Sand Dunes State Forest

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Max stay

14 nights

About

Sand Dunes has something for everyone. The 225-acre Bob Dunn Recreation Area , nestled within the forest, holds a 36-unit Ann Lake Campground and Day-Use including the Sand Dunes Horse Camp which is busy on summer weekends. Sand Dunes consists of oak savanna forest and prairie and 2,700 acres of pine plantation on rolling terrain. It provides beautiful areas for many recreational activities, such as horseback riding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, hunting, swimming, panfish fishing on Ann Lake, camping and hiking. Sand Dunes State Forest is located in central Sherburne County, about 3 miles west of Zimmerman and 5 miles north of Big Lake. The forest can be reached by taking Sherburne County five north from Big Lake, off U.S. 10, or following Sherburne County Highway 4 west from Zimmerman off U.S. 169. Management Minnesota's state forests were established to produce timber and other forest crops, provide outdoor recreation, protect watersheds, and perpetuate rare and distinctive species of native flora and fauna. The DNR applies multiple-use management principles to allocate state forest resources to meet the needs of Minnesota citizens. Management actions are planned to maximize the sustained yield of renewable resources while maintaining or improving forests' productive capacity. To date, more than 2,400 acres of tree plantations have been established in the Sand Dunes State Forest. The majority of these are pine. The oldest were planted in the early 1940s. Each plantation is thinned once every five to 10 years, allowing more room for the remaining trees to grow, and yielding a variety of forest products such as fuel wood, pulpwood, sawlogs, poles, and posts. History Sand Dunes State Forest is located within the bounds of Orrock Township, named after the first white settler in the area, Robert Orrock, who arrived in 1857. When the first settlers came, the land was virgin prairie. Most of these pioneers were farmers, so most of this prairie was turned by their plows. The early major crops were oats, rye, wheat, barley, corn, potatoes, and hay. Even though the sandy soils were not conducive to high yields, farming continued as a major source of income for many families until the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Great Depression of the '30s and the Dust Bowl drought of 1933–34 brought an end to most farming in the area. The light, worn-out soils "took to the air and drifted like snow" over roads and onto front porches. Concerned citizens who wanted to stabilize the drifting sand began experimental tree planting in 1941. Many species, including both hardwoods and conifers, were planted. The conifers surpassed the hardwood species in survival and growth. In 1943 Ray Clement introduced a bill to the Minnesota Legislature proposing that sections 16 and 36 and the NW 1/4 of section 22 (now the Ann Lake Campground) be set aside for conservation. The bill passed, and Sand Dunes State Forest was created. In 1951 it was expanded to its present size of 11,040 acres (approximately 17 square miles). Although all this area is within the boundaries of the state forest, only 5,447 acres, or 51 percent, is owned by the state. The remainder is owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior and private parties.