Kettle River SNA

801 Acres Located from Hinckley 3 miles E on MN Hwy 48 to the public water access. Pine County Twp 41N Rng 20W Sec 10 Type: Coniferous Forest ECS Subsection: Mille Lacs Uplands

Description:

An impressive array of landforms and plant communities can be found at Kettle River SNA. Of geological interest is the several hundred million year-old Douglas fault, which runs northeast through the site. A small creek conceals the fault, but the two rock formations are exposed on opposite banks of the creek. With vertical movement as much as 2.5 miles, the fault has placed the 1.1 billion-year-old chengwatana basalt on a level with the 700 million-year-old Hinckley sandstone. This site also contains such biologically diverse communities as fen, forested bog, floodplain forest, upland hardwood forest, and pine forest. A 1980 survey of this site documented 313 vascular plants, 8 butterflies, 5 amphibians, 82 birds and 18 mammal species. Rare species of interest include one of the largest known populations of bog bluegrass in the state, and a nesting population of Louisiana waterthrush. The best time to visit is in late spring to see spring beauties, Dutchman's breeches, and trilliums in bloom.

Plant List