🏆🏆🏆 Owatonna Forest — 98-acre urban forest park in Owatonna with mature hardwoods
Kaplan Woods State Park protects 98 acres of mature hardwood forest on the Straight River in Owatonna. The old-growth remnant includes towering oaks, maples, and basswoods — some over 200 years old — representing the Big Woods forest type that once covered much of southern Minnesota. Walking trails wind through the canopy, providing a forest experience unusual in the agricultural landscape of the region.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Owatonna, Steele County, MN |
| Size | 98 acres |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Forest | Big Woods remnant (200yr oaks) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Big Woods?
The “Big Woods” was a 5,000-square-mile deciduous forest that covered south-central Minnesota — the setting for Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House in the Big Woods.” Less than 1% remains today.
What is a sugar maple?
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the source of maple syrup — each tree produces 10-20 gallons of sap per season, boiled down to about 1 quart of syrup. Sugar maples can live 300-400 years and are famous for their spectacular fall color — brilliant orange, red, and gold. Minnesota’s Big Woods remnants contain some of the finest sugar maple stands in the Midwest.
Keep exploring: The closest neighbors are Sakatah Lake State Park (within about an hour’s drive) and Nerstrand Big Woods State Park (within about an hour’s drive).
🌳 Visit Kaplan Woods SP
Big Woods remnant — 200-year-old oaks from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s forest.
About Kaplan Woods
Kaplan Woods State Park in Otter Tail County protects a remnant hardwood forest in Minnesota’s lake-studded western prairie transition zone. The park preserves mature oak and basswood forest — a remnant of the “Big Woods” that once covered much of central Minnesota before being cleared for farming.
Things to Do
Hiking through the mature hardwood forest, birdwatching, wildflower viewing, picnicking, and studying the Big Woods remnant ecosystem — a living reminder of Minnesota’s pre-settlement landscape.
Insider Tips
Big Woods remnant: Kaplan Woods preserves old-growth maple-basswood forest — a surviving fragment of the Big Woods that once covered south-central Minnesota. Pro tip: Sugar maples here are 200+ years old — they germinated when Thomas Jefferson was alive. Spring ephemerals: The spring wildflower display is one of the best in Minnesota — hepatica, bloodroot, and trout lily carpet the floor in April.
Best Time to Visit
April: Spring ephemeral wildflower peak. Fall: Sugar maple foliage — brilliant oranges and reds. Summer: Cool forest shade. Winter: Cross-country skiing through old growth.
Wildlife & Nature
Kaplan Woods SP — preserves a remnant hardwood forest in Minnesota. White-tailed deer and songbirds inhabit the mature timber. Pileated woodpeckers drum the trees. Great horned owls nest in the canopy.
Nearby Attractions
Local communities — surrounding — provide services.
Park Location
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