A Guide to Minnesota's Prairie Passage Route and Sites

By Kathryn E. Bolin, MnDOT
(651) 284-3767

One of the guides to the six-State Prairie Passage.

While highway and railroad right-of-ways have sometimes protected remnants of native prairie, transportation systems and agricultural development contributed to much of the loss, and fragmentation of the North American Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem. Today less than one percent of the original tallgrass prairie can be found in scattered remnants across the landscape. Most residents of and travelers to the prairie states have little understanding of this once vast ecosystem, which was home to hundreds of different species of birds and animals and thousands of different species of plants, grasses and insects.

Roots of the prairies grasses and wildflowers can reach 16 feet and more into the earth. These roots helped create the soils that earned the heartland of the United States the title "Bread Basket of the World."

The Prairie Passage Route through Minnesota was identified in a series of right-of-way surveys and public meetings. The signed route in Minnesota travels through the western part of the state that was once covered with over 18 million acres of tallgrass prairie. Remnant prairie can be found along segments of this route. It is hoped that in the future as opportunities arise through highway renovation or other activities, segments can be planted with native grasses and wildflowers. Over thirty natural, historical, cultural, and archaeological sites have also been identified and most are signed as of this printing. Sites were identified by land managers and others for their significance in telling the stories of the tallgrass prairie across the "passage of time and the landscape." It is the hope that visitors along the route and to the sites will discover stories of the past, the present and the future, as deep and rich as the prairie soil itself.

In 1999 the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) and the FHWA TEA-21 provided funds to create a national logo and signage for Prairie Passage; planting native grasses and wildflower along segments of TH 23 and 75 including several hundreds of acres in Camden and Blue Mounds State Parks adjacent to these right-of-ways; and the creation of interpretive trails, brochures, guides, posters, and information kiosks. Minnesota DOT was awarded First Place in the 2002 Federal Highway Administration Photo Opportunity Award for Public Outreach for A Guide to Minnesota's Prairie Passage Route and Sites.

What are People Saying About Prairie Passage in Minnesota?

"This is a fantastic, stunning guide. The concept of this project is mind boggling as a whole. You have captured the cultural and natural history. It (Prairie Passage) is an incredibly fantastic idea! I'm going to share these guides with my colleague in Washington, D. C. who teaches environmental law and historical preservation. It's perfect for his class."
- D. Kahn, Regional historian, sociologist and documenter of historic change

"What a wonderful idea! What a gorgeous guide! What a great addition for our area to use! Please send several boxes!"
- Fergus Falls, MN Chamber of Commerce

"This is the best thing we've seen for our area. I don't think most of us even know what we have right here in our own back yard. We do have something to be proud of!"
- Marshall County Museum