Crow Wing State Forest

Crow Wing State Forest
Geography
Location	Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States
Area	31,307 acres (126.69 km²; 48.917 sq mi)
Established	1935
Governing body	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Crow Wing County, Potlatch Corp.
Website	www.dnr.state.mn.us/state forests/sft00014/index.html
Ecology
WWF Classification	Western Great Lakes Forests
EPA Classification	Northern Lakes and Forests
Disturbance	Wildfire
Dominant tree species	Pinus strobus, Pinus resinosa
Map
Crow Wing State Forest

The Crow Wing State Forest is a state forest located near Fairfield Township in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. It is about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the tourism-based town of Brainerd. Approximately 14,072 acres (5,695 ha) (44%) of the forest of 31,307 acres (12,669 ha) is actively managed. The managed acres are split nearly equally between the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Crow Wing County, and the privately-owned Potlatch Corp.

Prior to European settlement the area was mainly oak forests and barrens interspersed with pine stands and prairie. Today, Eastern white pine and Norway pine dominate, although stands of oak, aspen, and jack pine occur upland, with wet prairies and conifer bogs in the lowlands.

The interactive Bass Lake Nature Trail (either .75 or 1.75 miles (1.21 or 2.82 km)) introduces users to the forest dynamics present in the forest, including wildfire, snags and its effects on wildlife, and the oak canker, Diplodia quercina. Additional trails located throughout the forest accommodate separate activities, including 1.7 miles (2.7 km) designated for hiking, 33 miles (53 km) for mountain biking, 17.3 miles (27.8 km) each for Class I and Class II All-terrain vehicle (ATV) use, and 17.3 miles (27.8 km) for off-highway motorcycling. Picnicking, fishing, and hunting are also commonly practiced outdoor recreation activities. Waterways within the forest also allow canoers, kayakers, and boaters access to the Pine and Mississippi Rivers.^[1]

References

^ "Crow Wing State Forest" (html). Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2010-06-18. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/sft00014/index.html. Retrieved 2010-08-11.

Protected areas of Minnesota

National Parks	Voyageurs National Park

National Monuments	Grand Portage • Pipestone

National Park Service	Mississippi National River and Recreation Area • North Country Trail • Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

National Wildlife Refuges	Agassiz • Big Stone • Crane Meadows • Glacial Ridge • Hamden Slough • Mille Lacs • Minnesota Valley • Northern Tallgrass Prairie • Rice Lake • Rydell • Sherburne • Tamarac • Upper Mississippi River

National Forests	Chippewa • Superior

National Natural Landmarks	Ancient River Warren Channel • Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve • Itasca Natural Area • Keeley Creek Natural Area • Lac la Croix Research Natural Area • Lake Agassiz Peatlands Natural Area • Pine Point Research Natural Area • Upper Red Lake Peatland

State Parks	Afton • Banning • Bear Head Lake • Beaver Creek Valley • Big Bog State Recreation Area • Big Stone Lake • Blue Mounds • Buffalo River • Camden • Carley • Cascade River • Charles A. Lindbergh • Crow Wing • Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area • Father Hennepin • Flandrau • Forestville Mystery Cave • Fort Ridgely • Fort Snelling • Franz Jevne • Frontenac • Garden Island State Recreation Area • George H. Crosby Manitou • Glacial Lakes • Glendalough • Gooseberry Falls • Grand Portage • Great River Bluffs • Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area • Hayes Lake • Hill-Annex Mine • Interstate • Itasca • Jay Cooke • John A. Latsch • Judge C. R. Magney • Kilen Woods • Lac qui Parle • Lake Bemidji • Lake Bronson • Lake Carlos • Lake Louise • Lake Maria • Lake Shetek • Maplewood • McCarthy Beach • Mille Lacs Kathio • Minneopa State Park • Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area • Monson Lake • Moose Lake • Myre-Big Island • Nerstrand-Big Woods • Old Mill • Red River State Recreation Area • Rice Lake • Saint Croix • Sakatah Lake • Savanna Portage • Scenic • Schoolcraft • Sibley • Soudan Underground Mine • Split Rock Creek • Split Rock Lighthouse • Temperance River • Tettegouche • Upper Sioux Agency • Whitewater • Wild River • William O'Brien • Zippel Bay

State Forests	Badoura • Battleground • Bear Island • Beltrami Island • Big Fork • Birch Lakes • Blackduck • Bowstring • Buena Vista • Burntside • Chengwatana • Cloquet Valley • Crow Wing • D.A.R. • Emily • Finland • Fond du Lac • Foot Hills • General C. C. Andrews • George Washington • Golden Anniversary • Grand Portage • Hill River • Huntersville • Insula Lake • Jeanette • Kabetogama • Koochiching • Lake Isabella • Lake of the Woods • Land O'Lakes • Lost River • Lyons • Mississippi Headwaters • Nemadji • Northwest Angle • Pat Bayle • Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources