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Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is a state park of Minnesota, US, northeast of Faribault just outside the small town of Nerstrand.The park derives its name from the Big Woods, a large, contiguous forested area covering much of southeast Minnesota prior to the 1840s, when European settlers began to establish farms in the territory, [2] and from Nedstrand in Tysvær, Norway, [3] of which ...
The trail is expected to close the rail trail gap between the Chicago Great Western Railway sections of Faribault and Cannon Falls. [2] Once complete, the entire route from Mankato to Red Wing, then south to Rochester, will be complete via the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, the Mill Towns Trail, the Cannon Valley Regional Trail, the Goodhue Pioneer State Trail, and the Douglas State Trail.
Geography; Location: Roseau County, Minnesota, United States: Coordinates: 1]: Elevation: 1,060 feet (320 m): Area: 54,915 acres (22,223 ha): Administration; Established: 1963: Governing body: Minnesota DNR: Website: www.dnr.state.mn.us /state _forests /sft00057 /index.html: Ecology; WWF Classification: Western Great Lakes Forests: EPA Classification: Northern Lakes and Forests: The Lost River ...
The Big Woods would have once covered 5,000 square miles (13,000 km 2) in a diagonal strip 100 miles (160 km) long and 40 miles (64 km) wide. Today most of this region has been cleared for agriculture and urban development. Remnant and secondary stands of Big Woods remain in parks and other protected areas.
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is nearby. The nearby Valley Grove Church Building is considered an important historical site, though several active churches around the area are better preserved: St. John's United Church of Christ (3 mi southwest) Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) (in town) Nerstrand United Methodist Church (in town)
Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a 173-acre (70 ha) park was authorized to preserve Minnehaha Falls.The effort was delayed by legal appeals from the various landowners of the desired parkland, and by the time those were settled in favor of the state in 1889, Minnesota no longer had the money to purchase the land.
Trails are well-developed and extensive in the forest: 3 miles (4.8 km) trails are designated for hiking and cross-country skiing in the wintertime, 32 miles (51 km) for horseback riding, with 121 miles (195 km) designated for both Class I and II all-terrain vehicle and off-highway motorcycling use.
Outdoor recreation activities include hiking and mountain biking on provided trails, as well as backcountry camping. Trails include 25 miles (40 km) of hiking , 27 miles (43 km) of horseback riding , 238 miles (383 km) available for Class I and II all-terrain vehicle use as well as dirt biking , and 138 miles (222 km) for snowmobiling .