Sakatah Lake State Park is an 842acre state park of Minnesota, USA, on a natural widening of the Cannon River near the town of Waterville. The Dakota native to the area called it "Sakatah" which means "singing hills". To honor this native heritage, some of the trails in the park have been given Dakota names. The Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, which connects Faribault and Mankato, runs through this park.Natural historyThe park sits on a thick moraine deposited during the Wisconsin glaciation, resulting in a rolling and uneven topography. Blocks of ice left behind as the glaciers melted formed the basin in which Sakatah Lake now lies.The park preserves a mixed transitional habitat where the Big Woods (maple, basswood, elm) of central Minnesota blend into the oak barrens of the southern part of the state. During drier eras patches of prairie arose, although they are now succeeding back to hardwood forests. The landscape is further diversified by wetlands and agricultural fields.WildlifeThis park is home to deer, rabbits, squirrels, raccoon, minks, and coyotes. These mammals are commonly seen by visitors. Bird watchers get an opportunity to view songbirds, woodpeckers, various hawks, and various owls in this park.
