Most smaller communities are wonderful places to visit any time of year, but some small towns in Minnesota get a little extra spark when the snow flies. Meadowlands, which is the gateway community for the Sax-Zim Bog, is just such a town.
Meadowlands is a small community in St. Louis County.
It’s located between Cloquet and Virginia, on Highway 133 just west of Highway 7.
In the early 2000s, this unassuming community found itself at the epicenter of a birding explosion, thanks to an irruption of great gray owls.
Word got out quickly, and birders descended on the area to get a glimpse of these secretive, boreal creatures. Not used to humans, these birds were perfectly comfortable hunting right in front of their eager audience.
The general area is referred to as the Sax-Zim Bog, and it’s now considered a globally-significant area for migrating birds, in general, and owls, in particular.
Meadowlands embraced its newfound fame as a birding capital.
The Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center is located just out of town. In Meadowlands proper, you’ll find a birding kiosk at the community center.
Winter is the time when Meadowlands sees the largest number of visitors.
They come to snowshoe, hike, or cross-country ski on the area trails and boardwalks.
And drive the roads hoping to catch a glimpse of the great gray owls and other species, like northern hawk owls, who winter in the bog.
Great grays actually mate and nest in the bog before returning north to Canada’s boreal forests. However, there is a year-round resident population in the bog.
Other boreal species, like redpolls, northern shrikes, and Canada jays winter in the Sax-Zim Bog, as well.
Of course, there’s much more to Meadowlands than birds - especially in winter.
The Alborn-Pengilly Trail, a state rail trail, runs directly through town. It is a popular ATV trail when there’s no snow on the ground. But when the snow flies, snowmobile enthusiasts flock to the trail and to Meadowlands.
With Meadowlands situated at about the halfway point of the 39-mile trail, a stop at the Trailside Lounge and Grill is almost a requirement.
It’s also a great spot for thirsty birders looking for a bite to grab some fuel for their adventures.
Victory Coffeehouse is a great place to grab a cup of coffee to get your day started.
Its hours are somewhat limited, so be sure to check check out the coffee shop on Facebook or call ahead before you go.
Meadowlands is really a wonderful small community to visit any time of year, but it’s particularly lively in winter. For getting around on the area’s trails - some of which are not all that well blazed - and boardwalks, I recommend AllTrails Plus, which lets you download maps for offline use.
Have you visited Meadowlands in the winter? What are your favorite winter towns in Minnesota? Let us know in the comments!
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