Фронтенак штатының паркі: Миссисипи маңындағы табиғат кереметі

State park in Minnesota, United States

Frontenac State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River 10 mile (16 km) southeast of Red Wing. The park is notable both for its history and for its birdwatching opportunities. The centerpiece of the park is a 430 feet (131 m), 3 mile (5 km) steep limestone bluff overlooking Lake Pepin, a natural widening of the Mississippi. The bluff is variously called Garrard's Bluff or Point No Point, the latter name coming from riverboat captains because of the optical illusion that it protruded into the Mississippi River. There is a natural limestone arch on the blufftop called In Yan Teopa, a Dakota name meaning "Rock With Opening". Park lands entirely surround the town of Frontenac, once a high class resort at the end of the 19th century.

Limestone was laid down 500 million years ago as organic sediments settled to the bottom of a shallow sea that covered much of the Midwest. Much later Glacial River Warren carried torrents of runoff from the melting glaciers of the last ice age. Flowing out of Lake Agassiz, Glacial River Warren carved the Minnesota River valley and the Mississippi River Valley, leaving steep bluffs along the latter's banks. At times Glacial River Warren overflowed its bed and Garrard's Bluff would have been an island. The area is near the northern extreme of the Driftless Area of Minnesota, a region that remained unglaciated during the phases of the last ice age. In the present day, a creek flows through the eastern end of the park into Lake Pepin. Wells Creek carries substantial amounts of sand eroded out of the nearby hills. As it hits the slow moving river water, it drops its sediment load, creating a delta and Sand Point, a sand spit jutting perpendicularly out into the lake. Downstream the Chippewa River performs the same action on a larger scale. This sediment blockage is what causes the Mississippi to widen into Lake Pepin.

The forest on the bluff is a mix of maple, basswood, elm, oak, and aspen. The back of the bluff transitions from this forest to lightly wooden meadows to prairie. The eastern end of the park is a bottomland forest of cottonwood, maple, and willow.

The park is home to mammalian species of deer, raccoon, coyote, opossum, red fox, woodchuck, beaver and various ground squirrels. On the Mississippi Flyway, the Frontenac area has been known for birdwatching since 1900. Bald eagles and golden eagles are seen around the bluff. The bottomland forest is excellent habitat for warblers. Sand Point is a popular rest stop for migrants, including ruddy turnstones and sanderlings. One terrestrial species of note is the timber rattlesnake, though it is rare in the park and only dangerous if provoked. Meanwhile, limestone was quarried from the bluff. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City was constructed of stone from Frontenac. Frontenac's heyday ended when railroads supplanted river travel at the end of the 1800s.

Camping: Atop the bluff there is a campground with 58 sites (19 with electrical hookups) and 6 walk in campsites. Fishing: Walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish can be caught in Lake Pepin. Sledding: On the substantial hill behind the park office. Warming hut nearby. Swimming: Walk or boat in to Sand Point. Very popular on summer weekends. Trails: The park has 13 mile (21 km) of hiking trails. In winter 5.7 mile (9 km) are groomed for cross country skiing and 5.5 mile (9 km) for snowmobiling. Bluffview Trail (hiking): An interpretive loop dipping below the blufftop. Bluffside Trail (hiking): Follows the blufftop to In Yan Teopa and descends in switchbacks to loop back along the bluff's flank. 3 spurs give access to the stony shore. Hiking clockwise is slightly less strenuous. Hill Trail (hiking/snowmobiling): Ascends the meadows and wooded ravines from the park entrance to the campground (1.4 mi). Prairie Trail (hiking/skiing): Loops through prairie and oak savanna past the wooded shore of a small lake (2.7 mi). Sand Point Trail (hiking): Leads from a southern parking area through bottomland forest to Sand Point, the park's best birdwatching zones (0.7 mi). Indian Mound Trail (hiking): A short loop across the highway from the lower parking area, leading past some indistinct burial mounds (0.4 mi).