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Wildlife Drive

A Guide to wildlife watching on the Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive.

We invite you to take the 7.3 mile Wildlife Drive at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and discover for yourself the excitement of seeing wildlife just as it may have been 150 years ago when the first settlers came to this area. This 30,700 acre Refuge is a mosaic of oak savanna, wetlands, and big woods habitats; a transition zone between the forested areas common in eastern Minnesota and the tallgrass prairie of Western Minnesota, established in 1965 to preserve a piece of this vanishing natural heritage. Examples of oak savanna and wetland habitats and their associated wildlife awaits you now on Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive.

To help you enjoy your visit and increase your chances of seeing and hearing wildlife, consider the following wildlife viewing tips:

• Take your time. Drive slowly.

• Use the your car as a "blind".

• Roll down your windows and enjoy the "Symphony of Sounds". If you cup your hands around the back of your ears, the sound will be amplified.

• Think like an animal. When do they feed? Sleep? Drink? Dusk and dawn are usually peak periods of activity.

• Look for the "Wildlife Silhouettes" located along the Drive. These provide clues on what wildlife to look for at each locations.

Prior to settlement, the land which now lies within the boundaries of the Refuge was a mosaic of wetlands and uplands. As the land was cleared and plowed for agriculture, many of the original wetlands were drained. Today, in addition to four natural lakes and numerous wetlands, the Refuge has 23 restored wetlands, or pools, where the water level can be raised and lowered to create a variety of wetland types. Wetlands are used by bald eagles, waterfowl, sandhill cranes, loons, trumpeter swans, mink, muskrat and a myriad of other species.

Oak savanna is a habitat characterized by scattered individual and small groves of oak trees growing with an understory of tall grasses, colorful prairie wildflowers and sometimes hazelnut and oak brush. Only about .02 percent of the original oak savanna habitat in the Midwest remains today. Using prescribed burns as the primary management tool, the Refuge is working to restore this rare plant community.

Small open deciduous woodlands are a part of the oak savanna habitat. Here you will find many resident and migratory songbirds including the scarlet tanager, northern oriole, indigo bunting and red-headed woodpecker. Take time to look for wildlife in the wooded areas along the Drive and along the Woodland Trail at the North end of the Drive.

Throughout the Refuge tallgrass prairie plants are being restored in grassland openings within the oak savanna habitat. Big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass and switch grass, as well as a rich diversity of native prairie wildflowers (forbs) can now be found here. Wildlife that frequent the prairie openings include the meadowlark, kingbird, and vesper sparrow as well as the pocket gopher, badger, bull snake and Blanding's turtle. The half-mile long Prairie Trail, located at the south end of the Wildlife Drive, supports an excellent example of prairie openings.

Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive is located 1.2 miles north of Orrock, Minnesota on Sherburne County Road 5. (see also Getting To Sherburne NWR)

The Drive is open during daylight hours from late April through October.

Volunteer wildlife interpreters are on the Drive during the evening hours and some afternoons to assist visitors with wildlife viewing opportunities.

The wildlife resources on the Refuge, both plants and animals, are here for everyone to enjoy. Please take only pictures and leave only footprints.

Additional Refuge information is available at information kiosks located at Refuge entry points on County Road 9 and County Road 5 and at Refuge headquarters during the weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Also see Map of Wildlife Drive

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Last updated: July 17, 2008

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