Special places pages

FMR maintains over three dozen habitat restoration and land protection sites in the metro area. Find out more about some of these special places below.

You can also see a map of all of our protection and restoration sites and learn more about our approach and Land Conservation program.

Wakáŋ Tipi / Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary

March 4, 2022

Beside riverfront railroads and beneath blufftop Dakota burial mounds, this St. Paul natural area is a sacred place. We're partnering with Native-led Wakáŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi to restore its habitat. Read more

Old Mill Park

January 27, 2022

Part of a habitat corridor through the heart of Hastings, this 10-acre park is home to the first mill on the banks of the Vermillion River, an important tributary of the Mississippi. Visitors can find mill ruins and restored oak savanna and prairie. Read more

River Oaks Park

December 3, 2021

A tiny 2-acre remnant bedrock bluff prairie in Cottage Grove holds mighty habitat diversity and offers stunning 180-degree views of the Mississippi River and its surroundings. >>

Camel’s Hump Park and Open Space

May 28, 2021

Since 2012, we've been restoring the woods, savanna and remnant prairie still growing on the sandstone bluffs of Camel's Hump Park and Open Space, a 60-acre Cottage Grove park with a vantage that gives expansive views of the Mississippi River Valley. >>

Hampton Woods Wildlife Management Area

May 11, 2021

The only forest among miles of farmland in all directions, Hampton Woods WMA is a 200-acre haven for wood thrush, ovenbirds and other woodland wildlife near the Vermillion River in Dakota County. We helped permanently protect this area in 2017, and now we're working to restore its oak forest. >>

Mississippi River Gorge

May 6, 2021

Forested limestone bluffs make up the only gorge on the entire length of the Mississippi River as it flows through the heart of the Twin Cities, flanked by beloved recreational parkways. Our restoration projects improve habitat in this urban oasis. Read more

Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park

March 1, 2021

A forested valley with 100-foot high slopes runs into Ravine Lake at this 515-acre park. We’ve been managing oak savanna and prairie habitat restoration here since 2012. >>