Jay C. Hormel Nature Center

Jay C. Hormel Nature Center The Nature Center features over 500 acres of prairie, forests and wetlands & interpretive center The 530+ acre Jay C.

Hormel Nature Center preserve was established in 1971 and is located in Western Mower County within the city limits of Austin. The Nature Center features restored and remnant prairie, hardwood forest, wetlands and meandering streams. As you hike the miles of trail, you may see deer, mink, raccoons, salamanders, birds and other native wildlife.

Can you spot the difference? These two flowers can look similar with both sharing small clusters of purple-pink flowers....
06/01/2026

Can you spot the difference?

These two flowers can look similar with both sharing small clusters of purple-pink flowers.

Prairie phlox—pictured on the left—is a native plant species that you can find in both the prairies and rain gardens at the Nature Center. It has flowers with five petals and is typically lower to the ground.

Dame's Rocket is an invasive species in Minnesota and is pictured on the right. It has 4 flower petals and is more of a purple color. It gets is name as the stems "rocket" up towards the sky and can reach 2 to 4 feet tall.

Binocular lending is now available here at the nature center!The Austin Audubon Society recently donated several new pai...
05/30/2026

Binocular lending is now available here at the nature center!
The Austin Audubon Society recently donated several new pairs of binoculars to us, and they are available for anyone to borrow for use on our trails.
If you would like to borrow a pair during your visit to the nature center, stop at the front desk in our interpretive center.
This program is first come first served.

Last week we did some "stream dancing" with students who came to the Nature Center on a field trip. Students caught a va...
05/29/2026

Last week we did some "stream dancing" with students who came to the Nature Center on a field trip. Students caught a variety of different critters from the creek - including this Burrowing Mayfly Nymph!
This macroinvertebrate is distinctive with its three tails and feather-like gills on the sides of its abdomen, which make it look almost like a mermaid tail as it swims. This was a very exciting find - not only do they look cool, but these insects are a great indicator species for water quality. They have a very low tolerance for pollution, which means they need really clean water to survive. Our creek has not always been hospitable for these types of creatures - so it is a sign of improvement that we found it here!

Stop out at 4th Ave Fest on June 3rd for FREE canoe and kayaking on Mill pond from 4:00-7:00 pm. There will be a ton of ...
05/28/2026

Stop out at 4th Ave Fest on June 3rd for FREE canoe and kayaking on Mill pond from 4:00-7:00 pm. There will be a ton of other activities, food, and community happening as well so join us at this kick off event for the summer!

Check out the event details here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CpFA5zaEa/

Spring is the time to see snapping turtles on the move.The females are moving to open, sandy areas to lay their eggs for...
05/27/2026

Spring is the time to see snapping turtles on the move.

The females are moving to open, sandy areas to lay their eggs for the warmer summer ahead. These eggs will hatch in the fall then the snapping turtles will leave to avoid the cold temperatures.

We found a snapping turtle hanging out in Dobbins Creek. Although little, it is probably about 1 year old! If you stop by, you might seem them moving towards nearby water.

Keep a look out and make sure you are staying on the trail! The Nature Center has both poison ivy and stinging nettle wh...
05/26/2026

Keep a look out and make sure you are staying on the trail! The Nature Center has both poison ivy and stinging nettle which can turn your relaxing walking into an itchy one...

Minnesota has two native species of poison ivy: Western Poison Ivy and Eastern Poison Ivy. Both species have leaves in groups of three and can cause a rash on human skin. This allergic reaction is due to the urushiol oil that is produced by the plant. Although irritating to humans, poison ivy serves as an important food source for many animals that occupy the Hormel Nature Center. This includes multiple bird, mammal, and insect species.

Stinging Nettle has sharply toothed leaves that lay opposite each other along the stem. With their stinging hairs, this plant can cause a burning sensation that lasts a few hours. Stinging nettle, like poison ivy, serves as a food source for many insect species.

Fundraising update for our Nature Playscape Project! We have had an outpouring of support from our incredible community ...
05/23/2026

Fundraising update for our Nature Playscape Project!

We have had an outpouring of support from our incredible community to help make this nature playscape a reality. However, we still have a ways to go.

We are currently at 75% of our fundraising goal. If you have not contributed to our project and want to show your support, or if you know someone else who might be interested, share this with them and send them over to our website for an in depth look at the project. hormelnaturecenter.org

We cannot do this without your help! We are so grateful of the support so far and are excited to reach our goal to get this Nature Playscape built.

There are a lot of different terms thrown around to denote the furry rodents that burrow in the ground - groundhog, marm...
05/22/2026

There are a lot of different terms thrown around to denote the furry rodents that burrow in the ground - groundhog, marmot, woodchuck, gopher... So who’s who? And what’s the difference?

"Marmot" defines the broader category of large ground squirrels. Groundhogs are a type of marmot found in much of North America, and the only native marmot in Minnesota. "Woodchuck" is just another name for a groundhog - they are the same exact animal!
Gophers are different, however. They come from a completely different family, and are more closely related to rats than ground squirrels. They are smaller, about 5-14 inches long instead of the 17-32 inch groundhogs. Their tails are thinner and have very little hair as opposed to the bushier, wider tails of a groundhog. Gophers are harder to spot as they spend almost all of their time underground in their burrows, they dig 1-3 crescent-shaped mounds per day. In contrast, groundhogs have just one larger mound of dirt, and they are regularly active aboveground - like this guy who was spotted at the nature center!

This Saturday, May 23rd, is the start of our boat rental season! Rent either a canoe or kayak to take down Dobbins Creak...
05/21/2026

This Saturday, May 23rd, is the start of our boat rental season! Rent either a canoe or kayak to take down Dobbins Creak to Eastside Lake and back. If you're new to paddling you can also try the boats out on our pond.

Our boats are non-reservable and are rented out on a first come first served basis. Cost is $10 per paddler, cash or check only. We have single and double kayaks, and canoes that fit two paddlers. Your rental time is 3 hours, or until 4:30 pm, whichever comes first. Last boat rental for the day goes out at 3:30 pm.

For the holiday weekend we will be open and ready for rentals on Saturday 9:00 am-3:30 pm (when the last boat goes out) and Sunday from 1:00-3:30 pm. We are closed on Monday, May 25th for Memorial Day.

Rental includes: boat, paddles, life jackets, and wheels for the boat to help get them down to the water. Come spend some time on the water this summer!

🌸 Wildflower Wednesday 🌸A few spring wildflower highlights to look out for before they are gone! Wild Geranium - Along t...
05/20/2026

🌸 Wildflower Wednesday 🌸
A few spring wildflower highlights to look out for before they are gone!
Wild Geranium - Along the path towards the covered bridge after the Sugar Shack.
Jacob's Ladder - In the woods near the metal benches.
Columbine - Garden in front of the Interpretive Center.
Phlox - Along the creek bank where the canoe launch is.
Mayapple - In the woods on the trail before the canoe launch bridge.

Enjoy the sights and the smells but leave them for the butterflies and bees please.

Address

1304 21st Street NE
Austin, MN
55912

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

(507) 437-7519

Website

https://linktr.ee/hormelnaturecenter

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