Kawishiwi Pines SNA
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80 Acres Located about 6 miles SE of Ely. From Ely take State Hwy. 169 E for 1.5 miles to Kawishiwi Trail (Co Rd 58, which becomes Co Rd 16); go E on it for 4.2 miles to Farm Lake boat access on left. Take gravel road opposite boat access S for 0.45 miles, take left turn, and go 2.2 miles to a gate. The NE corner of the SNA lies 1/3 mile S from here, but cannot be reached by any public trail. Visitors hiking south from the gate will need to cross a small drainage and skirt a 5 acre pond in a bog (you?ll get wet feet in summer!) to reach the site. The old growth pines are in the south half of the SNA. Lake County Twp 62N Rng 11W Sec 16 Type: Coniferous Forest ECS Subsection: Border Lakes |
Description:
This site contains a 29-acre stand of early-stage, old-growth white pine that was protected from timber harvesting through an agreement between Hedstrom Lumber Company and the Minnesota DNR. Logging in adjacent areas left this stand of old white pine, known as the Kawishiwi Triangle. Core samples date these white pines to the regeneration period following the 1854 fires. Fallen logs and tip-ups dating from windstorms in the 1920s and 30s now serve as nurse logs, supporting new seedlings. Natural regeneration of white pine is being promoted to the north. The southern boundary is contiguous with a stand of old pine on U.S. Forest Service lands. Visitors may find large old paper birch, balsam, maple, and quaking aspen among the white pine. Pileated woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, and golden-crowned kinglets have been noted here, along with several species of club moss, large-leaved aster, bunchberry, twin-flower, and rice grass. The rare lichen, Sticta fuliginosa, was found recently in the old-growth pine forest. Best viewing is by sled dog team in the winter!
