Golden Anniversary State Forest

Golden Anniversary State Forest
Map showing the location of Golden Anniversary State Forest
Geography
Location Itasca County, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates 47°03′46″N 93°16′16″W / 47.0628°N 93.271°W / 47.0628; -93.271Coordinates: 47°03′46″N 93°16′16″W / 47.0628°N 93.271°W / 47.0628; -93.271
Elevation 1,280 feet (390 m)
Area 6,811 acres (2,756 ha)
Established 1961
Governing body Minnesota DNR, Itasca County, private
Website www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/sft00022/index.html
Ecology
WWF Classification Western Great Lakes Forests
EPA Classification Northern Lakes and Forests
Fauna White-tailed deer

The Golden Anniversary State Forest is a state forest located near Grand Rapids in southern Itasca County, Minnesota. The forest was established in 1961 in celebration of the golden anniversary of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources's Division of Forestry, which is responsible for the management of the majority of the state forests in Minnesota.

An abundance of wildlife is present in the forest with its variety of tree species, namely aspen, Northern Whitecedar, northern hardwoods, White Spruce, Balsam Fir, Red Pine, and Eastern White Pine. Management efforts in the forest are currently working towards creating more habitat for Ruffed Grouse. White-tailed deer are common in the forest and have established a deer yard near Cowhorn Lake, where waterfowl species are also present.

Other outdoor recreational activities include hunting, picnicking, and backcountry camping. A boat launch makes Cowhorn Lake accessible for fishing, as well as swimming. Trails include 7 miles (11 km) designated for cross-country skiing, of which 5.5 miles (8.9 km) are open for mountain biking in the summertime.[1]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, April 05, 2012. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.