Dodge Nature Center - Shepard Farm Property

Nature CenterNon-Profit

Hours:

Trails are open every day from sunrise to sunset.

West St. Paul Main Office open M–F, 8:00am–4:00pm

Driving Directions:

Vehicles can access Shepard Farm via a one-way road. Enter from 70th Street S and exit on Jamaica Avenue. The paved lot offers ample parking for cars—do not park in the bus loop.

About Us

Dodge Nature Center is the oldest-running nature center in Minnesota and a pioneer in environmental education. Dodge is a community-funded nonprofit organization offering 8+ miles of trails across 460+ acres of hardwood forests, wetlands, and rolling prairies within the cities of West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, and Cottage Grove.

Shepard Farm is Dodge Nature Center’s property in Cottage Grove and the nature center in your neighborhood. This property offers 140 acres of greenspace for people of all ages to experience the outdoors and learn something new in nature.

You and your family can:
- Hike the 1-mile trail through 100-year-old woods, home to local wildlife and native plants
- Step back in time with 1920s-era historic buildings, barns, and a small working farm
- See farm animals in pastures and coops: cows, sheep, goats, chickens, turkey, and quail
- Take classes inside the new Education Center, featuring a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen
- Garden and grow in the community gardens—registration opens in January
- Cultivate hives and produce honey in our season-long beekeeping class
- Try your hand at blacksmithing in the forge, guided by instructors from Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center

Come nourish your need for nature! Shepard Farm is open for all to hike and explore at no cost, sunrise to sunset, every day of the year. View our calendar to register for a naturalist-guided educational experience, class, or program: https://www.dodgenaturecenter.org/calendar