Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail

Mendota Region West


Site Description Directions to Site
HYLAND LAKE PARK RESERVE Hennepin County (1,000 acres).
Habitat: Woods, grasslands, wetlands, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: T, R, P, B, Nature Center.
Notes: The area around Hyland Lake is heavily used, so plan accordingly.
Contact: 952-941-4362 (Visitor Center) or 952-941-7993 (Nature Center).
Web Site Available. 		From the intersection of I-35W and I-494, travel west on I-494 for 3.1 miles to East Bush Lake Road. Exit here and travel south on East Bush lake Road for 0.4 miles to a stoplight. Turn right at the stoplight (you’ll still be on East Bush Lake Road) and continue to travel west and south for 0.9 miles to the parking area for Richardson Nature Center on your left. Continue south on East Bush Lake Road for 1.4 miles to the entrance for the park’s main recreation area on your left, where you will find additional hiking trails for Hyland Lake. (Note: Do not turn right onto West Bush Lake Road.)

IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE PROPERTY Hennepin County (32 acres).
Habitat: Woods, some grasslands, marsh, and river.
Amenities: T.
Notes: The site is generally open from sunrise to sunset, but you may want to call ahead to be certain. The trail down the hill to the river is quite steep.
Contact: 952-944-1423.
Web Site: None.

 Continue south 1.2 miles on Bush Lake Road to Old Shakopee Road. Turn right on Old Shakopee Road and travel west 0.3 miles to the stoplight at Bloomington Ferry Road. Turn left on Bloomington Ferry Road and travel south 0.3 miles to a stop sign. Bear right at the stop sign and continue south on Bloomington Ferry Road for 0.3 miles to Auto Club Road. Bear left on Auto Club Road and travel 0.4 miles to another stop sign. Turn right and continue east 0.4 miles to a gravel road with a gate on your right.
BLOOMINGTON FERRY UNIT Hennepin and Scott Counties.
Habitat: Woods, thickets, grasslands, marsh, and river.
Amenities: T.
Notes: This unit contains a foot bridge that crosses the Minnesota River.
Contact: 952-854-5900.
Web Site Available.		 Retrace your steps to the intersection of Auto Club Road and Bloomington Ferry Road. Turn left into the park and down the hill to a parking area and trails that wind along the river bottoms.
WILKIE UNIT Scott County (600 acres).
Habitat: Some woods, thickets, grasslands, wetlands, and river.
Amenities: T.
Notes: This unit contains an owl roosting area that is off limits to the public. Part of the trail may be closed from March 1 to August 31 to protect a Great Blue Heron colony.
Contact: 952-854-5900.
Web Site Available. 		Retrace your steps to the intersection of Bloomington Ferry Road and Old Shakopee Road. Turn left onto Old Shakopee Road and travel west 0.7 miles to US 169. Travel south on U.S. 169 for 1.6 miles across the Minnesota River. Stay in the right lane so you can exit at Hwy. 101. Travel west 0.5 miles on Hwy. 101 to a stoplight. Turn right at the light and travel a short distance to a parking area. You can access Wilkie Unit from here by looking for a mowed trail at the northwest corner of the parking area. You can also access the Bloomington Ferry Unit from this parking area by continuing east along the paved road to the river. There is a gate across the road and it is a long walk to the river from this parking area.
LOUISVILLE SWAMP UNIT Scott County (2,440 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, and wetlands.
Amenities: T, R (portable, in-season only).
Contact: 952-854-5900.
Web Site Available. 		Return to Hwy. 101 and continue west 2.4 miles to Co. Rd. 83 (Canterbury Road). Turn left on Co. Rd. 83 and travel south 1.2 miles to US 169. Take US 169 south for 7.5 miles to 145th Street W. on your right. Just before the turn, look for a small brown sign that says Louisville Swamp. Travel west on 145th Street W. for 0.5 miles to the parking area for Louisville Swamp on your left just after the second set of railroad tracks.

MURPHY-HANREHAN REGIONAL PARK Scott and Dakota Counties (2,400 acres).
Habitat: Woods, thickets, grasslands, wetlands, and lake.
Amenities: T, R (at both parking areas).
Notes: Some trails may be closed in early spring if they are too wet.
Contact: 952-447-2171.


Web Site Available.

 The easiest way to reach this park from Louisville Swamp is to return to US 169. Travel north on US 169 for about 10.0 miles to the Hwy. 13 Exit, towards Burnsville and Savage. Exit here and travel east approximately 2.0 miles to Hwy. 13. (Note: You are not actually on Hwy. 13 until you reach this intersection.) Turn right on Hwy. 13 and travel south 2.2 miles to Co. Rd. 42. Turn left on Co. Rd. 42 and travel east 1.0 mile to Hwy. 27 (Dakota Avenue). Turn right on Hwy. 27 and travel south 1.8 miles to 154th Street W. Turn left on 154th Street W. and travel east about 1.0 mile to Hwy. 75 (Murphy Lake Road). Turn right on this gravel road and travel 500 feet to the first parking area for this park. To reach the “pet trails”, continue south 1.0 mile on Co. Rd. 75 to where the road forks. Bear left at the fork onto Sunset Lake Road and continue southeast 0.7 miles to a second parking area on your right. To return to the starting point of this loop, continue southeast for 0.7 miles on Sunset Lake Road (which becomes 170th Street W. after you pass 167th Street W. on your left) to Judicial Road. Turn left on Judicial Road and travel north and east 0.3 miles to 168th Street W. Turn right on 168th Street W. and continue traveling east 0.5 miles along the north side of Orchard Lake to Klamath Trail. Turn right on Klamath Trail and travel southeast 0.7 miles to Kenwood Trail. Turn right on Kenwood Trail and travel southeast 0.5 miles to I-35 North. Take I-35 north for 2.7 miles. When the freeway splits, stay in the left 2 lanes, which becomes I-35W to Minneapolis. Continue north on I-35W to the starting point.
Key to Amenities: T: trail; R: restroom; C: camping; P: picnic area; B: boating.

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