St. Paul Priory
Credit: Linda Huhn
In 1960, the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict purchased a rolling glacial moraine in Maplewood as site for a college and retirement home. Dotted with wetlands and part of a chain of lakes stretching from the Twin Cities to the Mississippi River, the land was an important watershed. For four decades the land remained open as Maplewood expanded and developers sought to purchase the property. Torn between protecting their retirement fund and conserving the area's natural beauty, the order sought help from TPL. A citizen committee identified the property as a priority acquisition for the Maplewood Open Space Program and TPL helped the community raise local funds to protect the land.
Visit
more »St. Paul Priory, now the Priory Preserve, is the largest protected open space in the city of Maplewood. The property has beautiful walking paths set among rolling hills, patches of prairie grasses, oak woodlands, and bogs and other wetlands that attract a variety of birds of wildlife. Directions: From the Twin Cities, take I-94 E to Exit 247 and turn left onto Century Ave N. The Preserve is 3 miles down on the left, at the corner of Century and Larpenter Ave. Street parking is available along Larpenter Ave.
Google map
More park information
-
14:55
The Connecticut River: Partnership for Conservation
Learn More » -
36 slides
America's Heritage Lands -
17 slides
A Montana Legacy
Learn More »
