Classification: park reserves

Park reserves are substantially larger than regional parks because they require adequate space to protect and manage diverse natural systems and provide for compatible outdoor activities. The minimum size for a park reserve is 1,000 acres, but larger park reserves are desirable. To establish and maintain an uncompromised sense of nature and protect high-quality natural resources, at least 80% of each park reserve should be managed as wild lands that protect the ecological functions of the native landscape. Up to 20% of a park reserve may be developed for compatible recreational activities.  

Park reserve attributes

Use: Park reserves are typically used for a variety of nature-based outdoor recreation activities. They provide, protect, and manage the many natural landscapes and systems of the region. Park reserves often provide important services for trail use and access including trailheads, parking, restrooms, drinking water, and space for picnicking, along with other activities.

Service area: The entire metropolitan region.

Site attributes: Park reserves are large areas of land or water that extend into multiple jurisdictions and offer a diversity of unique resources, such as topography, lakes, streams, marshes, and flora or fauna.

Size: At least 1,000 acres or a sufficient area to encompass the resource envisioned for preservation. While park reserves have a minimum required size of 1,000 acres, larger reserves are preferred.

Site location: Park reserves are located where high-quality natural areas occur. Due to their large acreage requirement, these are usually in places outside of the Metropolitan Urban Service Area. Park reserves aim to protect significant portions of one or more of eight regional landscape types including:  

• Anoka Sand Plains: Located in the northern metro area and along the Mississippi River, this area consists of flat, sandy lake plains, defined by small dunes, sandy soils, kettle lakes, and tunnel valleys. Pre-settlement vegetation was mostly oak barrens, floodplain forests, and brushland. Significant portions of Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve are representative of the Anoka Sand Plain.
• St. Croix Ground Moraine: These landscapes have a rolling countryside and are located on sandy, well-drained soils. Other features of the St. Croix Ground Moraine include deciduous forests, marshes, and conifer bogs. The Big Marine Park Reserve in Washington County includes St. Croix Ground Moraine.  
• Des Moines Ground Moraine: Defined by gently rolling countryside on stony or clay soils, small shallow lakes, potholes, and lowlands with hummocks and knobs. Prominent vegetation includes big woods forests, wetlands, marshes, and shrubby swamps. Significant portions of Carver and Hyland-Bush-Anderson park reserves are representative of the Des Moines Ground Moraine.
• Terminal Moraine: The terminal moraine contains some of the roughest topography in the metropolitan area, with rocky glacial deposits forming steep cone-shaped hills and deep lakes. Common vegetation in this landscape is oak savannas, aspen-oak lands, marshes, and shrubby swamps. Significant portions of Murphy-Hanrehan and Big Marine Park Reserves are representative of Terminal Moraine.
• Lightly Glaciated Areas: Mainly flat uplands with deep soils formed by decomposed bedrock and ancient glacial deposits; deeply dissected stream and river valleys and a few lakes or wetlands. Predominantly vegetated by tall grass prairies, oak-savannas, deciduous forests, cedar glades and floodplain forest clumps. Parks with these features include Lake Byllesby Regional Park and Miesville Ravine Park Reserve.
• Mississippi River Valley: The Mississippi River Valley has multiple distinct areas with differing landscapes:
  • Upstream of St. Anthony Falls: Upstream of St. Anthony Falls, the surrounding area has narrow floodplains, low banks, and a flat valley top. Common vegetation includes floodplain forests, marshes and shrubby swamps, prairies, oak savannas, and aspen-oak.  
  • St. Anthony Falls to the mouth of the Minnesota River: Defined by deep gorges and steep-sided bluffs, vegetation is similar to the upstream segments of the river.  
  • Below the mouth of the Minnesota River: This area is defined with wide floodplain wetlands with lakes and marshes, floodplain terraces, and steep slopes. Vegetation is primarily floodplain forests, shrubby swamps, big woods forests, cedar glades, and oak savannas. Spring Lake Park Reserve is a good example of this landscape type.
• Minnesota River Valley: Known for steep-sided bluffs and a wide meandering river, other features of this landscape include floodplains with extensive lakes, wetlands, and some dry lands. Floodplain forests, fens, bogs, and prairies are common in this area. Significant portions of Blakeley Bluffs Park Reserve are representative of the Minnesota River Valley landscape type.
• St. Croix River Valley: The St. Croix River Valley features a deep valley with steep bluff walls, sandy shorelines, and small floodplains with islands. Predominant vegetation includes floodplain forests, shrubby swamps, prairies, big woods forests, and deciduous forests.