Lost Valley Prairie SNA

About

Lost Valley Prairie is a beautiful bedrock bluff prairie featuring a series of limestone ridges and dry swales. Ridge crests and upper slopes host little bluestem, prairie drop-seed, side-oats grama, hairy grama, Indian grass, and big bluestem; wildflowers such as puccoon, stiff gentian, and prairie smoke; as well as potential habitat for mammals such as groundhogs, fox, coyote, and American badgers. Of special interest are the fire-dependent Hill's thistle, a Minnesota special concern species, and state-threatened rock sandwort with its tiny white flowers and slender leaves, typically found much farther north and known to occur at only a few sites in the state. Among its many values, this SNA contributes to good water quality in the nearby St. Croix River, which receives the naturally-filtered flows from intermittent streams that cross the site.

This site has no maintained trails or other recreational facilities. This site is in an Audubon Important Bird Area.