Lake Maria State Park

About Lake Maria State Park

Visitors to Lake Maria State Park will admire the remaining maple and oak stalls that once covered this part of southern Minnesota. The park is ideal for those who enjoy the challenges of hilly terrain, but also for hikers, mountain bikers and hikers of all ages and abilities.

Take a stroll along the boardwalk that winds through the swamp area, or enjoy scenic views of the lake and the ponds of Lake Maria State Park. New log cabins by the lake or ponds offer a new option for campers who want more comfort for animals. Hiking and parking is possible at remote lakes and ponds, and you can move around in the park and outside.

Lake Maria State Park is home to the Blandings turtles, easily recognized by the bright yellow dots on their tanks. The Blanding turtle, native to the Great Lakes region of Minnesota and Wisconsin, is an endangered species in Minnesota.

Before modern agriculture was introduced, most of Lake Shetek was home to natural prairies, native to the Great Lakes region of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Today, a large part of the park's 1108 hectares has been converted into large agricultural areas such as corn and soybean fields. Burns and invasive species control have been used to restore the prairies, and while it will take decades to partially restore them, progress is being made.

Just behind the striking wildflowers that grow in the park are the flaming stars, a sign of Lake Maria State Park's past as a natural prairie.

During the last phase of glaciation, the area was covered with rock debris known as glacial plates. The cultivated areas of the glaciers formed irregular hills and depressions called moraines. Lake Shetek is located in the Altamont moraine formation, and glaciers migrated east during the Ice Age (about 4,000 years ago) on the western edge of Lake Maria State Park.

About 14,000 years ago, the climate warmed and glaciers melted, creating fast rivers of meltwater that formed channels and formed outside temperatures above normal levels.

Small landslides dammed the water that had been stored in the channel's sinks, eventually creating Lake Shetek.

A quiet walk along one of the park's trails will allow you to catch white and tail deer as well as other wildlife such as coyotes, foxes and wolves. The wooded shore of Lake Shetek is home to a variety of animals, from wild boars to mountain lions, wolves, bears, cougars and even wolves and bears.

Eastlick Marsh, a viewing platform with telescopes and a bird's eye view of the lake, is home to waterfowl, reptiles and amphibians.

The Big Woods is a forest that once covered an area of more than 3,000 square kilometers.

The forest consisted of trees, grasses, shrubs and other plants and animals, as well as a large number of birds. The trees were so high that in some places the sunlight could not reach the forest floor, but only through the trees.

French explorers called the forest the Bois de Grand Boiis Fort, but settlers later changed the name to Big Woods. Today, farms, cities, suburbs, and industry have largely replaced farms and cities, and suburbs with industry. Fortunately, Lake Maria State Park still has the grandeur of the original Big Woods.

The park dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the discovery of the Great Lakes by Charles Wright in the mid-19th century.