John A. Latsch State Park is a 1,654-acre (7 km2) state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Mississippi River, 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Winona. The park contains three steep bluffs rising 500 feet (150 m) above the river which are named Mount Faith, Mount Hope, and Mount Charity. The park is nearly undeveloped, with a small walk-in campground (closed to use currently) and only one trail. It functions primarily as a wayside on U.S. Route 61, which runs between the river and the base of the bluffs. Lock and Dam No. 5 is adjacent to the park.
John A. Latsch State Park
Mounts Faith, Hope, and Charity in John A. Latsch State Park
Location of John A. Latsch State Park in Minnesota
The park sits on limestone laid down on the floor of a shallow sea 500 million years ago. Torrents of runoff at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation 10,000 years ago carved the bed of the Mississippi River down into this limestone, leaving high bluffs along its banks. The park is situated in the Driftless Area, an atypically rugged region of the Upper Midwest because it was never glaciated and covered with a layer of glacial till, or drift.
Flora and faunaedit
The steepness of the three bluffs deterred logging, and the forest cover today is a high quality mix of many different species. These include several kinds of oak, maple, elm, cedar, and ash, as well as black walnut, hickory, basswood, ironwood, birch, and poplar. A great variety of birds migrate past the park along the Mississippi Flyway. Terrestrial species include white-tailed deer, coyotes, red foxes, opossums, and timber rattlesnakes.
Cultural historyedit
The three bluffs were named by steamboat captains, who used them as landmarks. A logging town with its own steamboat landing was active here in the 1850s, supplying lumber to sawmills in newly founded Winona. The townsite has since been submerged by water backed up by the lock and dam.
John A. Latsch was a Winona businessman who loved fishing beneath these three bluffs. He purchased some of the property and, along with an adjacent landowner, donated 350 acres (1.4 km2) for a state park in 1925. Latsch was a lifelong patron of conservation; Whitewater State Park and Wisconsin's Perrot State Park both grew out of other parcels he donated. He was also a founder of the Izaak Walton League, an early environmental non-profit organization.
Development at this park stagnated, largely because the only level land was at the mouths of the small ravines that separated the three bluffs. The Civilian Conservation Corps blazed a trail to the top of Mount Charity, the highest of the trio, in 1933. Latsch, who died the following year, recorded his regret that he hadn't acquired more property in the beginning. In 1963 the Minnesota Legislature authorized an extension of the park's boundaries, to include a sizeable area behind the bluffs. However this property is yet to be acquired from its private owners, and the publicly held land in the park amounts to only 389 acres (1.6 km2). A 1971 analysis recommended that John A. Latsch State Park be reclassified as a Scientific and Natural Area, though this has not been acted upon either.
John A. Latsch State Park entrance
Recreationedit
The park features a picnic ground and 7 primitive walk-in campsites (which are currently closed to the public). Water is available seasonally from a pump. The only trail is the steep, 0.5-mile (800 m) Riverview Trail, which climbs 450 feet (137 m) to the top of Mount Charity, offering a panoramic view of the Mississippi River Valley.
Meyer, Roy W. Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks. Minnesota Historical Society Press: St. Paul, 1991.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2006. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site (online).
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John A. Latsch State Park.
John A. Latsch State Park
April 11, 2024
john, latsch, state, park, acre, state, park, minnesota, mississippi, river, miles, northwest, winona, park, contains, three, steep, bluffs, rising, feet, above, river, which, named, mount, faith, mount, hope, mount, charity, park, nearly, undeveloped, with, s. John A Latsch State Park is a 1 654 acre 7 km2 state park of Minnesota USA on the Mississippi River 12 miles 19 km northwest of Winona The park contains three steep bluffs rising 500 feet 150 m above the river which are named Mount Faith Mount Hope and Mount Charity The park is nearly undeveloped with a small walk in campground closed to use currently and only one trail It functions primarily as a wayside on U S Route 61 which runs between the river and the base of the bluffs Lock and Dam No 5 is adjacent to the park John A Latsch State ParkMounts Faith Hope and Charity in John A Latsch State ParkLocation of John A Latsch State Park in MinnesotaShow map of MinnesotaJohn A Latsch State Park the United States Show map of the United StatesLocationWinona Minnesota United StatesCoordinates44 9 43 N 91 49 20 W 44 16194 N 91 82222 W 44 16194 91 82222Area1 654 acres 6 69 km2 Elevation860 ft 260 m 1 Established1925Governing bodyMinnesota Department of Natural Resources Contents 1 Natural history 2 Flora and fauna 3 Cultural history 4 Recreation 5 References 6 External linksNatural history editThe park sits on limestone laid down on the floor of a shallow sea 500 million years ago Torrents of runoff at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation 10 000 years ago carved the bed of the Mississippi River down into this limestone leaving high bluffs along its banks The park is situated in the Driftless Area an atypically rugged region of the Upper Midwest because it was never glaciated and covered with a layer of glacial till or drift Flora and fauna editThe steepness of the three bluffs deterred logging and the forest cover today is a high quality mix of many different species These include several kinds of oak maple elm cedar and ash as well as black walnut hickory basswood ironwood birch and poplar A great variety of birds migrate past the park along the Mississippi Flyway Terrestrial species include white tailed deer coyotes red foxes opossums and timber rattlesnakes Cultural history editThe three bluffs were named by steamboat captains who used them as landmarks A logging town with its own steamboat landing was active here in the 1850s supplying lumber to sawmills in newly founded Winona The townsite has since been submerged by water backed up by the lock and dam John A Latsch was a Winona businessman who loved fishing beneath these three bluffs He purchased some of the property and along with an adjacent landowner donated 350 acres 1 4 km2 for a state park in 1925 Latsch was a lifelong patron of conservation Whitewater State Park and Wisconsin s Perrot State Park both grew out of other parcels he donated He was also a founder of the Izaak Walton League an early environmental non profit organization Development at this park stagnated largely because the only level land was at the mouths of the small ravines that separated the three bluffs The Civilian Conservation Corps blazed a trail to the top of Mount Charity the highest of the trio in 1933 Latsch who died the following year recorded his regret that he hadn t acquired more property in the beginning In 1963 the Minnesota Legislature authorized an extension of the park s boundaries to include a sizeable area behind the bluffs However this property is yet to be acquired from its private owners and the publicly held land in the park amounts to only 389 acres 1 6 km2 A 1971 analysis recommended that John A Latsch State Park be reclassified as a Scientific and Natural Area though this has not been acted upon either nbsp John A Latsch State Park entranceRecreation editThe park features a picnic ground and 7 primitive walk in campsites which are currently closed to the public Water is available seasonally from a pump The only trail is the steep 0 5 mile 800 m Riverview Trail which climbs 450 feet 137 m to the top of Mount Charity offering a panoramic view of the Mississippi River Valley References edit John Latsch State Park Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey January 11 1980 Retrieved February 25 2011 Arthur Anne Minnesota s State Parks Adventure Publications Inc Cambridge MN 1998 Bewer Tim Moon Handbooks Minnesota Avalon Travel Publishing Emeryville CA 2004 Meyer Roy W Everyone s Country Estate A History of Minnesota s State Parks Minnesota Historical Society Press St Paul 1991 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2006 The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site online External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to John A Latsch State Park John A Latsch State Park Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John A Latsch State Park amp oldid 1168286143, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
