Kinnickinnic SP, Pierce County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Habitat: Open Water, Restored Grasslands, Northern Hardwood Forest, Successional Oldfield.
Best Birds: The deep river valley contains hardwood forest on the sheltered north-facing slope and oak-cedar woods and small prairie openings on the exposed south-facing slope. Walking out to the overlook offers great views of the Kinnickinnic and St. Croix River valleys. There are numerous paths throughout the park that allow good views of the tree tops to facilitate easy viewing of migrating warblers. An active Bald Eagle aerie can be seen from the overlook.
There is a rugged path that goes down to the valley floor along the river. Nesting Prothonotary Warbler can be observed in this area. Other forest birds found nesting in the park are both species of cuckoo, Willow and Alder Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, and Scarlet Tanager. Whip-poor-will, Common Nighthawk, and Barred, Short-eared, and Great Horned Owl are also present in the park
Back east down the road to the trail that circles the prairie there are breeding Henslow’s Sparrow. Other commonly seen grassland birds are Sedge Wren, Bobolink, and Eastern Meadowlark. Clay-colored Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow and Field Sparrow are also found in summer in the grasslands and shrubby areas.
The confluence of the St. Croix and Kinnickinnic Rivers stays open all winter, so ducks are seen throughout winter and into early spring. This is a large staging area for Common Goldeneye and Common Merganser. The mouth also attracts breeding Trumpeter Swan as well as spring migrants. Numerous migrant diving ducks are also seen at the park in the St. Croix River, including Redhead, Canvasback, and Greater and Lesser Scaup.
Directions: 8 miles southwest of River Falls. From County Road F take 820th Ave. 0.25 mile west to the park entrance. Parking for the prairie is 1.25 miles from the entrance (44.83408, -92.75175). Driving another 0.6 miles west reaches the overlook parking (44.82988, -92.76058). The Kinnickinnic River and Gorge SNA lies within the park and can be reached by the purple trail from the overlook.
Site Address & Additional Information:
W11983 820th Ave, River Falls, WI
Kinnickinnic State Park | Wisconsin DNR
Kinnickinnic River Gorge And Delta State Natural Area - Wisconsin DNR
August Hotspot of the Month--Kinnickinnic State Park - Wisconsin eBird
Larry Persico, Carl Schroeder
