You Can Practically Walk On Water At This Minnesota Peatland Bog

Iron Springs Bog Scientific and Natural Area ("SNA") is a natural wonder in Minnesota. Its peatland habitat offers the feeling of walking on water - or perhaps air - as you traverse the pillowy ground and explore all this special place has to offer.

Iron Springs Bog SNA is a protected natural area located just a couple miles from the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Its otherworldly landscape is enhanced by the spongy ground that you must walk on to explore the bog.

It feels almost as if you're walking across floating pads on a pool of water.

The towering black and white spruce of the boreal and swamp forest ecosystems lend the SNA a dark, fairytale atmosphere.

But it's the chemical makeup of the water and soil present in the 231-acre SNA that make it special.

Specialized plants that can only live in an acidic environment, like the bog bean, thrive here.

So do insect-eating round-leaved sundews.

Carnivorous pitcher plants also make their home in Iron Springs Bog.

The real stars of the show, however, are the orchids.

These include the green adder's mouth, which is a relatively rare species of orchid.

Striped coralroot - another orchid species - can also be found in the SNA.

As can Minnesota's most well-known type of orchids, lady's slippers.

Several lady's slippers species grow at Iron Springs Bog SNA, including yellow lady's slippers.

Showy lady's slippers, our state flower, as well as the rare ram's head lady's slipper are also present in the SNA.

The SNA also offers important nesting habitat for many species of migrating warblers, like the common yellowthroat.

The otherworldly experience of walking on a bog is something all Minnesotans should experience at some time or another, and doing so at Iron Springs Bog SNA is even a bit more like hiking through a fairytale. While visiting Iron Springs Bog SNA, why not make nearby Itasca State Park - home to the Mississippi River's headwaters - your base camp? You could even stay at Douglas Lodge if you prefer a few more amenities with your lodging options.

Have you had a chance to visit Iron Springs Bog SNA or walk on a bog in Minnesota? What other natural wonders in Minnesota offer a unique experience in nature?