Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail

Falls Region North


Site Description Directions to Site
CEDAR ROCK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Redwood County (640.5 acres).
Habitat: some woods, grasslands, wetlands, and marsh.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-637-2320.
Web Site Available. 		From the intersection of US 71 and Hwy. 19/67 in downtown Redwood Falls, travel west on Hwy. 19/67 for 1.3 miles to Co. Rd. 17. Turn right onto Co. Rd. 17 and travel first north, then west, and then north again a total of 6.2 miles to a gravel road marked by handmade wooden signs saying, Cedar Rock. (The pavement ends on Co. Rd. 17 where Co. Rd. 9 heads off to the west.) Turn right on the gravel road and travel east about 0.5 miles along a fence that borders a private residence until you come to a spot where you can pull off the road. You can walk further down the road to a wetland area, but you should not drive past this last part, since the road is deeply rutted and barely passable.
VICKSBURG COUNTY PARK Renville County (241 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, some grasslands, and riparian.
Amenities: R, C, P, B.
Notes: Call first if you plan to visit during deer hunting season.
Contact: 320-523-3768.
Web Site Available.

Return to Co. Rd. 17, turn right and travel north across the Minnesota River (Co. Rd. 17 becomes Co. Rd. 21 after crossing the Minnesota River) to Co. Rd. 15. (Note: You can turn right on Co. Rd. 15 and take a scenic drive along the north side of the Minnesota River for about 10.0 miles to US 71, which you can use to return to Redwood Falls.) Turn left on Co. Rd. 15 and travel northwest along the Minnesota River for about 3.0 miles to Co. Rd. 6. Turn left on Co. Rd. 6 and travel south for a short distance to the park entrance on your right. The park’s main road travels all the way through the park and connects with Co. Rd. 15 again at the park’s west end.

SKALBEKKEN COUNTY PARK Renville County (403 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, and riparian.
Amenities: R, C, P.
Notes: Call first if you plan to visit during deer hunting season.
Contact: 320-523-3768.
Web Site Available.

 From the west end of Vicksburg County Park where the park’s main road meets Co. Rd. 15, turn left on Co. Rd. 15. Travel west along the river for approximately 3.0 miles to where Co. Rd. 15 intersects with Co. Rd. 12. Turn right on Co. Rd. 12 and travel north about 1.0 mile to Co. Rd. 81 (Sioux Trail). Turn left on this gravel road and travel about 1.0 mile to Joseph R. Brown Wayside Park (there are no restrooms). Continue northwest along the river on Co. Rd. 81 approximately 6.0 miles to Co. Rd. 10. Turn left on Co. Rd. 10 and travel south 0.8 miles to the first entrance to Skalbekken County Park on your left. (This park is also know as Renville County Park No. 1.) This portion of the park is on a wooded bluff overlooking the river. Continue down the hill on Co. Rd. 10 a short distance to another park entrance on your right. The main entrance, on your left, is another 0.1 miles down the road. Past the main entrance, there will be one more entrance on your right.

UPPER SIOUX AGENCY STATE PARK Yellow Medicine County (1,280 acres).
Habitat: some woods, grasslands, and riparian.
Amenities: T, R, C, P, B.
Notes: Every year in August, a pow-wow is held here and you can reserve a tipi in the camping area. The campground is closed from Labor Day to Memorial Day, but day use of the park is available all year.
Contact: 320-564-4777.
Web Site Available.

 Return to Co. Rd. 10 and turn south across the Minnesota River. After crossing the river, Co. Rd. 10 becomes Co. Rd. 21. Continue south on Co. Rd. 21 to Hwy. 67. Turn right on Hwy. 67 and travel northwest approximately 2.0 miles to Upper Sioux Agency State Park. The first entrance is primarily for the campground, but also provides access to the Yellow Medicine River where it empties into the Minnesota River. The park’s main entrance is further down Hwy. 67 and this part of the park lies on the bluffs overlooking the Minnesota River.

SWEDE’S FOREST SCIENTIFIC AND NATURAL AREA Yellow Medicine and Redwood Counties (202 acres).
Habitat: mostly red cedar forest with patches of grasslands and marsh around a small lake.
Amenities: T.
Notes: This area supports a population of rare five-lined skink, a small blue-tailed lizard, normally found in the eastern United States, sometimes called a Blue Devil.
Contact: 651-297-2357.
Web Site Available.

 Retrace your steps to the intersection of Hwy. 67 and Co. Rd. 21. At this intersection you can continue travelingsoutheast on Co. Rd. A1 (222nd Avenue) for 2.7 miles to a fork in the road. Take the left fork (208th Avenue) and continue southeast 0.7 miles to Swede’s Forest Scientific and Natural Area. There is a primitive road on your right where you can pull off. You should not attempt to drive into the site on this road as it is barely passable and may be restricted (see note for this site under Site Directions). To return to Redwood Falls, retrace your steps to 208th Avenue. Turn right and travel 1.5 miles east to Co. Rd. 7. Turn right on Co. Rd. 7 and travel south about 10.0 miles to Hwy. 19/67 (Co. Rd. 7 joins with Hwy. 273 around Belview.) (Note: For an interesting alternative, turn left on a gravel road about 3 miles south of the intersection of 208th Avenue and Co. Rd. 7. Travel east on this gravel road [it becomes a minimum maintenance road after it crosses Co. Rd. 19] for about 6.0 miles to its intersection with Co. Rd. 6. Turn right on Co. Rd. 6 and travel south about 7.0 miles to Hwy. 19/67.) Whichever method you use to reach Hwy. 19/67, turn left on Hwy. 19/67 and return to Redwood Falls.
Key to Amenities: T: trail; R: restroom; C: camping; P: picnic area; B: boating.

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