Franconia Bluffs SNA

85.2 Acres Located East unit: Located on MN Highway 95, 3/4 miles S of US Highway 8 and 1/4 mile S of Franconia Trail. Park in the small lot at the end of the walk in easement. Walk E along the narrow easement to the wooded bluff. Please respect adjacent private lands and stay within the SNA boundary signs. Please DO NOT park along Franconia Trail. West unit: S 1/2 mile of above access. Park on pull-off east side of Hwy 95. SNA boundary signs. Please DO NOT park along Franconia Trail. Chisago County Twp 33N Rng 19W Sec 03 & 10 Type: Deciduous Woods ECS Subsection: Mille Lacs Uplands

Description:

Located on the high scenic bluffs along the St. Croix River, Franconia Bluffs SNA protects upland bluffs and forests plant communities while the National Park Service lands adjacent to the south protects floodplain marshes and forests. The forested bluffs, dissected by deep rocky ravines, contain native plant communities such as Southern Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Southern Dry-Mesic Oak (Maple) Woodland. Five state-listed bird species have been documented breeding in this area: red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea), Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens), Louisiana waterthrush (Seirus motacilla), and bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The state-threatened wood turtle (Gleptemys insculpta) utilizes the floodplain and upland habitats. The St. Croix River adjacent to the floodplain contains documented occurrences of four state-listed fish species and a total of 40 native mussel species, two of which are federally- and state- endangered.

Bird List

Plant List