Nearest Town: McGregor

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Sandy Lake Forestry Station and fire tower are worth a stop for the great view of Big Sandy Lake and Lake Minnewawa, and home to some great birds. The first nesting record of Connecticut Warbler in Minnesota were from the bog bordering the Forestry Station. There are no trails into the bog, but it is possible to see or hear them from the yard or nearby roadside. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Red Crossbill, Yellow-rumped Warbler are a few other birds to look for here.

The Big Sandy Lake Fire Tower is a 94-foot tower with 7x7-foot cab constructed in 1933 by the Minnesota Division of Forestry. The lookout is one of the few manufactured by the Pittsburg-Des Moines Company.

Restored in 1992, the still active fire tower lookout is a very popular tourist attraction. The wooded hillside up to the tower is a great place for viewing migrating warblers and other birds, both in spring and fall. From the tower, look down on the treetops for a unique view of the forest. Enjoy an eye level view from the tower of Bald Eagle, Osprey and Turkey Vultures as they soar around the lake.

Continue on County Road 14 to the Remote Lake Solitude Area or the Savanna Portage State Park for more opportunities to see wildlife. There is a public access to Big Sandy Lake at 520th Lane, where it is possible to see ducks, geese, loons and passerines.

Directions: From McGregor, seven miles north on State Highway 65, right on County Road 14 for three miles – parking area located on right of highway near the office.

Contact Information: Minnesota DNR, Sandy Lake Forestry Station, 44928 Lake Ave, McGregor, MN 55760, Phone: 218-426-3407.

Nearest Town: McGregor

The Sandy Lake Recreation Area is situated at the outlet of Big Sandy Lake on the canoe route that linked Lake Superior and the Mississippi River. Historically significant for the entrance to the Mississippi River from the Savanna Portage, this area was an important site for Indians, fur traders and Voyageurs for hundreds of years. The area was home to one of the first schools in Minnesota, in 1832, Fredrick Ayer established a mission and school near the dam site. The American Fur Company and the Northwest Company both had trading posts in this area. In the late 1850’s, at the beginning of the local logging boom, Joseph Libby and his family lived here and operated a trading post. Libby was a successful businessman and logger and the small settlement here was known as “Libby”. Pine logs cut from the surrounding forests were rafted across the