Size:
80 acres (two 40 acre parcels lined up east to west)
Activities at this tract:
Marked Hiking/Snowshoeing Trail established 2018), birding, photography, botanizing
Species of Interest:
Dense stand of Black Spruce and Tamarack; Indian Pipe, Heart-leaved Twayblade, Pink Ladyslipper, Goldthread; Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Winter Wren, warblers, and more.
If you do explore this property and have some interesting observations email Head Naturalist Clinton at naturalist@saxzim.org.
Check out the species documented on iNaturalist for this property here.
Parking:
Roadside parking along Murphy Road (Don’t pull over too far as this is a very deep ditch).
Signage:
Trailhead is marked with signage. Additional property marking signage to be placed.
Location:
Indian Pipe Bog borders Murphy Road on the east side from 1/4 to 1/2 mile north of Arkola/CR52. The property is north of Winterberry Bog and about 2 miles east of Yellow-bellied Bog.
Directions:
Address- 9158 Murphy Road, Cotton, MN
Trailhead- Roadside entry- 47.172744, -92.536570; Trailhead- 47.172713, -92.536344
From Cotton: head west from Cotton until you reach Murphy Road. Head north on Murphy road for .27 mi. The trail head will be across the ditch to your right.
From Welcome Center: Head north on Owl Avenue until you reach Arkola Road. Head east on Arkola Road and head toward Cotton. About 3 mi east of Hwy 7 you will see Murphy Road. Head north on Murphy road for .27 mi. The trail head will be across the ditch to your right.
Bog Namesake:
This bog is named after the abundant growth of Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) which is an interesting plant that lacks chlorophyll and can grow in dark stands of forest. The bog was donated by Sue and Bruce Henke of Duluth and is truly a delightful property to snowshoe and hike through. Their gift has made it possible for this bog to be preserved for future generations of birds and birders! Here are some notes about the property from Sue and Bruce:
“For nearly 40 years we have explored the north woods together in every season. Whether skiing, hiking or canoeing, we have benefited greatly from the efforts of others who have worked tirelessly to preserve or restore these ecosystems for future generations. On a recent trip to the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center, we learned of the group’s mission to purchase tracts of black spruce bog to preserve this important habitat for boreal birds and wildlife. We wanted to do our part to support the mission of this impressive organization. The black spruce bog is a unique and fascinating ecosystem that we find especially interesting. We are now beginning our retirement years. Bruce is a recently retired pathologist and Sue will be retiring soon from her position as a project specialist at Essentia Health. What better way to mark this transition in our lives than to invest in preserving black spruce bog habitat for posterity.”
— Sue and Bruce Henke
