Size:
40 acres
Activities at this tract:
Birding, photography, and naturalist activities. Bird feeders are maintained during the winter season. Bob Russel Memorial Boardwalk present at this location. Boardwalk information can be found here.
Species of Interest:
Mature Black Spruce and Tamarack with extensive carpets of sphagnum moss; Pink Ladyslipper, Labrador Tea, Spiders, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Blackburnian Warbler, diverse fungi, and more!
If you do explore this property and have some interesting sightings email Head Naturalist Clinton at naturalist@saxzim.org with your report.
Check out the species documented on iNaturalist for this property here.
Parking:
Large parking pad at Bob Russel Memorial Boardwalk trailhead on north side of property. Additional roadside parking along Murphy Road (Don’t pull over too far as it is easy to get stuck in winter). If parking area full, please park on EAST side of road only.
Signage:
Large “Winterberry Bog- Walker/Dahlquist Memorial Bog” sign at trailhead; No signage yet at corners of property.
Location:
Northwest intersection of Murphy Road and CR52/Arkola Road. This is between Cotton and CR7; southwest of Indian Pipe Bog and east of Yellow-bellied Bog.
Directions:
Address- 9105 Murphy Road, Cotton, MN
Trailhead Coordinates- 47.170382, -92.536680
From Cotton: head west from Cotton until you reach Murphy Road. Head north on Murphy road for .1 mi. The trail head will start to the right of the signage on the property.
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 .1 mi. The trail head will start to the right of the signage on the property.
Bog Namesake:
Thanks to Tim and Judy Walker of New Hope, Minnesota for their generous donation to make the preservation of this 40 acre Black Spruce and Tamarack bog possible. This bog is also named for Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), which rows here along the margin between bog and more open aspens. Winterberry is known to be a winter food source for Evening Grosbeaks, which are also featured on the main property sign along Murphy Road.
Donor Notes:
“We live in New Hope, a suburb of the twin cities, are both retired and have four children and three grandchildren. Judy is the birder and Tim enjoys getting a good photograph. We will be expanding our birding at the Sax Zim Bog beyond winter birding to warbler Wednesday’s this May. Five family members, parents, siblings and a cousin have died over the past few years. This, along with our constant observation of the destruction of habitat, drove our decision to help Friends of Sax Zim Bog purchase forty acres. The purchase of this land will preserve habitat and serve as a memorial Bog for our families. We thank Friends of Sax Zim Bog for this opportunity.”
–Tim and Judy Walker
