Oasis in the Farm Belt
This week’s Back Roads is the work of The Land Correspondent Renae Vander Schaaf
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THE LAND, JANUARY 24, 2014
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Kilen Woods State Park, Jackson County, Minn.
“Where Farm and Family Meet”
T
raveling in Minnesota is always an adventure. Mostly my farmer and I only get as far as the southwest corner. It is pretty, with its farmland, quartz rock and lakes. So imagine our surprise when we see a sign Kilen Woods State Park. This is extreme southwest Minnesota, not the northern tier where one might expect trees to be. It just seems a bit odd to see this sign. Eventually our curiosity got the best of us, and we just had to have a look. The park is in Jackson County, located nine miles northeast of Lakefield on Highway 24. Fairly undeveloped, there are campsites, a chalet for gatherings that can be used in the winter months and a amphitheater.
The Des Moines River has its beginning at Lake Shetek, outside of the town of Currie. According to one source the name is of French origin, meaning “River of Monks.” It peacefully meanders its way through farmland. This river at one time marked the edge of the Minnesota frontier in the 1850s, which is evident by Currie’s End of the Line Museum. But Kilen Woods State Park, authorized in 1945 by the Minnesota State Legislature, is a stark contrast from the gentle prairie lands the river flows through. It has been referred to as an oasis in the Farm Belt. One time it was a part of Agil Kilen’s farm, son of one of Jackson county’s early pioneers, Anders Kilen. Anders
Kilen also founded nearby Lakefield. A world of its own, five miles of hiking trails on the 200 acres completely blocks out the rest of the world. For here the traveler is surrounded by a burr oak forest that breaks into meadows with small creeks flowing through. In season wild flowers burst into bloom. While serene and tranquil to the visitor, there is plenty of life and activity. The cheerful sounds of birds fill the skies, not a surprise when one realizes that sightings of 226 different species of birds have been recorded. The wildflowers also draw pollinating insects and bees. And yes, mosquitoes, too, can be heard. The terrain is up and down, for in this Des Moines River Valley, the river
can be at your side, or you can be gazing down from a 150-foot bluff. Fishermen are sometimes rewarded for their efforts. Walleye, northern, catfish and bullheads are caught. In this special spot of God’s creation, the wonders are plentiful. One extraordinary highlight are the fens, where water seeps out of the hillside and creates its own microhabitat. Here one can see unusual grasses and rare wildflowers. Another rarity is the prairie bush clover. It is endemic to the Midwest, being found in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. It was designated as a federal endangered species See BACK ROADS, pg. 26
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