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Savage takes its name from Marion Willis Savage, the businessman who owned Dan Patch, the record-breaking pacing horse of the early 1900s, and trained him at a lavish stable complex on the edge of the Minnesota River. The town, once called Hamilton, renamed itself in Savage's honor in 1904, and Dan Patch Days still celebrate that horse-racing past every summer.
Today Savage is a growing suburb of about 32,000 people in Scott County, southwest of the Twin Cities, where neighborhoods mix with unusually wild green space. The hilly woods and lakes of Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve draw mountain bikers, cross-country skiers and hikers, and McColl Pond offers a gentle nature walk.
Along the river, the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge protects floodplain forest and marsh, and Savage Fen shelters rare spring-fed wetland plants. The old Dan Patch Line swing bridge crosses the river to Bloomington. Downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America are about 25 minutes away.
A large Three Rivers park reserve of steep wooded hills, lakes and wetlands, known for some of the toughest mountain bike trails in the metro, plus hiking, horse and cross-country ski trails. Birders come for warblers in spring. A daily or annual parking permit is needed for some activities.
One of the best examples of a calcareous fen in Minnesota, fed by cold mineral-rich groundwater that supports rare plants found in few other places in the state. It is a protected natural area, so stay on established paths and leave plants undisturbed. Late summer brings the best wildflowers.
A section of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge on the river flats below Savage, with floodplain forest, marshes and shallow backwater lakes. Trails and gravel paths lead to good spots for herons, eagles, waterfowl and deer. Low areas flood in spring, so check conditions, and bring bug spray in summer.
A small city nature area with a pond, a short trail loop, wetland plantings and a learning center used for school and community programs. It is an easy, flat walk suited to young children and anyone looking for a quiet break. Look for turtles, frogs and red-winged blackbirds in summer.
An early 20th-century railroad swing bridge over the Minnesota River between Savage and Bloomington, built for the Dan Patch Line, the railroad Marion Savage launched in the horse's heyday. Its steel trusses are best seen from the river trails and refuge paths nearby. Do not walk on the active rail structure.
Savage's annual summer festival honors the famous pacer Dan Patch with a parade, live music, carnival rides, food stands and family activities over a weekend. It is the town's biggest gathering of the year. Arrive early for parade seating, and check the city website for parking and shuttle details.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Randy C. Bunney, Great Circle PhotoGraphics, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Schwerdf, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Gabriel Vanslette, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
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Photo: Joe Passe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Gabriel Vanslette, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Gabriel Vanslette, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Gabriel Vanslette, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Gabriel Vanslette, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Gabriel Vanslette, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Tpdwkouaa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
