Felton Prairie SNA

1100 Acres Located from Felton 2 miles S on MN Hwy 9, then E 3 miles on Co Rd 108. Continue on gravel road about 0.25 miles, road curves left, then right before parking lot. Clay County Twp 141N Rng 45W Sec 05 Type: Prairie Grasslands ECS Subsection: Red River Prairie

Description:

The Felton Prairie complex is the most important gravel prairie complex in the state. Its four units all lie within a large beach-ridge complex of Glacial Lake Agassiz. Amoco Oil Corp. gifted the Shrike Unit; Red River Valley Sugar Beet Assoc. gifted Blazing Star Prairie Unit, while the Bicentennial Prairie Unit is dedicated through a conservation easement from Clay County. Mesic blacksoil prairie dominates, with gravel prairie on the beach ridge and wet blacksoil prairie in the swales. Many glacial erratics lie scattered about. Found here are endangered Assiniboia skipper and Dakota skipper. Rare birds here include the upland sandpiper, marbled godwit, Sprague's pipit, Baird's sparrow, and chestnut-collared longspur. Come on an early spring morning to see or hear prairie chickens booming in the area, and check out the prairie smoke and pasque flowers, as well. Gentians, lilies, needlegrass, and side oats grama color the summer view. Visit again in the late summer for the butterflies, blazing stars, and sunflowers.

Bird List

Plant List

Visitor notes:

The prairie is divided in Felton Prairie as follows: Assiniboia Skipper Unit 522 Acres Bicentennial Prairie Unit 320 Acres Blazing Star Prairie Unit 160 Acres Shrike Unit 98 Acres