Discovery Sites
How to get there: Located in the Minnesota River Valley, northwest of Montevideo.
What you will find: Natural areas
Services at this site: Lac qui parle State Park and DNR Headquarters offer full services
The Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area is about 25 miles long, one to three miles wide, and encompasses more than 33,000 acres of land and water. Lac qui Parle Lake and Marsh Lake are the most prominent features. Public hunting is the primary recreational use, although thousands of bird watchers and nature observers visit the area each year. In the fall as many as 30,000 Canada geese are on the unit at one time.
Birdwatchers enjoy many songbirds and waterfowl that use the WMA for nesting and as a migratory stopover. A bald eagle nest is located on an island in the Sanctuary. Flights of whistling swans pass over Lac qui Parle in April and November. Pelicans nest in the area on an one-acre island. Anyone who likes to see abundant wildlife will enjoy a hike through the WMA. The sight of a whitetail or ducks at dawn are common almost any time of the year.
Name meaning: In French, Lac qui Parle means “the lake which talks”; in Dakota the lake is called Bde Iedaŋ ,or “little talking lake.”
Things to Do: Discovery Site, Outdoor Activities
