Attractions and Places To See in Rice County - Top 20

Located in Rice County, Minnesota, Prairie Creek Woods Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) is a 93-acre protected site within Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. The area primarily preserves southern mesic hardwood forests, including maple–basswood and oak–basswood communities. The site’s primary ecological purpose is to protect the Minnesota dwarf trout lily (Erythronium propullans), a federally endangered wildflower found only in three Minnesota counties. The landscape features a steep-sided ravine and Prairie Creek, a spring-fed stream. Public access is limited to low-impact activities such as hiking, birding, and photography. There are no maintained trails or developed facilities within the SNA. If you want to photograph the Scientific and Natural Area’s iconic brown wooden sign, you may need to look carefully, as it is often hidden by thick sumac. The sign is located up the hillside, about 50 feet to the left of the closed gate at the small parking area on the south side of 155th Street East.

Valley Grove Cemetery is known as the burial place of two important Minnesota families, the Quies and the Veblens. Thomas and Kari Veblen, parents of the famous economist Thorstein Veblen, are buried here, and their large gravestone shows the cemetery’s strong connection to the Veblen family. Thorstein himself is not buried here—his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off California—but he was confirmed at the Valley Grove church, and his siblings often mentioned the place in their letters. His family farm, now a National Historic Landmark, is very close to the cemetery. The cemetery is also the resting place of Al Quie, the 35th Governor of Minnesota and long-time U.S. Representative, who was buried here in September 2023, and his wife, Gretchen Quie, a former First Lady of Minnesota and accomplished artist. In addition, the cemetery holds the graves of the original Norwegian "Kvi" family, whose name later became Quie, and who were among the early settlers in the Nerstrand area. Finally, my Infectious Diseases and Immunology professor from medical school, who is Al Quie’s brother, is still living at age 102 but will one day be laid to rest here as well.

Although this is a road cycling highlight, the Pathways of Peace Park was designed mainly for walking and quiet reflection. The paths emphasize accessibility for pedestrians, walkers, and wheelchair users. Cycling might pose safety risks for senior residents who depend on these paths for gentle exercise.

Pathways of Faith Park was developed for the Northfield Retirement Community to provide a space for reflection, meditation, and quiet enjoyment of nature. Its carefully landscaped environment reflects the mission of Christian service, offering a peaceful retreat for residents, their families, and the wider Northfield community.

About Valley Grove Church: Two historic Norwegian immigrant churches sit on a hill in the farm valley south of Northfield, Minnesota near Big Woods State Park in a panorama of prairie and oak savanna. The Valley Grove Preservation Society members are stewards for the two Valley Grove churches, the 1862 stone church and the white clapboard church built in 1894 and also for the surrounding 50 acres of rolling prairie grasses and trees. See https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/08/18/wander-wonder-best-iconic-views-minnesota#:~:text=3)%20Valley&20Grove

1862 stone church and 1894 wood church - great starting point for a hike in the prairie and a calm place

1862 stone church and 1894 wood church - nice cemetery and a neat launching place for a hike or bike on the grass mowed trails in the back of the cemetery

The Cannon River Trout Lily Scientific and Natural Area shelters one of the largest populations of the endangered Minnesota dwarf trout lily, a delicate flower that blooms in early spring. This species is Minnesota’s only endemic flowering plant, found naturally nowhere else but in three southeastern Minnesota counties—Rice, Goodhue, and Steele—within the Straight and Cannon River watersheds. The dwarf trout lily, first discovered in 1870 by botany instructor Mary B. Hedges near Faribault, has a notably brief life cycle. Classified as a spring ephemeral, it sprouts, flowers, and produces food in early spring before its leaves fade by early summer as the forest canopy fills in. The plant primarily spreads asexually through offshoots, which is reflected in its scientific name, Erythronium propullans. Only rarely does it produce fertile seeds, relying on cross-pollination with the common white trout lily when it does, making its continued survival uncertain.