The Itasca Biological Station is surrounded by countless locations and unique habitat types that are ideal for field research, both within the state park (some within walking distance, others a short drive on state park roads or accessible by boat or trails within the park) and in the surrounding region. Here, we highlight a few key areas that our researchers and courses use for field work.
Old Growth Forest Stands in Itasca State Park
Itasca State Park contains about 5,500 acres of old growth forest and is home to about 20% of the remaining old growth pine forest in Minnesota. Below is a 2023 map of the old growth stands in the park. See the next section about State Scientific and Natural Areas to learn more about the Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary section of this map (outlined in red below).
State Scientific and Natural Areas
Scientific and Natural Areas near Itasca Station
State Scientific and Natural Areas (SNAs) are exceptional environments where Minnesota's biodiversity thrives, rare species are protected, and the state's unique natural features can be discovered and studied. Several SNAs are within close driving distance to the station, including the Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary, Iron Springs Bog and more. The designation of both of these areas as SNAs was thanks, in part, to efforts by researchers at the Itasca Station.
Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary
The Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary is a 1600 acre SNA located along the western side of Lake Itasca and protects roughly two miles of undeveloped shoreline along the lake. A mosaic of eighteen native plant communities occupy the site, dominated by fire-dependent red pine – white pine forest communities. The SNA is accessible via the half-mile Lake Bohall footpath or the 1/4 mile Nicollet Creek path from Wilderness Drive, but most of the tract is protected and not open to general recreation.
The Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary holds an important place in Minnesota's conservation history. It was established in 1939 within the state park to preserve a part of the wilderness character of the state that existed prior to logging and settlement. In 1965, it became Minnesota's first National Natural Landmark. The Sanctuary's was designated as a state SNA in 1983, as the finest example of Great Lakes Pine Forest in north-central Minnesota. In 2023, the SNA was inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network, which recognizes existing old-growth forests across the nation and highlights the importance of preserving these areas.
An iNaturalist project was developed for this site to monitor the flora and fauna of the SNA, especially rare and protected species. Students and researchers can contribute to the growing biodiversity inventory by adding records here:
Itasca Station Offsite Research Plots
The University of Minnesota owns two plots of land north of Itasca State Park, just under 4 miles away from the station. They hold a mixture of early-successional forest and meadow. Unlike land within the state park boundaries, these UMN plots present an opportunity for manipulative research projects.
State Forests
There are many State Forests within close driving distance of the Itasca station, including Two Inlets State Forest, White Earth State Forest, Paul Bunyan State Forest, and Mississippi Headwaters State Forest.