Since the turn of the century, Frontenac has had a reputation for great birdwatching. Some 260 species of birds have been seen here, many migrating via the Mississippi flyway. There is a rich diversity of natural communities and landscapes: bluffs, prairie, floodplain forests, and hardwood forest.

Archeological excavations at Frontenac in 1976 uncovered artifacts from the Hopewellian culture dating from 400 B.C. to 300 A.D. Some sites were burial grounds; some were living areas. Research also shows that the Dakota and Fox Indians hunted and fished on the shores of Lake Pepin.