River Terrace Prairie Scientific and Natural Area

River Terrace Prairie Scientific and Natural Area (SNA)
Cannon Falls/Welch, Goodhue county, MN
83 acres; dry sand - gravel prairie (Southern subtype)

Park Notes
Dry sand - gravel prairies are an imperiled native plant community in Minnesota and this SNA contains the last documented remnant of such in Goodhue county. It lies southeast of the Cannon River but there is no river access from SNA property.

Plants of listed as threatened or of special concern that can be found here include Kitten-tails (Veronica bullii) and Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrorhiza) and it's a good spot for Prairie Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana). Lists of plants present on the site can be found on the DNR webpage (link below). The habitat of this SNA is considered suitable for all species of MN snakes but I don't know to what extent they are found there.

Like many (all?) SNAs, there are no formal, maintained trails but there are paths created either by hiking humans or wildlife. Leaving those paths is permissible and one can wander the property at will. There is a small parking area with room for two cars on the east side of Sunset Trail near the northwest corner of the SNA. Park to one side so as to leave room for another car to park here. There aren't any signs prohibiting parking on the street in this immediate area. There are no bathrooms. Find the map on the DNR page (link below) and click on the [P] for more info on where the parking area/entrance is located.

The property was designated as an SNA in Jan 2015. Efforts are underway to cull the invasive woody plants that threaten dry prairies. They are also seeking to restore old field/farmed areas to native prairie vegetation. When we visited in April 2021, there had been recent cutting of timber and it seemed clear the restoration was still a work in progress.

The Cannon Valley Trail (CVT) runs along the south-eastern border of the SNA. Passes are required for bikes, see CVT website (link below) for more info.

It's perhaps worth noting that this property is just across the river from Miesville Ravine Park Preserve. Access to that park requires traveling either to Cannon Falls or Welch to cross the river. And then traveling winding country roads to get to the entrance of Miesville. Through either city, that's a distance of abt 25 miles. The Welch route is more scenic. If in need of amenities, Cannon Falls would be the best route.

Visits
late Apr 2021
We arrived mid-afternoon. It looked like they had been working on the site that day, perhaps cutting down trees and brush. There wasn't much growing yet and the landscape was fairly bare. We hiked a short while, not wandering far from the parking spot, and saw Plains Prickly Pear, blooming Prairie Pasqueflower, and a Common Raven. This is further south than the normal range for Ravens but a pair has been spotted the last few years at Miesville Ravine Park Preserve and nearby areas.

It was clear that the field near the road had been plowed and farmed at one point but I would be interested to visit later in the summer and see how it is progressing toward prairie restoration. I especially think it could be a good spot for summer grassy insects and sparrows.

Useful links/info
Minnesota DNR website
iNaturalist River Terrace Prairie SNA Open Space page
iNaturalist River Terrace Prairie SNA Point of Interest page
eBird Hotspot
Cannon Valley Trail website

Posted on May 9, 2021 07:52 PM by