Come nourish your need for nature! Enjoy the beauty and restorative power of the big woods, farm fields, and prairie grasses at Shepard Farm, Dodge Nature Center’s property nearby in Cottage Grove.
Only 11 miles from the heart of Woodbury, Shepard Farm offers 140 acres of greenspace for people of all ages to experience the outdoors and learn something new in nature.
There’s lots for you to do:
- Hike the trail through the 100-year-old woods. You’re welcome every day from sunrise to sunset—and it’s always free!
- See farm animals like cows, goats, and sheep in the wide pastures
- Garden and grow in the community garden—registration opens in March
- Send your child to school-age day camps where they will meet animals, make friends, and stretch their legs and minds
- Bring the family for low-cost nature programs with knowledgeable naturalists in every season
- Step into the teaching kitchen to touch and taste nature with hands-on cooking and crafting classes
- Cultivate hives and produce honey in the season-long beekeeping class
- Spark your creativity in the forge with blacksmithing classes
Before you visit, leave your dogs at home and bikes in the rack at the entrance. Read the Visitor Guidelines for more info.
Dodge Nature Center is a community-funded 501c3 nonprofit organization supported by people like you. Learn more about Dodge’s mission, vision, and values here.
Dodge Nature Center
651-455-4531
Email: info@DodgeNatureCenter.org
Trails open every day during daylight hours
Directions and Parking
Vehicles can access Shepard Farm via a one-way road. Enter from 70th Street South and exit on Jamaica Avenue. The paved lot offers ample parking for cars—do not park in the bus loop.
Pedestrians can enter Shepard Farm from paved trails along 70th Street South and Jamaica Avenue.
Facebook: @dodgenaturecenter
Instagram: @dodgenaturecenter
