Birch Lakes State Forest

State forest in Minnesota, United States

Birch Lakes State Forest

Geography
Location| Stearns County, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates| 45°27′20″N 94°27′40″W﻿ / ﻿45.4556°N 94.4612°W﻿ / 45.4556; -94.4612
Area| 710 acres (290 ha)
Administration
Established| 1959
Governing body| Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,
Website| www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/sft00007/index.html
Ecology
WWF Classification| Upper Midwest forest-savanna transition
EPA Classification| North Central Hardwood Forests/Western Corn Belt Plains

The Birch Lakes State Forest is a state forest located in Stearns County, Minnesota. One of the smallest Minnesota state forests, it is managed primarily for recreation by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Big Birch Lake, a 2,112 acres (855 ha) sand\- and marl-bottomed lake, is accessible from the northeast corner of the forest.[1] The forest is located in a transitory ecotone between the temperate deciduous forest to the northeast and the tallgrass prairie to the southwest, with the rolling terrain characteristic of the glacial activity in the area.

Outdoor recreation activities include boating, fishing, swimming in Big Birch Lake, as well as hunting, picnicking, and backcountry camping in the forest. Trails include 7 miles (11 km) of hiking, 7 miles (11 km) of mountain biking, and 4.1 miles (6.6 km) for snowmobiling.[2]

## Campground[edit]

The Birch lakes State Forest Campground is considered a primitive campground. An individual site is $14, which consists of a cleared area, fire ring, and tables. In addition, a vault toilet, garbage cans, and drinking water is available. The campground features 29 shaded campsites located near the Big Birch Lake.

## See also[edit]

* List of Minnesota state forests

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Lake Information Report:Big Birch". Lake Finder. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
2. ^ "Birch Lakes State Forest". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2010-09-03. Retrieved 2010-09-05.

## External links[edit]

* Birch Lakes State Forest - Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

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Protected areas of Minnesota

National|

| Parks|

* Voyageurs

|

Monuments|

* Grand Portage
* Pipestone

Rivers|

* Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
* Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

Scenic Trails|

* North Country Trail

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

Wetland
Management
Districts|

* Big Stone
* Detroit Lakes
* Fergus Falls
* Litchfield
* Minnesota Valley
* Morris
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Forests|

* Chippewa
* Superior

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

Wilderness|

* Agassiz
* Boundary Waters Canoe Area
* Tamarac

State|

| Parks|

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

|

Recreation
Areas|

* Big Bog
* Cuyuna Country
* Garden Island
* Greenleaf Lake
* Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle
* La Salle Lake
* Minnesota Valley
* Red River
* Saint Croix Islands

Waysides|

* Caribou Falls
* Devils Track Falls
* Flood Bay
* Inspiration Peak
* Joseph R. Brown
* Kodonce River
* Ray Berglund
* St. Croix Boom Site
* Sam Brown Memorial

Forests|

* Badoura
* Battleground
* Bear Island
* Beltrami Island
* Big Fork
* Birch Lakes
* Blackduck
* Bowstring
* Buena Vista
* Burntside
* Centennial
* 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
* Remer
* Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood
* Rum River
* Saint Croix
* Sand Dunes
* Savanna
* Smokey Bear
* Smoky Hills
* Snake River
* Solana
* Sturgeon River
* Two Inlets
* Waukenabo
* Wealthwood
* Welsh Lake
* White Earth
* Whiteface River

Scientific and
Natural Areas|

* List of scientific and natural areas

Local|

| Parks|

* County and regional parks
* Three Rivers Park District

|

Other|

| Minnesota
Historical
Society|

* Alexander Ramsey House
* Birch Coulee Battlefield
* Charles A. Lindbergh House
* Comstock House
* Folsom House
* Forest History Center
* Forestville
* Fort Renville
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* Grand Mound
* Harkin's General Store
* James J. Hill House
* Jeffers Petroglyphs
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* Lower Sioux Agency
* Marine Mill
* Mill City Museum
* Mille Lacs Indian Museum
* Minnehaha Depot
* Minnesota History Center
* Minnesota State Capitol
* Morrison Mounds
* Oliver Kelley Farm
* Sibley Historic Site
* Snake River Fur Post
* Split Rock Lighthouse
* Stumne Mounds
* Traverse des Sioux
* Upper Sioux Agency
* W. W. Mayo House

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Nature
centers|

* List of nature centers

Hiking|

* List of hiking trails

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Authority control |

* VIAF

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