arm of Silver Lake, which lies mostly outside the park's western boundary.
Recreation
- Boating: Maria Lake has a public boat ramp and some rental canoes. Only outboard motors under 20 hp are allowed on the lake.
- Camping:
- 17 backpack sites and 3 camper cabins scattered throughout the park, only accessible by a hike of .5 to 1 miles (1.6 km).
- 2 primitive group camps accessible by road.
- Fishing: There is a fishing pier on Maria Lake near the picnic area.
- Ice Skating: Seasonal rink near trail center.
- Trails: Many start from the trail center, an all-seasons building featuring interpretive exhibits, indoor picnic benches, and plumbing.
- Anderson Loop Trail (hiking/horseback/skiing): Leads through forest and prairie openings to a view from Anderson Hill (3 mi).
- Bjorkland Lake Trail (hiking/skiing): Loops through forest and meadow to a lake with canoe access (2 mi).
- Kettle and Kame Trail (hiking/skiing): Leads over some of the parks more rugged glacial topography.
- Big Woods Loop (hiking/horseback/skiing): Combines sections of the 3 abovementioned trails for a thorough tour of the park (5.5 mi).
- Zumbrunnen Trail (hiking): An interpretive trail on the shore of Maria Lake with a boardwalk through a wetland.
- Bicycling is confined to the park roads. In winter 5 miles (8 km) of road are groomed for skate-skiing.