Turtle River State Park
Nature in the park
A bird checklist (pdf 207kb) and plant checklist (pdf 156kb)are available on-line in pdf format.
Turtle River State Park harbors an abundance of plant and animal life. Because of the environmental diversity, many different plant species can be found. Much of the area is wooded with mixed hardwood stands, timbered hills and lush riverbottoms.
There is also an open prairie area with emerging native grasses, and wetlands in the south section of the park. This provides a variety of natural settings, from the shady, tree-canopied river corridor to open prairie scenes. Park visitors occasionally see deer and moose wander through.
The wooded areas are full of small mammals--squirrels, woodchucks, skunks, weasels, beaver and raccoon are often seen in the park.
The wetland area is a haven for water birds. Bitterns, terns and blue herons are common along the river. In spring and autumn, thousands of migratory waterfowl pass over and through the park.
