McKnight Prairie Photo Gallery

Do not disturb the sandy blowouts on McKnight’s East Hill. The plants and animals there are sensitive to foot traffic and the soil is prone to further erosion. Prairie blowouts expose fine sand derived from the St. Peter Sandstone that underlies much of the Midwest. The sandy soil is host to a variety of sand specialists such as Opuntia humifusa (prickly pear cactus), Liatrus sp. (blazing star), and wolf spiders.