Devil Track Wildflower Sanctuary Surrounds Visitors with Multiple Paths for Exploration
Jul 08, 2024 07:34AM ● By Content Editor
Photo: Chris and Anne Hegg. All photos by Jennifer Janasie.
By Jennifer Janasie for Boreal Community Media - July 4, 2024
Chris and Anne Hegg possess a palpable passion for restoring and maintaining the Devil Track Wildflower Sanctuary and its adjacent former Hedstrom Lumber mill site, both easily accessed a few miles up the Gunflint Trail on County Road 60 in Grand Marais. This privately sustained property offers the public acres full of opportunities to explore, ranging from trails that meander through woodlands and along the banks of the Devil Track River, to more formal garden areas such as the Norquist Rain Garden.
Wildflowers line the trails.
The past month has beautifully set the blooming season stage for flower enthusiasts, as June brought new flower blooms daily to the Sanctuary, according to Anne Hegg. She makes note of annual bloom times in her phenology journal, and historically has written about more changes during June than in any other month. Luckily, visitors can continue enjoying the flower haven for many more months. For a preview of what blooms to expect in a given week from May through October, visitors can find the Hegg’s flower photography on the Sanctuary’s Facebook page.
The original Sanctuary was established on a smaller scale at the suggestion of Lucille Hedstrom Walker in 1958, thanks to a subsequent partnership with the Grand Marais Garden Club. The Club’s efforts enabled a later version of the Sanctuary to be restored in 1979 and maintained into the 1990s. The Heggs purchased this historically significant portion of land as part of a larger six-acre tract in 2013, according to the couple. At the time of their purchase, they knew little about wildflowers, yet were quite willing to take on the challenge of breathing new life into beauty that had once again been lost with time. Collectively, the couple has “spent years finding trails, tending, planting, and learning as (they) go,” according to Anne. The two are thankful for the plant identification efforts of the Gunflint Greenup Committee, as well as partnerships with other organizations like the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District. Collaboration with the District enabled the use of Minnesota state funding for the Rain Garden, which helps to protect the Devil Track River by capturing rainwater run-off. It also provides a benefit to pollinator populations. “There are many people in the county who know more, and we have learned from some of them,” she said.
Their extensive efforts have enabled the expansion of plant identification, tree planting, and trail offerings, such as with a 2019 addition of a four-acre riverside annex on the area’s south side – a long and narrow stretch full of ferns and black ash. Chris Hegg affectionately calls this recently acquired area, “Fern Gully”.
The 2019 addition known as "Fern Gully".
The entire property was not always a whole-scale haven for plants, nor was it always advertised or maintained as such. The old mill land (comprising much of the area surrounding the parking lot), was once mostly bare – composed of gravel and old equipment. The former Sanctuary originally could only be accessed along the Gunflint Trail’s shoulder, which made plant maintenance difficult. The Heggs wanted to restore the industrial land to a more natural state and to allow better access for the public’s enjoyment. Now the two love sharing the land’s beauty and their passion for restoring it with those interested in a visit and a chat. An informational sign posted in the parking area provides guests with more details about their goals for restoration.
Chris and Anne each play key roles in ensuring the success of the Santuary.
Each member of this caretaking duo has a distinct, complimentary role in the success of the Sanctuary. Chris is primarily responsible for the overall maintenance of the property, walking and sculpting the trails and plants while going to and from work at Hedstrom Lumber during the week (he spends an additional six to eight hours per weekend focused on heavy maintenance, according to the couple). Anne’s efforts have been concentrated on establishing the Rain Garden, assisting with tree planting, and completing communications endeavors (such as acquiring signage). Two-quarters art, one-quarter science, and one-quarter education is the key to maintaining the Sanctuary and old mill site, which is a “labor of love,” according to Chris.
Hopes for the future of the Sanctuary and surrounding property include continued efforts to protect the river (with almost 2,000 feet of river frontage to manage) and a long-term goal of setting up a nonprofit organization to care for the Sanctuary, according to Chris. For example, approximately 1,000 tree seedlings have been planted onsite. “We have been planting red and white pines, as they are predicted to be more positively than negatively impacted by warming,” he said. “We are always planning for the future, and doing all of this with a long-term picture in mind,” adds the couple.
The overall site includes a mixture of native and non-native plant species. When managing species, Chris’s removal efforts focus on particular invasive plants, such as common tansy. Some other non-native plants, like lupine, remain almost entirely outside of the formal Sanctuary entryway due to both visitor popularity and the realities of the industrial history of the old mill area, according to the team.
Pink Lady Slippers are a crowd favorite.
Of all the plants present, Chris’s personal favorites within the Sanctuary are the pink lady slipper, large-flowered trillium, and purple clematis. “Pink lady slippers are my most favorite,” he says, “and they are the most popular among lots of visitors, especially those who are knowledgeable about flowers.” The Sanctuary’s pink lady slippers in bloom at the time this article was written are about 40 years old, and "I have picked up maps from the Garden Club (to confirm this)", he says. They are relatively rare and take an incredible 10 years to flower once germinated. He adds regarding his close second favorite flower, “Purple clematis look like little purple lanterns growing on a vine.”
Blue flag iris are just one of the many flowers visitors can see at the Wildflower Sanctuary.
Anne’s favorite June blooms include blue flag iris (present in numbers in both the older portion of the Sanctuary and in the Rain Garden) and large-flowered trillium. The longstanding portion of the Sanctuary also has several lovely wild rose bushes, as well as notable red pine trees. Anne is sure to point visitors to the Rain Garden in the coming months because it contains some later bloomers. There she looks forward to the July arrival of purple coneflower blooms. “Those are always fun to see,” she adds.
Chris and Anne want visitors to experience a stroll through the site while keeping their vision in mind. “We wanted to restore the place to something natural, to expand the wildflowers, bushes, trees, and bird habitat,” says Chris. “We wanted to have a bigger area for restoration and preservation, and now a big part of it is education,” he adds. Future aspirations include leading tour groups through the Sanctuary, with an eye toward an educational component. In the past, photography, birding, and hiking groups have all appreciated what the haven has to offer. Visitors can take the blue trail through the center of the Sanctuary, the yellow trail’s side adventure to the river, or walk the Sanctuary’s perimeter on the red trail. Additional paths along the river nearest to the Rain Garden, as well as Chris’s Fern Gully annex across County Road 60 from the parking lot are well worth the time.
Different paths allow visitors to view many areas of the Wildflower Sanctuary.
These flower enthusiasts enjoy the connections that both everyday visitors and volunteers bring. The couple has met people from around the world over flower conversations on-site, according to Anne. “We want people to come and enjoy the space…close to town, for free, where you can walk about a mile of trails while seeing something always blooming from early May through October,” adds Chris.
With 5,000 to 6,000 people exploring the site each year, but only two people continually caring for the property, the Heggs could use some extra helping hands. If you are interested in volunteering to get your hands dirty through some site maintenance or in sharing plant knowledge, please call them at 218-370-0115.
Article author and Boreal freelance writer Jennifer Janasie poses next to the pink lady slippers at the Devil Track Wildflower Sanctuary.
