News & Alerts

Spearhead Alerts

Stay up to date on important information about the Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve. This section shares trail conditions, closures, and other safety-related updates to help you plan your visit and enjoy the Preserve safely.

12/5/2025: Trail Alert – Hazard trees and impassable trails
The Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve is open, but please be aware that some trails are currently impassable, these are remnants of the June 2025 storm. Trail clearing has been ongoing through the summer, but most maintenance work is now paused for the winter. Clearing will resume once snowpack and conditions make it safe to continue.

Please check our website for updates on which trails are open before your visit.

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Thank you for your generosity during Give to the Max 2025. Your support helps us provide outdoor education and conservation experiences for youth and adults at the Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve. Because of you, we can continue inspiring people t
Today is Give to the Max Day! Help us reach our $2,500 goal to support nature education and improvements at Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve. Your gift today supports new trail signs, updated maps, and an information kiosk for visitors and students
Tomorrow is Give to the Max Day 2025. Join us and thousands of Minnesotans in supporting local causes that make our communities stronger. Your gift helps us reach our $2,500 goal for trail improvements and outdoor education programs. Give early toni
Spread some cheer on World Kindness Day! Early giving for #GiveToTheMaxMN has begun! Project #2: New trail maps are on the way. With your support, we can make navigating our 5 miles of trails easier for everyone. Clear maps mean more confidence and
Our first project goal is a new information kiosk. This update will make it easier for visitors and students to learn about the preserve, our trails, and the wildlife that call it home. Help us make it happen for Give to the Max 2025. http://bit.ly
Get Ready for Give to the Max 2025! We’re excited to join Minnesota’s annual giving holiday, Give to the Max Day, on November 20! This year, our $2,500 goal will fund three major improvements at Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve: 🌿 A ne
Happy #NationalCatDay! 🐱💚 Did you know keeping your kitties indoors helps protect our local and migratory birds? Every small choice—like providing a safe outdoor enclosure or indoor enrichment—makes a big difference for wildlife. 🌿🐦 L
Weekend Wings: Fall Finale Challenge October 25-25, 2025 The forest feels a little quieter this week. As October winds down, the great fall migration is nearly complete, but there is still plenty of life in the treetops and voices on the wind. This
🌿 Big thanks to our amazing volunteers from Northern Risk Group! 🌿 This incredible crew of women worked hard, and had fun too! With their help, the main trail is now open all the way to the very north end of the lake. We are seeing some real progr
Weekend Wings: Bemidji Bird Watch This weekend, from warblers to tundra swans, our region is a vital stop on the Mississippi Flyway. There are plenty of birds to enjoy all year. Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Flickers, and Blue Jays are all acti