Hamlin Garland Wildlife Area
The area is named to honor Pulitzer prize winning author Hamlin Garland (1860-1940). In 1871, at the age of 11 Mr. Garland moved to Mitchell County. Hamlin helped break prairie sod along side his father and his brother.
Hamlin left Mitchell County at the age of 21 to pursue an education and literary career in Boston. Over his lifetime he traveled extensively in search of new ideas and experiences to write about. Many of his best books were drawn from his early life in Mitchell County. He writes of both the beauty and stark hardships of farming in Boy Life on the Prairie; Son of the Middle Border; and his Pulitzer prize novel, Daughter of the Middle Border published in 1921.
The Hamlin Garland Wildlife area is perhaps a little snapshot of the natural landscape experienced by Hamlin when he arrived as an 11 year old boy.
Hamlin Garland Wildlife Area is a 112 acre public hunting area located at 4417 Hwy. 218, St. Ansgar, IA 50472. Wetland, woods, and grassland with walk-in access.
Location
1 mile north of St. Ansgar on Hwy. 218.
Operating Hours & Seasons
Open Year Round - Access Sometimes Limited During Winter Months
