THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Blue Mounds is where the bison roam

LUVERNE — Herds of American bison roam freely in Blue Mounds State Park, located a short drive from Pipestone on the King of Trails.

The herd grazes on the facility’s 1,567-acre prairie lands in Rock County.

So how did Blue Mounds become a place where “the bison roam”?

A lone runner passes through Eagle Rock Vista, one of the most scenic natural settings in Blue Mounds National Park in Luverne, usually less than a 30-minute drive from Pipestone. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)

Bison were first brought to Blue Mounds, which proved to be a suitable area for them, in 1961. The herd began with one female bison and two males from the Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska.

Just over a decade ago, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources partnered with the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley to develop a conservation herd.

This is the entrance sign to Blue Mounds State Park on 161st Street north of Luverne. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)

In 2017, a bull with Yellowstone genetics was added to the herd, helping to keep populations healthier in the park, as noted in a Worthington Daily Globe article by Julie Buntjer. Two bulls were also transferred to the park from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma in October 2012.

Typically, the herd numbers between 65 and 100 bison in the summer, when calves are born. Yearling bison are auctioned off in the fall to ensure the population is sustainable.

The bison herd at Blue Mounds National Park regularly numbers more than 100 animals per year. (Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)

The bison range is fenced, so please stay away from the area. Visitors are asked to stay away from the animals when they are near the fence.

James Derr, a Texas A&M geneticist, noted in a paper written by the Minnesota DNR that the Blue Mounds bison provide a valuable genetic foundation for future herds.

There is an observation deck to view the bison using a spotting scope, and there is also a guided tour by a naturalist who takes people around the area in a 12-passenger open vehicle.

The original 195-acre Mound Springs Recreation Area opened in 1937, with trees planted around the lakes and campground in the 1950s. Land was annexed in 1955 and 1961, and the park’s name was changed to Blue Mounds.

Wildflowers grace the foreground of this photo of the Blue Mounds State Park entrance point in rural Luverne. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)

Four structures and one building in the park, built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

One of the interesting facets of Blue Mounds is the preservation of a 1,250-foot-long line of rocks aligned by the Plains Indians, which marks the spot where the sun rises and sets during the spring and fall equinoxes.

There is also a small swimming reservoir, the only such lake in Rock County.

The department plans to redevelop the Eagle Rock Vista area of ​​the park, which includes the Manfred House Interpretive Center. It had been closed since 2015 due to structural issues.

Here’s another view of the quartzite cliffs that are part of Eagle Rock Vista. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)

Blue Mounds is working with architects and engineers to develop possible concepts, which could include a parking area, renovations, trailhead features like bike racks, shelters and gathering spaces. There is a bike path that connects the main part of Luverne to the park.

A bike trail connects the city of Luverne to Blue Mounds State Park, north of the Rock County community. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)

The DNR would like to inform visitors that the national park now has an all-terrain wheelchair available at no charge. The electric wheelchair allows visitors with limited mobility to explore trails and access points in the park that are not accessible with a regular wheelchair.

Native grasses and wildflowers dominate the scene at Touch The Sky Prairie. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)

Blue Mounds is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the office open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. A one-day vehicle permit costs $7, with an annual permit costing $35.

For more information, call Blue Mounds at 1-407-283-6050 or email [email protected].

Editor’s Note: This is the fifth installment in an eight-part series on regional parks. The sports editor writes articles to highlight what our region has to offer.