Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail
Blue Earth River Region East
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| Site Description | Directions to Site |
| WALNUT
LAKE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Faribault County (2,154.4 acres). |
From the intersection of US 169 and I-90 just north of Blue Earth, travel east on I-90 for about 15 miles to Exit 134 (Co. Rd. 21). Travel north on Co. Rd. 21 to Co. Rd. 119. Continue north on this gravel road to the wildlife management area. You can turn right onto another gravel road that follows the southern edge of South Walnut Lake to a dead end. Further north on Co. Rd. 119, between the two lakes, is a boat launch parking area. |
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PIHLS COUNTY PARK
Faribault County (20 acres). |
Retrace your steps to I-90, but do not get on the freeway. Instead, continue south on Hwy. 253 (Co. Rd 119 becomes Hwy. 253 south of the freeway) for about 0.4 miles to Co. Rd. 16. Turn left on Co. Rd. 16 and travel east and parallel to I-90 for approximately 4.0 miles (parts of Walnut Lake Wildlife Management Area can be seen along this road) to Co. Rd. 22. Turn right on Co. Rd. 22 and travel south for 0.3 miles to Co. Rd. 118. Continue south on this gravel road for approximately 1.0 mile to the entrance for the park. |
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| MINNESOTA
LAKE -- OLD MILL PARK Faribault County. Web Site Available. STOKMAN WILDLIFE
MANAGEMENT AREA Blue Earth County (456.3 acres). LATUSEK LANDING
PUBLIC WATER ACCESS Faribault County. Web Site Available. |
Retrace your steps to I-90, but continue north on Hwy. 22 for approximately 6.0 miles to the town of Wells. Continue northwest on Hwy. 22 for 10.0 miles to the town of Minnesota Lake. Turn left by the first grain elevator onto 4th Avenue W. Travel west 2 blocks on 4th Avenue W. to Main Street. Turn right on Main Street and then left onto 5th Avenue W. To reach Old Mill Park, turn left on Lake Street or turn left at the end of 5th Avenue W. Return to Main Street and turn left. Travel north on Main Street 0.2 miles to Hwy. 22. (When you cross Hwy. 22, Main Street turns into 6th Avenue E.) Continue traveling north on 6th Avenue E. (Co. Rd. 14) 0.2 miles to a gravel road on your right that leads to a cemetery. From this cemetery, you can scope Stokman Wildlife Management Area which wraps around the cemetery’s back side. Return to 6th Avenue E. and turn left. Travel south on 6th Avenue E. one block to Co. Rd. 20. Turn right on Co. Rd. 20 and travel west 0.5 miles to a parking area on your left on the north side of Minnesota Lake. Continue west 1.3 miles on Co. Rd. 20 to Latusek Landing Public Water Access on your left. |
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DALY COUNTY PARK Blue
Earth County (126 acres). Web Site Available.
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Continue west on Co. Rd. 20 another 2.0 miles to the Blue Earth County Line where Co. Rd. 20 turns into Co. Rd. 46. Continue another 2.7 miles west on Co. Rd. 46 to Co. Rd. 7. Turn right on Co. Rd 7 and travel north 2.0 miles to Co. Rd. 19. (Note: There is good riparian habitat along this stretch of the Maple River.) Turn left on Co. Rd. 19 and travel west 1.9 miles to a “T” in the road. Turn left and travel south on a gravel road to the park entrance. |
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SCHIMEK COUNTY PARK
Blue Earth County (30 acres). Web Site Available. |
Retrace your steps to Co. Rd. 7 and turn left. Travel north on Co. Rd. 7 for 4.0 miles to Hwy. 22 on the north side of Mapleton. Turn left on Co. Rd. 22 and continue north 5.0 miles to Co. Rd. 10 in Beauford. Turn left on Co. Rd. 10 and travel west 4.8 miles to a gravel road on your right. Turn here and travel north and west 0.7 miles to the entrance to Schimek County Park. After birding this park, return to Co. Rd. 10 and turn right. Travel west on Co. Rd. 10 for 0.5 miles to a public water access on your left. Continue west on Co. Rd. 10 to the City of Good Thunder, where the road is joined by Co. Rd. 1. Continue west and south on Co. Rd. 1/10 for 1.7 miles (from the public water access) to the point where Co. Rd. 10 turns west. Turn right on Co. Rd. 10 and travel west 6.5 miles to a cemetery on your left at the top of a hill, just east of Vernon Center. You can park here and explore some very good riparian habitat along the Blue Earth River. Continue west 0.7 miles on Co. Rd. 10 to a stop sign at West Street N (US 169) in the center of Vernon Center. You can turn left here to return to this loop’s starting point or you can turn right to travel north to Mankato and the Bend of the River Region. (Note: If you are traveling south on US 169, a Eurasian-collared Dove was sighted in the town of Amboy in 2002 and 2003. Check the alley between the Amboy Cottage Café and the water tower.) |
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| Key to Amenities: T: trail; R: restroom; C: camping; P: picnic area; B: boating. |
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The Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail is a project of Audubon Minnesota