October 20, 2011: Bass Ponds Hike (Bloomington)

Join the hiking group for a hike in the Bass Ponds area of the Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, along the Hogback Ridge Trail on the Minnesota River bottomland. The man-made bass ponds, built by the Izaak Walton League in the 1920’s, were originally used to breed fish for stocking Minnesota lakes. The Bass Ponds offers a great opportunity to observe wildlife or at least see their traces, including 35 mammal species, 23 reptiles and amphibians, and 97 species of breeding birds. Birds and waterfowl use the Bass Ponds as a stop over on their annual migration, with 242 avian species having been recorded as passing through or residing in the area. Deer, fox, raccoons, muskrats, and beaver can be seen year round. The hike will pass a remnant of the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge, which is a favorite place for wildlife observation, while proceeding from the Hog Back Trail to the Ridge Trail. The Bass Ponds area is the area most impacted by the recent expansion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, at approximately 7,500 feet from the north south runway and with 5,620 monthly overflights between 500 and 2,000 feet above ground level. The Metropolitan Airports Commission paid the Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge negotiated damages of $26 million for the runway expansion at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, to be used for expanding and upgrading other parts of the refuge. Rick Schultz, manager of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge for 10 years, recently has moved to Washington, D.C., as chief of conservation, planning and policy for the entire national refuge system.

If driving: Go south on Highway 77/Cedar Avenue to the Old Shakopee Road exit and proceed east and north on Old Shakopee Road about 4/10ths of a mile to East 86th Street. Turn east on East 86th Street. East 86th Street is the connection for two parking lots for Cypress Semiconductor. Between the north Cypress Semiconductor parking lot and the larger south lot, off of East 86th Street, is the access road to the Bass Ponds Environmental Learning area parking lot. Watch carefully for the access road. The access road is marked by two small "Bass Ponds" signs. Meet in the Bass Ponds Environmental Learning area parking lot.

If coming by public transit: Take Metro Transit route(s): 15; 89; 552. The closest bus service point appears to be the corner of 86th and Old Shakopee Road. Applicable Metro Transit Map / Bus Schedule information

Interested hikers will reassemble after the hike at a nearby restaurant (TGI Friday’s, 2221 Killebrew Drive., Bloomington) for dessert or dinner.

Yahoo Map to the hike starting point

Back to the Thursday Night Hikes homepage

This webpage was last updated on August 26, 2010.