Tall pines and sand blows compose the landscape at Arena Pines & Sand Barrens.  It is a similar natural community to that present at Gotham Jack Pine Barrens just a few miles away.  Here, however, the site does not have Wisconsin River frontage and its associated sand terraces.  It is a rectangular parcel of land neighbored by a quarry on one side (just like the Gotham site).  It is located on the north side of a T-intersection with parking just on the roadside.  Overall, I found this site to be underwhelming.  I found fewer open areas of sand which are the most interesting visual feature of a site like this.  Toward the north end of the site are wetter ares, but nothing floralistically interesting was seen in that portion.  Buttonweed (Diodia teres var. teres), a Special Concern species in Wisconsin can be found at this site, though I did not see it.  Perhaps, it would be worth another visit if I was in the area again, but I wouldn’t make a destination out of it.  Nearby, however, is the Arena boat landing which is a very good birding spot and has a decent display of spring ephemerals is a bottomland forest setting.

More of my photos from Arena Pines & Sand Barrens can be viewed here.

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