Between Minneapolis and Finland
11 July
Pre-meeting road trip from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center
Stops for odes along the way
NOTE: The latest Wolf Ridge will server dinner is 5:45pm. The drive from Minneapolis to Wolf Ridge is approximately 4 hours minimum without stops.
Introduction
This is a trip guide with suggestions for possible side trips to collect and/or observe odonates as you travel from the Twin Cities to Wolf Ridge and back again. These suggestions assume that you will be traveling north from the Twin Cities via Interstate 35 N and Highway 61 along the North Shore. All of these side trips require travel off your main route, but they can be well worth the time and effort if you are looking for certain species. Rare or unusual species are found at all of the listed sites, although seeing those species is not guaranteed. The alternative is to stop by almost any body of water near the road and check it out because with 0ver 12,000 lakes and 25,000 miles of streams you never know what you will find.
Sites (arranged S to N):
Carlos Avery Wildlife Management – Sunrise River Unit
Kable Avenue, Stacy, MN 55079
Take I-35 north to the Stacy Exit 139 to Stacy Trail (34.6 miles north of St. Paul). Turn right into the small town of Stacy (.5 miles). Turn left on to Forest Boulevard/CR 30 (1.3 miles) and then right on to Lent Trail/CR 18 (4.5 miles). Turn right onto Lincoln Road/CR14 (.5 miles) and then turn right onto Kable Avenue (.9 miles). Use the parking area near the dam that is the outlet of the North Pool of Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area and access to the Sunrise River.
45°26'19.95"N 92°54'36.54"W
Species of particular interest include numerous Gomphidae including Gomphurus externus (Plains Clubtail), and Corduliidae including Neurocordulia molesta (Smoky Shadowdragon) and Neurocordulia yamaskanensis (Stygian Shadowdragon), although the Shadowdragons will be difficult to find during midday.
St. Croix River at the Highway 70 Bridge, MN/WI 54840
Take I-35 north out of the Twin Cities to exit 165 for MN 70 east to Grantsburg, WI. Turn right (east) and drive to the MN 70 Bridge over the St. Croix River (approximately 11 miles). There are several places to park and walk down to the river. On the northwest side there is a parking lot provided by the National Park Service as the trailhead for the St. Croix Trail that follows the river north for about three miles. On the east side (Wisconsin side) there is the Highway 70 landing which, in addition to being a boat landing, is the trailhead for the Sand Rock Cliff Trail loop which follows the river north to the Sand Rock Cliffs picnic Area. Three other drives to access points include the Sand Rock Cliffs Picnic Area, Soderbeck Landing (WI), and the Snake River Landing (MN). Refer to an area map for further details for all these sites.
45°46'27.52"N 92°46'44.94"W
The St. Croix River is probably the premier place for finding riverine Gomphidae in the upper Midwest. It is the type location for Ophiogomphus susbecha (St. Croix Snaketail), and supports healthy populations of Ophiogomphus howei (Pygmy Snatail) and Ophiogomphus smithi (Sioux Snaketail). One proviso is that the River was among the first to be designated a National Scenic Riverway (1968) and the only National Scenic Riverway to be also designated a National Park. That means that collecting needs to be done under a federal permit which are tough to come by. Of Course, photographs are not an issue.
Strawberry Creek at its confluence with Lower Big Pine Lake, Finlayson, MN 55735
Take I-35 north out of the Twin Cities to exit 191 for Banning Junction and Highway 23. Turn left (west) and go to the intersection with Highway 61 and then go north on 61 to the intersection with MN 18 west. Turn left onto MN 18 west, go through the town of Finlayson and follow MN 18 to Big Pine Cutoff. Turn left (south) on Big Pine Road (.4 miles). Big Pine Road turns slightly left and becomes 100th Avenue. Turn right onto Alder Street (.7 miles) and proceed until you cross the bridge between Upper and Lower Big Pine Lake. There is a DNR boat landing on the left about a quarter mile beyond the bridge. You can park there and walk another quarter mile down Alder Road to the culvert over Strawberry Creek. There is also a small parking area by the bridge between the two lakes so that you can collect/photograph odes in the flowage between the lakes. On your way back you can stop at the boat landing and river outlet at the north end of Upper Big Pine Lake.
46°11'47.46"N 93° 3'50.85"W
Strawberry creek is the known breeding location for a number of interesting damselflies, including Chromagrion conditum (Aurora Damsel), Enallagma antennatum (Rainbow Bluet), and Enallagma signatum (Orange Bluet) among others. It is also a good site to find Cordulegaster maculata (Twin- spotted Spiketail) and other anisopterans common to sandy bottomed, slow streams. The outflow at the north end of Upper Big Pine Lake is a great spot for a variety of Gomphidae.
Amity Creek, Duluth, MN 55804
Take I-35 north out of the Twin Cities to Duluth (135 miles). At about the middle of your way through Duluth I-35 transitions to Highway 61 north (London Road) along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Continue on Highway 61 to North 60th Avenue East (If you cross the Lester River you have gone a little too far). Turn left onto North 60th Avenue East then turn right onto Glenwood Street (.2 miles). Turn left onto Occidental Boulevard. Occidental Boulevard becomes Seven Bridges Road and then East Skyline Parkway. Park in the small lot just beyond Maxwell Road and across the bridge (1.5 miles). Follow Snively Trail upstream and access Amity Creek from the trail where the streambed is more level and sandy. It is mainly cascades and waterfalls below the bridge, but adult odes may be anywhere along the Creek.
46°51'38.20"N 92° 0'59.09"W
This is the southernmost stream in Minnesota that that is known to have a breeding population of Boyeria grafiana (Ocellated Darner). Other Odes known from the site are Aeshna umbrosa (Shadow Darner), Cordulegaster maculata (Twin-spotted Spiketail), Calopteryx maculata (Ebony Jewelwing) and Calopteryx aequabilis (River Jewelwing). Many more are possible. You should check out the numerous rivers and streams that you will cross over as you travel up Highway 61 on your trip to Wolf Ridge. Most of them have the potential to harbor populations of Ocellated Darners.
St. Louis River, Hoyt Lakes, MN 55750
Take I-35 north out of the Twin Cities to exit 237 for MN-33 toward Cloquet/Iron Range (110 miles) . Continue onto MN-33 N after 18.9 miles take the Junction US-53 ramp to merge onto US-53 N. Go 28.5 miles and turn right onto Wilson Road/CR 16. In 5.8 miles it turns into Townline Road (at big curve). Continue onto Town Line Road. Go 17.3 miles and turn onto Lake County Highway 15/Skibo Lookout Road. Go several miles and the destination will be on the left. The entrance to the parking area is a little difficult to see. It is at the end of the guardrail on the west side of the road before you get to the bridge. This is a canoe landing and there are ample places to park. In addition to access to the St. Louis River, there is also an old logging road that heads southwest from the parking area and eventually intersects the river again. The entire area is surrounded by small lakes, bogs, fens, and flowages.
47°28'50.89"N 92° 2'23.70"W
Getting to this site requires the greatest detour in route to Wolf Ridge, but it also promises the greatest reward. The diversity of odes is outstanding with riverine Gomphidae in abundance. Stylogomphus albistylus (Least Clubtail) has been seen in good numbers in and around the bridge. Macromia illinoiensis (Swift River Cruiser), Hagenius brevistylus (Dragonhunter), and many other Gomphidae can be found in the immediate vicinity of the bridge. The upper St. Louis River is one of the few known breeding sites for Ophiogomphus anomalus (Extra-striped Snaketail) in Minnesota. The logging road is a good place to find Somatochlora forcipata (Forcipate Emerald), and S. walshii (Brush-tipped Emerald) among other stripped emeralds.
