Discovery Sites
How to Get There: From Milan, travel northwest on US Highway 59. The best route is the county line gravel road about three miles northwest of the Milan town limits. Take this road west two miles to the preserve. Park along the road, please do not drive onto the preserve.
What You Will Find: Natural areas
Services at This Site: None. No trails
The Chippewa Prairie represents a small remnant of the once vast northern tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Chippewa Prairie is located near Appleton and is a vital natural link between the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge and Lac Qui Parle Wildlife Management Area.
Spring and fall are good times to observe migrating flocks of geese, ducks, sandpipers, godwits and other shorebirds. The bluffs about the marshes on the western edge of the preserve are recommended vantage points. Spring evenings, listen for the haunting call of the upland sandpiper. In mid-summer, visitors may see the short-eared owl, a species of special concern. Other species of concern include the marbled godwit and two butterflies, the Powesheik and regal fritillary.
The dominant plant species are big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indian grass. Other common plants include purple coneflower, Maximillian’s sunflower, and side-oats gramma. Rare plants on the preserve include slender milk vetch and small white lady’s slipper, both species of special concern.
Things to Do: Discovery Site, Outdoor Activities
