Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail

Cottonwood River Region


Overview
Flandrau State Park near New Ulm is one of the gems in the Minnesota State Park system. With miles of winding trails, it is an all-season site for birding with 158 species of birds recorded within its boundaries. Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Wild Turkey, Blue-winged and Cerulean Warbler and Orchard Oriole are recorded there on a regular basis. The park is located in the wooded Cottonwood River Valley and provides a wide variety of excellent habitats for migrating birds. Over 24 species of warbler have been recorded in this park along with many species of flycatcher, vireo, thrush, kinglet, woodpecker, and sparrow. Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, three species of owl, Warbling Vireo and American Redstart regularly nest in the park. In northwestern Cottonwood County, Jeffers Petroglyphs and nearby Red Rock Prairie are unique areas in this part of the state. A high ridge of grass, some of it native prairie, overlooks the surrounding farmland and is one of the most reliable places in Minnesota to find Smith’s Longspur. The best time of the year for sightings is late April and October. Western Meadowlark, Vesper, Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrow, and Eastern and Western Kingbird are sighted throughout this area. Just north of this site is another great birding location, the Bashaw Wildlife Management Area and its landscape of rolling grassy hills and marsh. Marbled Godwit are possible nesters here. Just to the north of this wildlife management area, Blue Grosbeaks have been spotted near and along the Cottonwood River.
Site Description Directions to Site

FLANDRAU STATE PARK Brown County (1,006 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, riparian, and oxbow.
Amenities: T, R, C, P.
Contact: 507-359-1544.
Web Site Available.

 From the intersection of US 14 and Hwy. 15 in downtown New Ulm, travel southeast on Hwy. 15 to 10th Street. Turn right on 10th Street and travel southwest 0.7 miles to Summit Avenue. Turn southeast and travel 0.2 miles to the park’s entrance.

LOST DOG AND FOX HUNTERS COUNTY PARK Brown County.
Habitat: some trees, grasslands, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: R, P, B.
Notes: Although the park is closed in winter, you can still walk through it.
Contact: 507-233-6640.
Web Site Available.

Retrace your steps to Summit Avenue. Turn left on Summit Avenue and travel 1.1 miles to Center Street (Co. Rd. 13). Turn left on Center Street and travel southwest and then south for 3.0 miles to Co. Rd. 25. Turn right on Co. Rd. 25 and travel west 0.9 miles to 170th Avenue. Turn left and travel south 1.0 mile to another gravel road on your right. This road leads to Lost Dog and Fox Hunters County Park.

KLUG WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA AND PUBLIC WATER ACCESS Brown County.
Habitat: woods, thickets and riparian.
Amenities: B.
Contact: 507-637-4076 (WMA) or 507-359-6067 (PWA).
Web Sites Available(WMA).
Web Site Available(PWA).

 Retrace your steps to 170th Avenue. Turn right on 170th Avenue and travel south 0.2 miles to Lakeside (The sign on this gravel road only says Lakeside.). Turn right on Lakeside and travel west and then south 2.0 miles to Co. Rd. 24. Turn right on Co. Rd. 24 and travel west 7.6 miles to where Co. Rd. 24 makes a 90° turn to the left in the City of Iberia. (Note: Turn right here to explore some nice riparian habitat along the Big Cottonwood River.) Continue south and then east on Co. Rd. 24 to Hwy. 4. Turn right on Hwy. 4 and travel north 0.8 miles to Klug Wildlife Management Area and Public Water Access on the north side of the Big Cottonwood River on your left. There is a parking area at this point.
BASHAW WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Brown County (520.3 acres).
Habitat: grasslands, wetlands, and marsh.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-637-4076.
Web Site Available. 		From the parking area at the river, turn right on Hwy. 4 and travel south approximately 4.5 miles to Co. Rd. 20. Turn right on Co. Rd. 20 and travel west, south and west for 10.0 miles. Continue west on Co. Rd. 20 through its intersection with Hwy. 258 onto a minimum maintenance road for about 1.0 mile. The Bashaw Wildlife Management Area is on both sides of the road. (Note: If you would prefer to explore more riparian habitat along Big Cottonwood River, travel south from Klug Wildlife Management Area for 0.8 miles to Co. Rd. 24. Turn right and travel west 3.9 miles to Co. Rd. 8 in the City of Leavenworth. Turn right and travel north 0.5 miles to the Big Cottonwood River. There is excellent riparian habitat along Co. Rd. 8. You can then return to Co. Rd. 20 and the Bashaw Wildlife Management Area by continuing south on Co. Rd. 8 for approximately 5.0 miles to Co. Rd. 20. Turn right on Co. Rd. 20 and travel west for 5.0 miles and cross Hwy. 258 onto a minimum maintenance road for about 1.0 miles.)

RED ROCK PRAIRIE Cottonwood County (597 acres).
Habitat: grasslands and prairie.
Amenities: None.
Notes: Smith’s Longspurs can often be seen here around the third week of October.
Contact: 612-331-0700.
Web Site: None

Retrace your steps to Hwy. 258. Turn right on Hwy. 258 and travel south approximately 3.0 miles to Co. Rd. 17 in the City of Comfrey. Turn right onto Co. Rd. 17 ( also known as Co. Rd. 10) and travel west 6.0 miles to the intersection where Co. Rd. 3 heads north and a gravel road (Co. Rd. 45 on some maps) heads south. Turn left onto the gravel road and travel south 1.0 mile to where this road intersects with a second gravel road. Continue straight ahead another mile, looking for Nature Conservancy signs on both sides of the road. Look in the fields on the east side of the road for Smith’s Longspurs.
JEFFERS PETROGLYPHS HISTORIC SITE Cottonwood County.
Habitat: grasslands and prairie.
Amenities: T, R (when visitor’s center is open), Interpretive Center.
Notes: The interpretive center has regular hours from September through May, but the petroglyphs can be viewed even when the center is closed.
Contact: 507-628-5591.
Web Site Available.		 Retrace your steps to where the gravel road you are on intersects with another gravel road. Turn left and travel west 2.0 miles to Co. Rd. 2, turn left and travel south a short distance to the entrance to the Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site on your left.

MOUND CREEK COUNTY PARK Brown County (317 acres).
Habitat: some woods, grasslands, riparian, and lake.
Amenities: T, R, P, B.
Contact: 507-233-6640.

RED ROCK FALLS COUNTY PARK Cottonwood County (13 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, and riparian.
Amenities: R, P.
Contact: 507-831-2060.
Web Site Available.

 From the parking area for the Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site, turn right onto Co. Rd. 2 and travel a little over 1.0 mile to Co. Rd. 10. Turn left onto Co. Rd. 10 and travel west 1.0 mile to a gravel road (450th Avenue). Turn right and travel north on this road for 0.5 miles to the entrance to Mound Creek County Park on your left. After birding this park, retrace your steps to Co. Rd. 10. (Note: If you would like to visit the west end of Mound Creek County Park and also Red Rock Falls County Park, turn right on Co. Rd. 10 and travel 1.0 mile to another gravel road. Turn right and travel north on this gravel road 1.0 mile to where it meets another gravel road on the left. At this point, you can continue north a short distance to a public water access on Mound Creek, which is at the west end of Mound Creek County Park or turn left and travel 0.3 miles to Red Rock Falls County Park on your left.)

COTTONWOOD RIVER PRAIRIE SCIENTIFIC AND NATURAL AREA Brown County (181 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, prairie, and riparian.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 651-297-2357.
Web Site Available.

JUENEMAN LANDING PUBLIC WATER ACCESS Brown County.
Habitat: woods, grasslands, and riparian.
Amenities: B.
Contact: 507-359-6067.
Web Site Available.

Turn left on Co. Rd. 10 and travel east 1.0 mile to Co. Rd. 2, turn left and travel north 6.0 miles to where the road turns to the right. At that point, the Cottonwood River Scientific and Natural Area will be on your left. Continue east 0.5 miles on Co. Rd. 2 to Co. Rd. 23. Staying on Co. Rd. 2, turn left and travel north 0.5 miles to Jueneman Landing on your left where Co. Rd. 2 crosses the Big Cottonwood River.

RIVERSIDE PARK Brown County.
Habitat: woods, riparian, and thickets.
Amenities: T, R, C, P.
Contact: 507-723-3517.
Web Site: None.

BOISE LAKE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA AND PUBLIC WATER ACCESS Brown County.
Habitat: some trees, thickets, and lake.
Amenities: B.
Contact: 507-637-4076 (WMA) or 507-359-6068 (PWA).
Web Site Available(WMA).
Web Site Available(PWA).

 Continue north on Co. Rd. 2 for approximately 2.4 miles to US 14. (Note: At this point, you have a couple of options. You could travel west 4.0 miles on US 14 to US 71; then north on US 71 for 21.0 miles to Redwood Falls to explore the Falls Region. You could also continue west 31.0 miles on US 14 to US 59 north of Garvin to the Prairie Coteau Region. If you do the latter, you could stop at another great birding spot, Plum Creek County Park just southwest of Walnut Grove.) Turn right on US 14 and travel east for about 3.5 miles to Cass Avenue in the City of Springfield. (Note: Riverside Park in Springfield includes some riparian habitat along the Big Cottonwood River. To reach this park, turn right on Cass Avenue at the east end of town and travel south 0.4 miles to the park.) If you do not wish to visit Riverside Park, continue east on US 14 about 3.5 miles to Hwy. 258. Turn right on Hwy. 258 and travel south a short distance to the first gravel road. Turn left and travel east for slightly more than 1.0 mile to Boise Lake Wildlife Management Area. This site has no parking.

ROSENAU-LAMBRECHT WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Brown County (321 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, and wetlands.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-637-4076.
Web Site Available.

SOMSEN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Brown County (49 acres).
Habitat: thickets, grasslands, and wetlands.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-637-4076.
Web Site Available.

 Retrace your steps to US 14. Turn right on US 14 and travel east about 16.0 miles (7.0 miles past the City of Sleepy Eye) to Rosenau-Lambrecht Wildlife Management Area on both sides of the road. (Note: For better access to this wildlife management area, use the side roads.) Continue east on US 14 for 1.0 mile past this wildlife management area to Co. Rd. 12. At the northeast corner of this intersection is Somsen Wildlife Management Area. Continue east 3.0 miles on US 14 to the starting point of this loop in the center of New Ulm.
Key to Amenities: T: trail; R: restroom; C: camping; P: picnic area; B: boating.

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